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

the allegation that the pension roll contains
large numbers Of frauds. He gets more let
tiers on that subject probably than anybody
else, and all he has been able to mention is
about half dozen cases of fraud out of 25O,.
600; suppose there were ,0t0; you could not
administer any law better than that. Sup
pose there were 5000, what does il amount
to in point of fact. You will not get nearer
fair administration of law than that.
As said. occasionally get letters of that
kind myself l got letter about six months
ago, or rather it was letter to the commits
sioner of pensions under cover to me, writ
ten by Il man living in 4 county in my State,
in which he went on TO say that a neighbor
of his was drawing pension who was not
entitled TO 1t. lie narrated certain reasons
why he believed the man was not entitled to
pension. sent the letter to the commits
sioner of pensions who ascertained that not
only was the man named not upon the rolls,
but he had never even made an application
for a pension. This neighbor of his simply
got suspicion in his mind that the man was
getting pension; he thought he was not en-
titled 10 one; and he addressed this letter to
the commissioner OF pensions on the subject
and there was n mares nest. That is all
there was about it, and have no doubt that
there is a large majority of cases Of just the
same kind.
Mr.. Beck-If you would publish this list
there would be no trouble about it.
mir. Plumb--I do not want 10 crafty the
curiosity of the prurient. l do not care TO
take part in that kind OF an inquisition. /
DO not think ii is proper to do it. We are
paying a large sum annually for pensions II
is large because, us believe, it is justly due.
II will be larger for some time to come. The
fact mentioned by the Senator from Connec-
ticut. if ii be the fact, that this year we shall
have deficiency of So, O00,009, is matter
of no possible concern, because II we do not
pay the S25, 000, 900 this year, we shall pay it
next. We have get these men 10 settle with
and if we could settle it all this year would
rather settle it all at once. Ii would be a
wise and proper thing to pay all the arrear-
ages of pensions now; but we cannot do it !;
il has got to be done by degrees 1t is nee
essary to have force to do it; and we can
not adapt that force to the work so as to do
it 1T once; but We can use all the force nee
essary to decide who is and who is not emit.
tied to pension. Whether the amount is
$780, 900 900, or S12 900, or 500, 900, 900 is
of no consequence. The regular list will set
tie some of these days at about soo,oOo,0oO'
and at that point it will remain for many
years to come. 1t is a large sum of money,
and if it exceeds the expenditures of the adj
ministrations of jefferson, Adams. Monroe,
and all the early Presidents, there is no COM
parison in that respect. The country is big
ger than it was then it is richer than it was
then. 1t had armies in the late war such is
neither our own country nor any other ever
thought of in those times. 1t not only had
armies of that magnitude, but it had armies
fighting for cause such as armies had not
before fought for. AS the country grows in
wealth. and as we reaiiZe.more and more the
beneficence and the outcome of that struggle,
when even the conquered themselves say We
were their best friends, when the South it,
/ self is better because we conquered. and the
whole country united is better than two
/ countries, and it is richer, more powerful,
more patriotic-as we grow in wealth and
/ have grown with constantly accelerating
I wealth. we ought TO look with more and more
gratitude upon the men through whose suf-
| ferings, through whose sacrifices, through
/ whose valor all this became possible.
| Mr.. President, it is not for the country to
! complain about the amount of pensions. 1t
| is not for the country to cut its pattern too
! small. 1t is not for the country to grumhle
/ and growl about the administration of a law
| embracing as it does SO many persons within
| its grasp bee use now aud then man gets
upon the pension roll who is not entitled to
be there. can say this: if the man actual
! ly was a soldier, if he actually served three
| years. doing actual military duty, be was
physically worse when he came out than
when he went in by reason of that service,
and whether his proof of a particular disa-
bility incurred at particular time goes to
the nicely that would be observed in legal
proceedings or not do not care. l say the
country owes him pension primd fdeie, and
it is not losing any thing by paying il to him.
On the other hand, while have no doubt
there are men on that roll who ought not to
be there, l know there are Thousands, and
perhaps tens Of thousands, who ought TO be
there who are not there. / know men who
cannot make the proof who were plainly dis
abled in the line of duty. l know men who
have refused to make application for a pen
sion One man who lived within six miles
of where | live. lost his eye-sight and
wasted his farm in an endeavor TO recover it.
He lost his eye-sight in the service of his
country, and has refused to 60 upon the PEN
sion roll. | think he was more nice than
wise, and nave so advised him. think no
man ought 10 be ashamed TO apply for PEN
sion where he actually incurred a disability
| in the line OF duty in the service of the
country, and the country ought 10 be just as
glad to pay him as he should be TO makc an
| application for the pension.