The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-01
This is precisely whore the x-postmas-
ter general differs with First Assistant
Postmaster General Clarksop.
PENSION ABUSES

The Seattle Post Intelligencer, an OK
cellent though not always reliable news
paper, takes exception to recent edi-
torial utterance in this paper on the
abuse of the pension system. The
esteemed contemporary even criticises
the nation for what is called "the com
placency with which it submits while
discriminating insults are thus hurled
at those who helped save it." At the
outset we beg to assure our contempt
rary that the nation is all right, and
that no insults have been offered to
those who saved it. THE INDEPENDENTS
criticisms were directed at the repnbli.
can party for the reckless and abusive
expenditure Of the public money for po-
litical purposes The Post Intelligencer
asks for specific evidence Of the state
ment that there are numbers Of unde-
serving pensioners on the pension rolls.
For evidence that an army of these
men is in existence we refer our contem-
porary to the records produced in the
last presidential campaign, to the execu-
tive messages OF ex-President Cleveland
in the matter Of pensions, and to the
evidence of hundreds of fraudulent PEN
sion case4Flisclosed under the last dem
ocratic administration. Twenty five
years after Che close OF the war there
are more names on the pension rolls
than there we're soldiers in the army Of
the United States during the entire Pc
Rod of the rebellion. This is largely the
result of energetic work on the part of the
Lemons and Dudleys and other republi-
can pension kings who have fattened
their pockets because of personal in
huence with the present and past re-
publican administrations. The Post In
telligencer reflects credit on neither it's
knowledge of affairs nor it's sense of
justice when in narrow partisan way it
places the pension department beyond
the reach of criticism. Was it not be-
cause Of the Inauguration of wholesale
abuses that Corporal Tanner was forced
to resign his commissionership? Is
there no significance in the repeated
protests from Grand Army posts
throughout the country against this
free-for-all pension system which the re-
publican party has attempted to estab-
fish: The honorable veteran who
fought for his country from patriotic
motives is the first to declare against
the governments association of deserv.
ing veterans with renegades, rascals and
deserters. The first work Of Commits
sioner Black was to rid the rolls Of
thousands of these names, the accumu
; latlon of years Of republican rule. Ar
this paper remarked in the article re-
ferred to, every soldier who, in the up
right discharge of his duty during the
slate unpleasantness," incurred wounds
or disabilities that have prevented o.
, now prevent him from earning his owr
living is fully entitled to the gratitude
. and aid of his fellow countrymen. Thil
: Is the intention of law which SHOULD
be as vigorously observed as other laws
1t imposes duty which should not b
y shirked. Finally the taxpayers are en-
titled to full consideration in this mat
= ter, fact which the Post Intelligence
. appears to have lost sight Of.