The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1882-08-10


parade your illness, unless you exhibityour
body and all its frailties and imperfections
and disabilities to this trial 10y the hundred,
to the inspection of your neighbors, you are
not hit to be borne upon the pension roll"
Mr.. President there is not sound man in
this chamber, not one. There is not man
in this chamber who is wholly sound. and
never has been. There is not man in this
chamber who does not know himself his
weaknesses OF body, as no other man knows
them, and as no other man can know them,
concealed, perhaps. even from his family
physician, and between him and his family
physician there is an abundance of knowl-
edge in regard to his physical condition
which no other man would suspect. If my
honorable friend from Ohio (Mr. Pendletop)
were TO say TO me, II am sick" Il am dis
! abled growing out of circumstances that oc-
| Cured during service III the war" or "be-
cause / fell from on board a steamboat some
| fifteen or twenty years ago. when | looked
! at his face and saw there what believed 10
! be the color of health. mus, say, against
the judgment OF his family physician. against
! the sworn statement of men who examined
/ him. that he is not entitled 10 . pension. that
! he is not sick, that he is shamming.
1t is that kind of trial which the Senator
from Kentucky desires TO submit these men
| TO who wore the federal uniform, who march
ed under their country's nag and carried It
victory.
We have heard a good deal about these eX-
pen>es. The expenses of the war toits close
are said 10 have been, in round numbers,
! sc, 0O0, 100000. Ii was an expensive job.
Thank God. it was well done; and if costs
$4,000. 000. 900 more to repair the damages to
the men who carried that flag and who plant
ca it on the ramparts of rebellion, let Us APP
propriate the money. II was money well
spent. and il viii be money well spent as lopg
as there is one of those veterans to drag his
emaciated body over the country that be
! helped to keep intact.
1t was an expensive war, and the fact that
1t was expensive is evidenced to-day. Ii is
wise for this country. it is good thing for
this country that it appreciates to-day in this
large pension roll that it had q war of that
kind on its hands with the magnificent result
which followed it. 1t is not only stimulus
| 10 Uut IL Is u
treason as well. lido not want to hear, hope
/ shall never hear any man speak of the size
of the pension list, or any man speak Of the
number borne on its rolls, or any man state
the dollars it costs to keep it up as any rea-
son for any kind Of restriction whatever or
to show why the appropriation should not
continuously and always be made.
1t is asked, why not publish these names
as we publish the names of persons who are
in the employment Of the government: That
is an entirely different thing. Here Is man
employed by the government; his employ
ment is open and notorious; the only fact to
be known or to be considered is that he Is
employed and the sum which he receives
but when you ccmc . publish the name OF a
man who is borne upon the pension roll, ami
especially when you publish il with the state
ment which accompanies this amencment
and with the impetus and anmus which Is
behind it. you are publishing il for the pur-
pose of stating in point OF fact that his ease
and every case on the pension rolls is primo
.faeie fraud.
The question as TO whether man is prop
! CITY tutlC ~ NV iNN8t'N'
neighbors can tell. 1t is question which Is
determined by a skillfal medical or surgical
examination, or both. How can any man
looking at bis neighbor going about tell, in
the first place, whether he is disabled at all
in a great many cases; and in the next place
whether that disability related TO service in
the army: Consequently, you VIII not get
any thing more out Of it than you will get
from that inquisition which each man more
or less, has of his nei1 bbor, and you will, IN
the publication of this list, with the animus,
which, as said, is behind it. cast upon these
men an imputation of fraud which they will
feel keenly as long as they live, and which
will 20 very far to offset the benefit which
the government has given by reason Of put
ting them on the pension roll.
II we can in any way reach a time when
we can get away from this kind OF a discus
sion and these wholesale allegations in regard
10 fraud, aud can make up roll OF honor
truly, will vote for that cheerfully. L DO
not desire to have any man borne on the roll
who is not entitled to be there. Men are
constantly being eliminated from it. The
commissioner of pensions is constantly ask
ing Congress to put in his hands the power
TO make more exhaustive and thorough ex-
amInations for the purpose of determining
who, if any, are improperly upon the roll
The preceding commissioner of pensions
has been quoted. and he INDUCED in gener-
al denunciation of the list; at least that was
the effect of it, At the same time the money
which Congress gave him to investigate the
question Of pension frauds was not eXpend-
ed. We gave him one year $4,000, | think,
to pay the expenses OF clerks to be detailed
from his Office to investigate frauds, aud
while he said in report to Congress that a
great many frauds existed, he only spent one
halt of the money we gave him for the pur-
pose of detecting them. That kind OF testl'
mony will not do. II an officer of the gov
ernment says that frauds are being perpetra-
ted upon it, and he has money placed in his
hands for the purpose Of detecting those
frauds, and he does not Use it for that pur-
pose, he is not competent witness to say to
what extent frauds are being carried on
against the government, and to that extent
say the testimony of the preceding commits
sioner Of pensions, Mr. Bently, is not enti'
tied to credit.
A good deal is said about the question OF
men soliciting their officers to give them GER
tificates or affidayits in regard to disability.
1t is the most natural thing in the world.
am often applied TO myself. as said before,
and it rarely happens that can make an affi.
dayit which would be Of value; but do not
l ;,,,..ta IN tba narsons annIyinp eeessarily