Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1880-04-21
FRAUDULENT PENSIONS.


The present charge on the Treasury
for pensions is sixty millions OF dollars.
IL exceeds by ten millions one-half Of
the annual interest on the public debt,
and is nearly onc,half the cost Of run.
ming the Government on the basis Of
the regular expenditures Such fig.
ures may well excite serious attention,
because they are the growth Of years
of reckless appropriations, and also be-
cause bills are now pending before
Congress which if passed, would swell
this enormous aggregate many millions
more. We pay six times as much for
pensions as England does, and about
eight times as much as France or Ger
many do.
There are now, in rognd numbers q
quarter Of a million OF pensioners on
the rolls, and the stock is increasing
daily. Perhaps there is no branch OF
the public service IN which frauds are
so constant and common as in this
They have been estimated by compe
tent authority at twenty per cent, Of
the total. According to a recent re
port OF the Senate, twelve hundred and
tiity-two pensioners were dropped from
the rolls in 1877, 1878, and 1879. Oh
this number eight hundred and sixty.
six-more than two.thirds-were new.
or entitled torecoive any pension what
ever, bnt yet drew from the Treasury
nearly a million Of dollars. The re.
mainder were entitled to pensions
when they were allowed, but continued
to collect them after their right had
been forfeited by remarriage and by
other causes under the law.
In the test cases taken by the com.
mittee of the Senate for investigation
it found that FIVE hundred claimants
had fled 1,49S afiidavits and certif.
Gates 3,l70 of which were false, and
l6 OF them were forgeries. Of the false
afidavits $50 were traced to officers OF
the regular army, who are still wearing
their epaulettes, and are rather proud
OF their periuries.
Experience has shown that these
frauds are Systematically organized
and the prosecution of such claims has
become business in many parts OF
the country. 1t could not be carried
on so extensively or successively with
out collusion in the Pension Office, and
in tact such colluHon was proven by
an inquiry ordered because the testi
mony of corrupt partnership was over
whelmnhg With that exposure there
was relapse of indifference, and the
system was renewed even more effec
lively than it lad existed before thi,
crime was detected.
Both parties are afraid to touch the
| pensioners, or to explore the frauds
vigorously from the dread Of being mis-
represented and put in false position
This is particularly true to the Dem
ocratic side in the Senate and House Of
Representatives, where the majoritics
are mostly made up from the South
The Republicans claim to be the pecu
liar friends Of the pensioners, and util
ize that pretension by voting the
largest appropriations, in order to get
support at home They seem not tC
be disturbed at all if five or more mil.
lions year are stolen from the Treas.
ury for the benefit of Ring of profes
sional perjurers and forgers.
Thus, between the timidity of one
party and the treachery Of the other
the Treasury is plundercd of millions
and the taxpayers are saddled with 0
heavy burden, not a dime of which goes
into the pockets OF honest pensioners
who indeed are subjected to suspicion
and to hardships when prosecuting
Just claims, in consequence of these
fraudulent practices. These facts and
others still more astounding, are sus
coptlble OF proof, but no effort worthy
of the name is made to stop the glar
ing abuses, The great business before
Congress is President making and moi
useful leglslation.-N. Y Sun.