Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-11-30
WASHINGTON.
The Pension Frauds.


What shall be done to protect the Treas
urv against the r;tvageS OF the Pension List
This is question which Congress will have
tn face this winter When the Arrears bill
was passed its advocates gave assurances
thar its total cost would not hC over Sl5,-
100000 To support their assertions they
grossly miSreprc>"utcd the facts and c>t-
mates furnished hy the Pensions Bureau.
There is no possibility of continuing this
deception. The tlu,rl uf claims j. pouring
in NJ an alarming rate. Commissioner Dud-
ley looking the situation fairly in the face,
and allowing for every circumstance likely
10 work in the interest Uf the Government
estimates that over l35,0UO claims will hiwe
to be granted by the time the law expires
ut the end of 1852, and that the enormous
sum of $50 ,UVD, 900 will be required 70 pay
them.
The statement that there nearly two hun
dred thousand persons in the country who
are ab u make out Il claim for govern
mcut bounty on account OF wounds or dis
ease COntrI ICtCd in war which ended six
teen years ago is itself strong evidence that
IN enormous amount of fraud is being per
petrated. 1t is not possible that there are
Su MANY crippleS and sick men surviving
whose DISABILITIES date back 10 the rebellion.
The rules Ut evidence established by the
pension laws are 90 loose, and the temp
ialiOn Of $500 (Which Is the average
sum paid To the claimants for arrearS)
is 50 great that there are uuqucs-
ti0nablv thousands OF benetiCiaricS under
the act who came out of the army sound
and whole. and perhaps other thousands
who never were in the war at all. How
can the evil be chcckcd2 Unfortunately
there is no adequate remedy available. The
law caunu, bc repealed without injustice to
soldiers who have claims not yet adIudl-
Gated which are moro mCritnriOuS than
many already paid No eI ygSt fartJ act can
muw set up new rules Vt evidence to apply
to cases on file, nor could distinction ne
made against the claims Yet 10 come III
while the law is in force. All that
Congress can properly do Is to
resist every attempt To prolong the
life OF the unwiSc statute, and promptly
set Oh foot Il searching investigation OF the
entire pension list. The enormous imme-
diatc drain upon the treasury cannot be pre-
vented but the continuous, yearly leakage
t. rAy the fraudulent pensioners which the
Arrears act has raised up in troops can hH
stopped We believe ii t" be II" eXaSgera,
tiuu Ia say that such au investigation would
reduce the pension roll To such an extent
aS Ia save the government five or six mil
lions annually, without doing iniuSt,rr t"
any person who has right to the nation y
bounty.
Will Congrcs>mcn understand that this
II an important matter that thcproplc Will
not much longer See with patience thrust
a~iGc on the plea that the "n"ldirr ele-
mcnt" must not hcullcndcd2 Tn" genuine
soldier element demand, Il wedding out "I
the pension list more earnestly than any
other elias, OF the community. No one l.
50 offended by the sight Of fraudulent PEN
SiuncrS ~ the rucn Whose title to govern
meut aid was actually gained on the battle
field or the man who has preferred M
claim iur pension for honest service which
gave him no lasting hurt. 1t is time the
subject OF pensions reform were freed from
the rant uf ,lrmagugucS and pushed forward
with carncNtncSs and intelligence. The
country is tired OF paying gratituties to the
shirk, and camp-tollowerS Of the war and
tu a horde ui makc-bcliryr soldiers who
never saw Il camp or battlefield.
NEw YORK. November 29.-Thc CoDHh"r-
| -i9I Washington special says: The first in
dirtmcnts in the Star Route Cascl were
found. to-day, by the grand jury. Ono
against Star Route Contractor Br"tt. FOR
hrihiug government officials and drtraud-
ing the government. and the other against
cx-Dcputy Auditor Lilly, for accepting Il
hrihc.