Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1893-03-23
TO PURIFY THE ROLL
Senator Palmer VIII Introduce q Resolu
ton For ar Investigation of Pensions

Senator Palmer VIII Introduce q ResoIu-
tion For Investigation of Pensions
WASHINGTON, March II. = Senator
Palmer's assignment as chairman of the
committee on pensions fixes his particu-
lar field OF activity for the next two
years Congress does its work almost
entirely through committees, and while
a senator may participate in all public
business, he is the especial guardian of
that particular line of business over
which he is the committee chairman.
Senator Palmer is the only major
general in the senate. Moreover he
and Senator Villas are the only men on
the democratic side who commanded
union troops during the war. He has
outlined an important programme con-
corning pensions which viii soon at
tract the attention of the country. He
said: II intend, before the present ex-
traordinary session of the senate ends,
to introduce resolution authorizing
the pensions committee to make a
thorough investigation of alleged
fraudulent entries in the grant
ing of pensions aud the pension
system generally. If there is
ever to be reform in this line it will
have to be accomplished by the friends
of the pensioners and not by their en-
emies- As result these Investigations
have been open to the criticism that
they are prosecuted by enemies OF the
pension system who desired to raise the
cry of fraud and thus embarrass the
system itself / hardly think any one
would accuse me of being other than
friendly to the pensioners. 1 consider
it the duty of the government to give a
liberal pension to every man who is
suffering disability from service on the
field.
1.-The main purpose of the inVestiga-
ton will be to free the pension roll of
fraudulent pensioners and to weed out
the various abuses which may have
grown up with the system. Another
important purpose will be to free the
pension service from the popular criti-
cisms that are now urged against it
The pensioners have no desire to defend
the abuses of the system and when
these abuses can be located and over
come it will put the pension bureau on
a footing that it has not had in a long
time. The resolution I propose to in
troduce is not subject to the objection
that it is outside the legislative bust
ness for which the special session of
the senate convened 1t is not legisla-
tive business. but merely asks authority
for committee to pursue an investiga-
ton"
Senator Palmer's Investigations are
likely to bring about important results
in the reconstruction OF the pension
system. He does not believe in the
popular plans of turning the pension
system upside down that have
recently been advanced. For instance
strong efforts have been made toward
making the pension bureau branch of
the war department where it would be
entirely in charge of army officers and
subject to strict military supervision.
He does not believe in such a removal
and he has so stated to President Cleve-
land. Nor does he believe in anv of the
other radical plans for remodeling the
present system. On the contrary he
thinks the present system an excellent
one and his investigation will be with a
view to perfecting the system by weed
ing out abuses.