Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-12
MR.. COOPER'~ >rAlEMENr.
He Tells the House Special Commitess 81
He Relations With Hersey.

He DENIES THAT HE is RESPONSIVE FOR nxasxY's
ACTIONS AND MAKES AN ATTACK OF COMMITS
sroSER RauM's ADMINISTRATIONS OF TEE PEN
SION BUREAU.
Representative Cooper of Indiana today
made statement before the House pension
Office investigating committee IN denial Of and
in explanation Of the charges made against
him by Commissioner Raum
Mr. Cooper said he would neither excuse nor
justify Hersey's conduct, but from the facts
1t would be seen that he Cooper had infinitely
more cause to complain than any one else, and
that he had not the slightest RESPONSE
biiity therefore. He had first met Hersey a. q
clerk in the pension office. Subsequently
hersey told him he had lost his place and
had opened an Office here as pension
attorney, that his business at FIRST would be
nght ana ne wished to supplement it by assist
ing members of Congress with their work in
the pension office.
EMPLOYED HERsEY AT s20 A MONTE.
Witness needing assistance employed Jersey
at $40 per month, after learning that
he was considered competent and reliable,
and gave him the necessary authority
to use his name on congressional call
slips During most Of the time Hersey worked
Tor MIN ATTORNEYS could examine their cases.
out,ot,fown attorneys however, had no
t asir0a OF Learning the status ,,. Of
AID member of Congress or corresponding
with the bureau. Thousands of complaints
had been received that the letters OF
claimants and attorneys we're wholly
ignored by the pension Office aud he sub
mttteo letters complaining that the whole
system was being worked for the benefit Of
washington attorneys. Recently he under
stood the order had been modified 90 as to pre-
vent attorneys and claimants from looking at
their cases.
HE HAS no EXCUSE TO MAKE
He had no excuse to make for any one who
abused the confidence Of a Congressman to
supply for pay the demand for informa-
ton about cases, but the policy pur-
sued by Commissioner kaum to
the hands of Washington attorneys, among
whom are his son and the indorsers of his
notes, he submitted. is much more
of a crime and more harmful de-
bauchery of the public service: Whatever
selling pension information had been done
without his (Mr. Cooper 81 knowledge or con-
sent. as had already been testified. The com-
missioner knew AZ early September last
that Hersey was abusing witness confidence,
and in January the commissioner had asked
witness II Hersey was authorized to sign wit
ness name. thing he already knew, and yet,
instead of telling witness OF his suspicion he
had done every thing III his power to have
Hersey bribed, and in the hope that he might
entrap witness had spread a net over two or
three states and called his spies and informsrs
into requlsitIon.
WHEN he LEARNED HKRsEY WAS BEINa PAID.
The first information witness had that Mr..
Hersey was receiving pay for work done over
Rslp tl1ra h., ha 81,
from Morgan inclosing SOS which witness re-
turned in letter, telling Morgan that Jersey
could not take pay for work done as q part Of
witness congressional duties
DIR. Cooper said Morgan from his district,
and while he was a republican and had always
suspect him OF perhdy; had ep-
tertained HIM when he came to Wash
lngtOn; had introduced Morgan, by request
to Hersey, and also to Commissioner Raum,
and had endeavOred to serve him in every way
he properly could, as he (Alr. Cooper made
no political distinctions in looking after his
constituents interests. 1t was untrue that
he had told Morgan that Hersey
would work for him for pay, and witness
desired to make the declaration that he had
never. directly or indirectly, asked or accepted
cent Tor any service growing out of his con-
necron with public affairs.
THAT CORRESPONDENCE.
Mr.. Raum had introduced great deal ofcor-
respondence between Hersey and Mr.. Peet, and
charged that Peet was related to
witness Mr.. Cooper said Peet was
brother-in-iaw of his brother and
an employe of Maring & Slusher pension attor-
neys. Mr.. Peet had told him that he intended
70 60 into business in Kansas and wanted a
partner. At Peets request witness recon-
mended Peet to Hersey. He believed an honor
able partnership was contemplated and never
afterward thought or heard Of the matter
Mr.. Cooper then referred to the charge that
he had authorized Maring Il Slusher to print
his signature on thousands Of imitation con-
gressional call slips. which had been thrown in
the waste basket by Commissioners Black and
Tanner.
Mr.. Cooper said Maring had been mentioned
for the republican nomination in his (Cooper's)
district, and when witness became member OF
Congress in 1889 Mr.. Maring, who had
an extensive pension business. came to him
and said he desired to use witness
name In calling mp cases Of 1.-The boys." Wit
ness knew nothing of pension laws at the time
and, on Mr.. Maring's representations that it was
a usual thing and the exhibition of q call
signed by Senator Turpie, gave Maring con-
sent, but with the understanding that the priv
ilege was to be used only for soldiers in wit
ness district.
sKINNING THE FILES.
Witness afterward learned that Maring was
calling up claims all over the country and
then wrote to Commissioner Tanner and
told him that while he had authorized
the use of his name, he had expressly limited
that privilege to soldiers of his district. Com
missioner Raum, for purposes which would be
perfectly plain, had either destroyed or in
some manner suppressed the whole OF this
correspondence. II that letter and witness
other correspondence with Commissioner Tan
nor were produced Raum's criticism would be
answered in advance. Under this admins
tration of that bureau a practice of alb.
stracting documents from the files had
become 30 common that 1t had acquired a name
and was called ''skinning the files The prac-
tice was to go through the papers and take out
anything that might reflect upon the commits
sioner or benefit any one who opposed him.
Witness had called upon the commissioner
for these letters, and Mr.. Raum said
he could not find them. Witness asked
him for the letter-press copy book used
by Commissioner Tanner, that he might
see the copies of Mr.. Tanners
answers. Mr.. Raum said, commissioner Tan
ner took q lot of that stuff away with him.
and he presumed that he had it."
WHAT Mr.. TANNER SAID.
Mr.. Cooper then read letter he had ad-
dressed Mr.. Tanner on the 9th instant and Mr..
Tanners response Of the 18th. saying the cor
respondence official and he (Air. Tanner)
had left it in the pension office.