The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1883-08-25
Our Washington Letter.
TFRoN ous srsciAG CoSREsPoSDEsTl
WAsHISGroN, D. c., Aug. 90, 1883,

wAsnINGroN, D. c., Aug. 20. 1883.
The last Congress made appropriations
aggregating lltile more than $3.50, ,000,-
900. Of which more than one-third, or
SSG, 900, 900, is devoted to the payment OF
pensions. The army and navy, one
without ldiers and the other without
vessels, botha superabuud nee of Ulcers,
lraw nearly SAL 900 900, aud the Post
oIhce gets S44 500, 200 to distribute among
he impecunious star.rOute contract, RS.
Tue legislative, jndcil and executive
departments are put of with ouly S20,-
900 COO, and the sundry civil service,
which means whatever may be most con-
v niently ut hand, tk.s lis miserable ex-
i,tence ou S23 GS5 5775. or just tie amount
10 quarter OF dollar that 1t cost to run
the entire Government quarter of
century ago. L., the poor Indian, whose
untntored mind has an eye for Henry
r.ats and blankets r lined which cost
our mothers brother Sam n little over
S5 800 900, and so on ad nsustam.
Tie enormous sum that Congress had
see1 fit to appr' pritte To the pay ment OF
pensions has used no lit,ls critIclsm 10y
the public press all over the country and
10 some extent this criticism Is Justified,
not particularly hecause of the amount
appropriated, but because of the tax pro.
Visions of tue urrearagts bill, which have
opened the door to au avalanche of fraud
deceit, bribery, and perjury. While but
a lew Instances have been brought to
light aud punished, despite the constant
~atchIulutss OF the Pension Office, it IL
known that these fraudulent crimes
az inst the G pvernment are mnliipiied
iay alter day. Bv combira iun aud col
lislon it is safe to say that one.quarter
Of this vast amount OF mouty will be di-
cected through ohannels opened into tue
Treasury 10y rank peIjury in the estab-
hshment of that 'disahility' which en-
titles the cl,imant to compensation uu
der the arrearases bill. A man with no
other disability than an in growing toe
nail may under this loose law pounce
upon this pension fluid and make off
with money enough TO set himself up in
comtorta le business. Aud how many
instances there are of ian ositiOn upon
ia NJ, pt hp fol ,tAt inn
by altered u ,ter-r"ll', by forged dis.
charg s, and the numberless shifts that
are res 'rted to. that the possession of II
f.w hundred d liars So tepptingly holds
out. man in Pittsburg the other day
WAS convicted OF bribery aud sent to the
peniten;itry tor sendI q SlG0 to each OF
the xamining surgeons aud another 500
to Commissioner Dudley, aud this man
'as already worth more than 500 600.
A woman in Baltimore and another wo-
unn In Bnfflo persona;ed other women
whom they had a,c' rtained were entitled
10 pensions, and they sucoeeded in get.
ting the money. II Was only 10y 9n"r-
r over the division OF it that the crime
was unearthed and the criminals brought
10 justice. A thorough Investigation OF
the names that fiIrre upon the pension
rolls will develop the lnct that there are
thousands of them whose names would
more appropriately grace the roster Of "A
peuittntiary. II human ingenuity is
capable of deviSiug any mtaus OF pre-
venting such nn abuse OF II law intended
for the beLt fl of the suldIer Wllo has
been disabled III the military service, it
will be whe other men aud other times
wI.l see the removal OF the motives that
in uce this srrt OF l-gi ,l.tiOn.
The absence of the President and ell
OF the heads OF the utpar ments is not NJ
all severely frl, when we realize tina,
they are III the hands OF such excellent
subOrdinntes. The amount of direct re-
sponsinility attached to the prqpsr per
iocm iucu OF the ities Uf the Interior de-
pa.tment is simply unreasonable. The
~
tue public lands. sometimes involving
millions in the suit Of uu adjudication
are submitted to aud decided by the
head oI tins department. Tne Patept
~ifice, the Pension and Census uureaus,
and the Agricultural department., to Say
6uthing Oi the demands upon the offic,
10y matters pertaining - Iudians anC
Indian contractors, make the position o
Secretary OF the Interior II most busy
one, aud as versatile in ills consideration
oi public questions. Tpis great rrspou
s,blIIiy ANA Il ese mnltiiarious duties. il
the absence of Secretary Teller, hAy,
been performed. aud most satisiactOril.
by Assistan Secretary Joslyn. who iron
! n long ard varied experience at the la
in Illinois, ! as at bis t"Dgne's eud nll tn
law and all tue authorities touching th
, pnLlic lands aud q sticns arising fron
! their distribution. Mr. JIslyn, beside
! ern lawy, r., is one Of the most eff ctiv
| stump speakers OF lat pr lihr host .
! good stnmp-speukers in the West, 1
5 his character as a public official MI
7 Jjslyn is short, sharp aud decisive seem
: ing To grasp the full force and effect &
e nll qrcs ions, however intncate. Nitlcu
I apparent hesitation. To say that he is
A most eIcrll ,nt offic r in his present pos
e ition, and would he such in any othe
S position, is q meed of praise as severed
a earned by Mr.. Joslyn as it is rishly dc
4 served. AUGUst.
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