The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-01-20
ABUSES IN PENSION CLAIMS.
General Warmers Raid ON Agents.

UcHordl WarneTS 3 NdlU Oh Agents
WASHINGTON. Jan 6.-The House de-
voted most of tfe day to raid on tn,
pension claim agents of Washington =
In the last pension appropriation law .
fee of not exceeding S25 for the prose
cution Of claim, provided that writ
ten agreement be executed by the claim
ant and his attorney and approved BY
the Commissioner of Pensions. 1t wa,
designed that this provision should an.
ply only TO new claims filed subsequent
lv to the date OF the act July 4, 1884
but the phraseology finally adopted b,
a conference committee required con.
s:ruction which permits the claim agents
and their clients 10 execute such agree.
ments as to claims that have been pend
ing for years, and some of which had
actually been settled. The claim agents
were not slow to take advantage of this
construction, and they promptly sent to
every claimant blank forms OF agree
ment to be executed In accordance with
the new law, which allows fee OF S25
instead Of sic. The claim agents went
further. They sent out with the blank
forms circulars 80 worded as to make
claimants believe that the execution OF
the contracts and the payment OF the
additional fee we're made obligatory bv
the law of 1884 and the regulations an
der it. General Warner, of Ohio, read
extracts from some Of the circulars -
Thrs the circular of Soule Il Co calls
attention to the new law and Informs
claimants that the inclosed agreement
"must he signed and promptly returned
in .accordancs with the requirement OF
the Commissioner of Pensions" Ac-
cording to General Warner thousands
of pension claimants have been duped
by the claim agents. and contracts to
the number OF 10000 have already been
executed ard filed IN the Pension Office.
In other words It appears that instead OF
reforming abnses justly complained Of,
Congress at IT'S last session prepared the
grouni and planted the seed Of new
abuses from which, as General Warner
asserts, the claim agents have rcaped a
rich harvest at the expense of the dis
abled veterans and the widows and or
phans of the late war He Indignantly
declared that "piracy in the middle ages
was an honorable and honest calling
compared with the practices Of some OF
the Washington penaian claim agents,
who claim to be the friends OF the sol
tler. and who befriend him as the wolf
does the sheep"
General Golf, Of West Virginia. made
a sensible speech in which be pointed
out that the law itself is not so bad as
General Warner had painted it. because
claimants are not obliged to execute the
agreements. After q long and in some
respects acrimonious discussion, In the
course of which the Congressional con-
test between General Warner and J D
Taylor was fought over again, and the
Committee on Pensions. Bounty and
Back Pay was assailed and defended, an
amendment was adopted which General
Warner fondly believes will cure all the
abuses which now exists in the prosecu-
tion OF pension claims. 1t consists. Of
niue or ten sections, and, probably, not
ten men in the House knew, when they
voted for it, what will be its effect If it
shall become law. 1t provides. appar
emily, for the abrogation OF many thon-
sand contracts already executed and ap.
proved by the Commissioner of Pen
sions. 1t is provided that hereafter il
shall be unlawful for any pension claim
agent who lives in the District Of Colum-
bia 10 enter into an agreement with a
who lives in any State for the
to the former of fee exceed
ing $40 for the prosecution OF any pen.
sion or bounty claim. although such
agreements may he executed between
claimants and claim agents who are res
idents Of the same State
The amendment also makes 1t unlsw
ful for pension claim agent in any State
to have partner in the prosecution of
3 pension claim under $25 contract,
who lives in the District o. Colombia,
or to share with him the fee under any
such contract In this respect the amend
meDt is unlqre. II assumes that claim
agent in Sta'e is more honest and de.
serving than one who lives in Washing
ton, and seems designed to build up and
tester q new industry in the several
States. II adopted, one effect will he
the exodus Of Washington claim agents
to Alexandra, Va. where they may
form as many partnerships as they
choose with claim agents 10 other States