The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-12-28

Five hundred and fifty thousand men compose
the standing army of Germany. 1t costs S117,-
100000 annually. Five hundred and fifty
thousand in the flower of their youth are
withdrawn from the productive energies OF
that nation. Suppose their average earning
capacity TO be $500 year-ours is shown to be
$499 year. but suppose that they earn on an
| average less than half as much as we do
there You have $l10 600 600 more to be added
to the cost of the military system of Germany
making a total of 1927. 600, 900 as compared with
our $50, 000, 900. Look at France where AGO.
600 men constitute her standing army, costing
$50, 100000. Add the other $l00000000 lost
| to the State because of the withdrawal of that
number of men from the wealth-producers OF
the land, and you have $250000000 that the
| military system of France costs as compared
with our 100000.
| Even in point of economy, measured by dol
! lars and CENTS and taking the food time of
| cost in system, it is still infinitely better,
| infinitely cheaper than theirs. and the pension
| roll and honesty in the observance of the obli-
cations of the pension roll are absolutely
essential to our system. Applause on the Re-
| publican side
In the House, on Dec. 16 and Is, Mr.. Morse
| Mass, r. spoke as follows:
Mr.. Chairman: Not enough has been made
of the soldier vote. sons of veterans, and their
relatives and friends i'm bringing about the ire
party at the last election in six or seven great
States of the Union. On Monday, Sept. 25,
stood in my place on this floor and uttered these
words:
"Mr. Chairman: / have not the slightest
doubt but when the loyal and patriotic people
of this country are heard from in the coming
election they will rebnke the Admin stration
for its unkind, unjust, and unpatriotic conduct
toward these defenders OF the flag, and toward
the men who sprung to the defense of the coun-
try when the life of the Nation hung trembling
in the balance, and who saved US, Nation
among the Nations of the EARTH"
This sentence was prophecy Monday, Sept
%; it was history on the evening of Tuesday,
Now.
1t is in order here and now to present some
facts connected with this business of purging
the pension-roll which have come to my
knowledge.
In his message to Congress at the opening
of the regular session in December, the Presi-
dent makes this astounding statement" thou
sands of neighhorhoods have their well-known
fraudulent pensioners" Is that statement
trueP If SO it is capable of being proved. /
represent district having a large soldier con-
stituency. live in town of $500 inhabitants
that sent many of her bravest and best sons to
the war, and quite a number of the survivors
draw pensions. do not know among them
one single fraudulent pensoner. am a men,
Der of the same Grand Army Post with them,
and have personal acquaintance with every
one of them.
There are ~ towns and cities in my district,
and four times as many hamlets and villages;
and ] stand in my place, as far as my district is
concerned, and throw that charge back to the
President of the United States. and say that it
is Islander upon the Union soldiers of my dis
trict, and that it is not true.
There are 1856 members on this floor repre-
senting similar constituency. Do you, gentle
men, know thousands of fraudulent pensioners
IN the communities you represent? Ifso, stand
up on this floor and tell us the names.
/ say that charge is libel upon the men
who went to the front and periled their all that
the Republic might live. when some men stayed
at home or sent substitute, and in one case
allowed him to die in the poorhouse after he
got back.
Mr.. Chairman, il will be noted that the ex-
cuse for the present policy of the Pension Bu-
reau is that it is a desire on the part of that
office to make the pension-roll roll of honor"
and to eliminate from it nworthy and illegal
pensioners.
Now, / am certain If Congress and the coun-
try were assured that the Administration was
honest in this profession the policy would re-
ceive the Endorsement of the country. There
is no disposition on the part OF the patriotic
men or OF the soldiers themselves to counter
ance or tolerate fraud or pension obtained by
fraud.
And no one will 90 any further than myself
In any necessary legislation TO guard the PEN
sion Bureau from dishonest illegal, and I'M
worthy claimants
But / think that 1t is not difficult to show
that the policy of the present Administration
goes entirely beyond this, and under the garb
and pretext of eliminating fraud and making
the pension-roll "roll of honor" it has strick-
en- down aud suspended pensions to which the
applicants were clearly entitled under the
law.
And the same charge, am satisfied. can be
sustained by overwhelming evidence which
have In my possession, and which has been
sent TO me from all parts of the country since
the Commissioner gave my recent correspond
ence with his Bureau to the press.
confess that it is not an easy problem in
the present business situation to do exact lust
ice to the taxpayer and the soldier. Aud It
has been we'll said by patriotic gentleman
that we need both patriotism and patience IN
considering the different phases of the sub.
ject."
The argument that because man is suffer-
ing from wounds or disabilities contracted in
the service is able, in spite of such wounds or
disabilities, TO earn livelihood, therefore he is
not entitled TO pension-I say that such an
argument as that is fallacious. unjust, and will
not receive the Endorsement of the country
IL soldier must be pauper before he can
draw pension. then the pension system had
better be abolished altogether and the soldier
made a town or State pauper rather than
national pauper
The Pension Bureau certainly presents q
strange spectacle. In addition TO this expendi-
ture in the field the employees of that Bureau
have been turned from the legitimate business
of examining pension claims and passing upon
the merits Of the claims to the most extraordi-
nary business of what is called "purging the
pension roll"
Numerous illustrations have already been
given as TO what that is Take notice that
100000 have already been spent for this pur-
pose of investigating pension claims, and now
the Honorable Secretary of the Interior calls
for 100000 more. making near round half
million expended in the "purging" and roll
OF honor " business
Take notice that this money would 90 long
way in paying the little So, 49, or SO per
month that these spies have succeeded in tax
ing away from the poor pensioner
Where is the legal authority for such an ex-
penditure for such purpose, namely, review
ing aud undoing the official adjudication of
his predecessors?
IBcOmpetency and want OF ~atriotism and
loyalty mark the administration Of the Interior
Department and the Pension Bureau, as has so
fully been set forth in this debate 1t has been
truly said that the thermometer was 300 below
zero for loyal men and soldiers of the Union in
the Pension Bureau.
Dr. IL.