The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-07-29
The Fraud Cry.

]
sition 10 placard the pension-lists at every
post-oflice in the country and advertise them
in the newspapers. The speeches Of Senators
| Plumb and Logan quite exhaust the subject,
/ aud it is not likely that the Senator from
/ Kentucky, with all his audacity and shame
/ Iessness, viii venture to renew his PROPOSE
ton during the life of the present Congress.
/ We could wish that these speeches were as
sure Of being read by the public generally as
+ by those of our ex-soldieTS and sailors IN
whose special behalf they were made. If, as
was shown during the discussion that pro-
vcl,ed their delivery, some Of our leading
/ Senators are but poorly informed concerning
the workings Of our present pension system,
and by reason Of their woeful ignorance I'M
reasonably preiudiced against ii, it is scarce
/ ly TO be expected that the public at large
should be thoroughly posted in regard to 1t,
and the lucid and accurate statements Of
/ fact contained in these speeches could not
fail to remove whatever popular misappre-
! hension may exist on the subject. Nothing
| could be more damaging to the interests of
our disabled soldiers than the Impression
which Senator Beck and men Of his stripe
have endeayored to create that pensions and
pension claims are largely fraudulent, and
every possible means ought to be employed
/ to dissipate it. With those who possess
some practical knowledge of the way IN
which the operations of the Pension Bureau
are carried on, this hue and cry about pen
! sion frauds cannot possibly have any effect,
! but unfortunately there are many thought
/ less people in every community who are
ready to take up and echo the cry without
! stopping to ascertain whether there Is any
| basis for it. It is because of the mischief
that may be thus done through well-mean-
! ing but irresponsible persons that the course
pursued by Mr.. Beck merits such general
contempt and Teprobati0n. Mr.. Beck knows
perfectly well that the charges of fraud
which he Gaunts in The face of the soldier at
| every opportunity are utterly without found
ation, but he prccaims them with as much
| boldness as if they had been established in a
court Of justice. If our readers will turn to
the report of the Senate debate, printed on
| another page, they will see for themselves
that he was not able to bring forward any
proof whatever of the truth of his allegations,
! but contented himself with insinuations and
! inuendoes. 1t is true that he quoted eX-
! Commissioner Bentley as authority for the
statement that fraud exists in the pension
service, but, as Senator Plumb showed by
Mr. Bentley's own admissions, the percentage
is so small as to be scarcely appreciate.
Indeed it could hardly be otherwise, for
there is no Department of the Government
where the proving of claims is hedged about
with such limitations and safeguards against
deception as the Pension Bureau, and the
additional powers conferred upon the Com
missioner by the present pension bill may
be said to exhaust all known legal resources
for the discovery and prevention of fraud.
If these powers are properly exercised it is
inconceivable that any bogus pension claim
should escape detection.
But the truth is that when it comes to the
actual sitting of evidence and the eXamina-
ton of the real facts concerning these al
/ legged frauds, the conclusion is irresistible
that they are very few in number and that
in many cases the charges have nothing bet
ter to sustain them than popular rumOr or
suspicion. As both Senators Plumb and
Logan toOlo pains to point out, there are
many persons of apparently good health now
drawing pensions from the Government,
who, in reality, are constant sufferers from
Their wounds and liable TO die from the
effects Of them. 1t is natural, perhaps, that
the casual observer should say such and
such q man must be fraud, for he looks as
well as | am and we have no doubt that
in thousands of cases the charge Of fraud has
no better foundation than this superficial
examination-bu everybody knows that
such evidence is worthless since a surgical
examination may reveal the existence of the
most serious injuries. II should be Temem-
bered, too, that only in certain limited
class of cases is there any possibility of fraud
being practiced. Where the military and
hospital records of claimant are found to
sustain the allegations Of his affidavit, there
is no room for fraud, although, even then,
by reason of some technical error the pen
sion may not be allowed. As was well said
by Senator Logan:
"In the case Of a man who has his arm OF
leg off, an eye out, or hand OFF, or a finger
oil, or who has lost foot, or any thing OF
that kind, il is only question of rating.
That is fixed by the law. That class Of pen
sioners are not frauds, for the record in the
War Department shows the wound; the GER
tifcate of discharge shows it. Hence there
is no necessity for investigating it except so
far as the rating is concerned. Then there
is another class; there is n class of pension
ers who were discharged during the war for
disability incurred ia the line OF their duty