Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-10-05
REMOVE RAUM
n, Pension Office Scandals Disgust
Many Republicans.
PRESIDENT HARRISON CENTURED.
f. Refusal TO Remove the Pension Commissioner
, Diflncs Of PSbhc DisaPprObahon, Causes
Toubls-Ths Depleted Treasury Alarms
Republican Politicians Who Want
70 Investigate the Bureau
s,4sl telegram to ns RsOsstsr.


WASHINGTON, D. c., October At is
curious fact in connection with the
pension Office scandals that not few
gsgublicans are as outspOken in their
.soro5ation OF the administration Of
ast Bureau OF the Government as the
0snocrats. They do not hesitate to
v9reSs disapprOval OF the extraordinary
agrse Of the President in deiying public
raion by refusing 70 remove Gen.
psum or even TO order a thorough In
r.s,igatiOn OF the charges against him
and some OF his SubOrdinateS.
Careful inquiry shows, further, that
hose Republicans, who are men not
-'yen I'D altogether to partisan bias, and
'rvinced that not only is the pension
srreau far from whas il ought to be, out
hat the entire pension system
bss gone too far. In short,
nov have discovered at last that the
o-5digal extravaganza Of the Repu0l-
.sns in Congress in voting pensions TO
al sorts OF people on the slightest pre-
,syt has exhausted the patience OF the
,9rntry, aud that the reaction which Is
,stting in is bound 10 drive another pall
n the coffin Of the Republican party
Conversation with Republicans or this
stripe show that they have heard from
heir constituents on the subjects, and
that the latter are in no pleasant mood.
This state of affairs increases the
probability Of the predictions coming
,-ge that il will be very few years be-
'ore a well-defned movement will be
.7augurated distinctly hostile TO the
,a0sioners. Predictions Of this kind
have been frequently heard in the last
few months and they come from men
who do not as rule anticipate
rgbIic opinion, but simply 7Oice il as It
c-ystaliZes. OF course, II is recognized
that any movement Of this kind Will De
one Of the most annoying that has
arisen I'm politics in years. All the trim
uars and time-servers in both parties
wtlfght as shy OF it as the devil OF holy
water. The politicians in the ranks or
the veterans will raise a tremendous
0utcry. although the veterans who are
genuine patriots and too proud and
venerable TO accept pensions they do
NOT need, will recognize, as they DO
now, that such a movement Will De IN
the interest OF the CUmfGdes VINO are IN
real need, because Of the sacrinces OF
business opportunities and OF health
which they made in the service OF the
country.
II when this movement takes shape,
and those are signs IL may win In the
coming congress it is likely TO come In
The form of proposition not only TO
Investigate the workings OF the Pension
Bureau, but also 70 go further and in
yestigate and invoice the pension roll
This latter would be a tremendous IN
dertaking, but with an empty treasury,
constantly increasing demands Tor
money Tor pension payments as new
names are placed on the pension rolls,
but a steadily decreasing revenues, IL
Is believed the country will approve 1t:
Indeed, some way will have to be found
% meet the changed financial condition
Of the treasury, for no one
would IN the present mood
Of the country, propose an increase OF
taxation in any direction, and there
would not be wanting the strongest evil
depce. both Democratic and Republi-
can. that thousands OF the men TO
whom pensions are now paid are really
unworthy Of them, while other thou
sands got their names on the rolls by
actual fraud. Gen. Dudley, 1t is said,
after his experience as Commissioner OF
Pensions, gave il as his opinion that
from 25 10 80 per cent. OF the names on
the rolls had no business there, and
Commissioner Black supported this
view.
Looking at the Raum scandals In this
light, they may lead to results much
more important and far-reachlng than
-bav would now seem 70 promise.