Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1883-05-18
al, MPI,. " ,-:iI<t.TON TAR.
eIlApIi. tRinil iiiN\G. VA II. !\>%.
Pensions.

When we real If the large aG@re-
gate of monthly payments made on
PENSIONS. we can handy realiI- that
tie war which created the retInue of
dtpcnllnts occurred twenty year-
ago, unless indeed the inreri>iah,'
glory IF the modem battle field has
endowed the veteran with pereAn.a!
youth. The amount last month ran
ND to five millions of dollars, and the
expenditure for March was -four mt
lion, nor is this up TO the estimate Of
Gen. Dudley of the Pension Bureau,
WHO asks for the modest sum of one
hundred millions aS an anrnal tn
butte, 10 a,suage the suffering, Ola ZEN
nant of the amy which carry til"
honorable sears of battle. This OK
traurd'nary pull on the Treasury can
be better realized when we reflect
thrt 1t amounts to 81 per capita of
the entire population of the country.
Disabled soldiers should be pen
stoned, bat the Treasury should be
guarded against the frauds which
seem 20 have become inseparahly
connected with all classes CT claims
against the Government. The res
ignstion by Commissioner Rium Of
So 600 office to 80 INTO the claim
business and the voluntary relin-
punishment 10y clerks of high positions
for the same object, show that there
is broad field for the use OF tech
meal knowledge derived from hold
ing for time of confidential relations
with the Government.
1t is thought that the publication
of so-called soldiers newspapers has
materially aided IOgues in making
fraudulent claims. Their sole OBJ
ject seems to be to multiply the num-
Der and increase the amount of pen
sions. 4 ray of hope that these
frauds may be checked, is by the
publication of complete list of all
who are drawing money for this pur-
pose.
Despite the opposition MADE to
printing the names of pensioners
the thing is to be done. 1t was
secured by resolve of the Senate.
which can only be answered by
printing full lists. Now the rascals
that have been running variety of
soldiers widows and drawing pen
sions in their names, will have to
bestir themselves. If they under
take to kill them off, as one fellow
down in Maine did, after he thought
himself suspected, he will surely
be exposed and come to grief.
And if he commits suicide the hid
eous truth will come out all the
same. If fellow is drawing a pen
sion upon false pretences, his neigh
bors will know it, and the penalty OF
prison bars will stare him in the
face. Even those fellows who got
false claims in order to get u big
steal under the law for " back pay, y
and then let the matter drop, will
also need to be on the lookout
There are thousands on thousands
of alleged pensioners who got back
pay, but have not been heard oil
since. The extraordinary mortality
is mystery. Perhaps the revela-
tons of the pension lists, giving
names, residences, amounts of pen
sions, and for what cause granted,
may explain the extraordinary and
hitherto mysterious death rate. II
there is any rascal for whom nc
mercy should be shown, it is he who
would falsely personate wounded
soldier in order to defIaud the
Government and rob the tax payers
of the country.
Precisely when this publication
will appear we are not informed.
Let us hope that it will be made in
good faith, and not hidden away by
those buzzards which are gorgine
themselves at the public expense.