New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-27
PENSIONS REFORN.

What shall be done to protect the Treasury
against the ravages of the Pension ListY This
is question which Congress will have to face
this winter. When the Arrears Bill was
passed its advocates gave assurances that its
total cost would not be over $l5,000,000. To
support their assertions they grossly misrep-
resented the facts and estimates furnished by
the Pensions Bureau. There is no possibility
of continuing this deception. The flood of
claims is pouring in at an alarming rate.
Commissioner Dudley, looking the situation
fairly in the face and allowing for every cir
cumstance likely TO work in the interest of
the Government, estimates that over 195, 900
claims will have to be granted by the time
the law expires, at the end of 1882, and that
| the enormous sum of $235, 100000 will be
required to pay them.
The statement that there are nearly two
| hundred thousand persons in the country who
are able to make out a claim for Government
| bounty on account of wounds or disease con-
| tracted in war which ended sixteen years
ago, is itself strong evidence that an cnOr-
NOUS amount Of fraud is being perpctrated.
| Ii is not possible that there are so many
cripples and sick men still surviving whose
rules of evidence established by the Pension
laws are so loose, and the temptation OF
81 300 (Which is the average sum paid to the
claimants for arrears) is so great, that there
are unquestionably thousands of benefciaries
under the Act who came out of the army
sound and whole, and perhaps other thou
sands who never were in the war at all. How
can the evil be checked7 Unfortunately,
there is no adequate remedy available.
The law cannot be repealed without
Injustice to soldiers who have claims not yet
adudicated which are more meritorious than
many already paid. No er post fact0 act can
now set up new rules of evidence to apply to
cases on file nor could distinction be made
against the claims yet to come in while the
law is in force. All that Congress can prop
erly do is to resist every attempt to prolong the
life of the unwise statute, and promptly SGT on
foot a searching investigation of the entire Pen
sion list. The enormous immediate drain upon
the Treasury cannot be prevented, but the
continuous yearly leakage to pay the fraudu-
lent pensioners which the Arrears Act has
raised up in troops can be stopped. We he
leve it to be no exaggeration to say that such
an investigation would reduce the Pension
roll to such an extent as to save the Govern
ment five or six millions annually without do
ing injustice to any person who has right
to the Nations bounty.
VIII Congressman understand that this is an
important matter that the people will not much
longer see with patience thrust aside on the
plea that the "soldier element" must not be
offended The genuine soldier element de-
mands wedding out of the Pension list more
earnestly than any other class of the commu-
nifty. No one Is so offended by the sight of
fraudulent pensioners as the man whose
title to Government aid was actually
gained on the battlefield, or the man who
has preferred no claim for pension for honest
service which gave him no lasting hurt. 1t is
time the subject of Pensions reform were
freed from the rant of demagogues and
pushed forward with earnestness and intell-
gence. The country is tired of paying gratui-
ties to tha shirks and camp followers of the