The National tribune., 1880-04-01
Fraud! Frauds FraudI

Who was the author of the saying that "every
man is insane special subject" we are
unable to answer, but has come down the ages and
many entertain the opinion that it is absolutely true.
Its verify is vastly strengthened in the case of John
A. Bentley His burden of song by day and night
Is "Fraudl Fraudl Fraudp 1t matters not how
frequently his assertion is denied or refuted still the
cry is kept up, still it is dnned in the of Con-
gress and reiterated through the press When asked
to specify he is dumb for they exist only in his
imagination He tells the Committee Invalid Pen
sions that millions frauduently extracted from
the Treasury but if he is called upon to give a list
of such cases he opens not his mouth Now during
the discussion of his Sixty Surgeon Bill in March,
1879 this fraud question fully argued in the
Senate and leading men of both political parties
participated in it. Hon Geo F Edmunds, the great
Senator from Vermont, spoke as follows;
Mr. EDMuNDs If the Secretary of the Interior or the
Commissioner of Pensions is willing to be responsible for
saying to that h has discovered any probable ground
for believing that 10 per cent of the pensions fraud
uent he must have discovered upon the aggregation Of
individual The fact that he has discovered $780,
600 does not prove that he could discover million, any
than the fact that you find that Senator in
this body years by has been guilty of misconduct
fraud implies that probably there fifteen
just guilty and you therefore institute measures
to purge the Senate. No such inference follows by any
means and hence say that if the Commissioner Of PEN
sons is justified In saying to that there 10 per cent
per cent cent of these payments of pensions
that fraudulent unjust he must if he is wise aud if
he is honest in his report have based that the nfor
nation that he has to individual and fast
he has that information, is within his authority and it
is his duty to stop payment of PENSIONS he does far
he goes We jumping, therefore, conclusions,
and think very unusty to the body of the patriotic
soey of this country when give it forth TO everybody
and everywhere by eraed and reiterated statements that
large percentage of the pensioners of this Govern
ment during the late war fraudulent punderers
of this Government do believe any such thing and
do believe there any such proof of any such thing
but because the Commissioner of Pensions has found here
and there of fraud he asks presume he
himself that there must be much larger number
just said little while If we find once IN
twenty years that there Senator in this high body who
has been guilty of receiving hribes therefore it is TO be
presumed if you only had stringent methods you
would find all the rest certain proportion l0 or 10
per cent? guilty. deny the logic and deny the justice
of any such inference.
This succinct, just and forcible presentation OF
the subject produces no effect upon the diseased i'm
agination of Bentley We have no doubt that
often at the midnight hour when the rest of the
world is wrapt in profound slumher the ilustrious
Commissioner springs from his luxurious bed shout
ing Fraud Fraud Fraud !" and we should not bs
surprised any morning to hear that all the Washing
ton Steam Fire Engines had gathered at the Bent
ley residence mistaking the cry for Fire! Fire!
Fireln We should think the commissioners health
would be much impaired by his diseased magi-
nation. permanent removal to Wisconsin We
think would prove satisfactory to him.