Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-12-20
Great Is sypseris, and Grover Is iis prsphs..

Grover Cleveiand has already lost any
reputation for frAnknsss aud courage to
| fight in 3 manly fashion that he
may heretofore have possessed. His
attitudes toward Hswxii AMI the pen
sionsss have been characterized by duplicity
| eyssiveness, innusadoes and nslignancy.
Everyone Who took the trouble to read bis
pro il message TO Congress recalls his
reference to the pensioners and his con-
temp,ibie insinuatlon that every neighbor-
hood had it, fraudulent pensioners. One
ansequsinted with the facts would natural
iy infsr from hat President Cleveland i'm
piled that a man ffaadulently drawing a
nited States pension il of ssch common
occurrence in the Northern states that the
good people have become csllousef and need
the qnickening Of Mr.. Clevelapds ICON
/ .cie ntiousness.'
Oh, great is hy pocrisy and Grover Cleye-
land 10 its prophet
Congressman Dingley brought some facts
to The attention Of the House on Monday
that should be repeated; facts that should
have readers in every hamlet that sent out
q man in defence of the national govern
ment He called the attention Of the House
to the fact that from March I, to Nov. /,
1898, only 1860 cases Of suspected fraud
were reported by examiners in the field and
Of these only 3ss we're found actually frau
dalen,. Mr.. Dingley said
'la corresponding period of the ptece-
ding year 345 cases of fraud were discov-
cred with only regular force at
work, difference Of only 43. OF
i2 1872 cases suspended on suspicion be-
tween May q, and Nov. i, 1928 were re-
stored to the rolls without line of new ev-
idepce, only in Difference to popaiar oatery.
OF $3.50 cases still under suspension but
few we're suspended for fraud, bul because
Of the changed construction of the act Of
1890. There was not the slightest EVIL
dence of wholesale frauds, and when IT'S
rene mbered there are 9G8 900 names on
the rolls, it will be seen what a small pro-
portion OF fraudulent cases there are
Here is the best Of evidence that aside
from the rebel hatred of the northern PEN
sioner to which h" '--ned willing ear the
great performer" Cleveland has political
motive in his cry of fraud. fraud He
must have 40 hammers" to hunt down the
fraudulent pensioner whom he sneakingly
insinuates is well known resident Of
every neighborhood. He must cry
economy in one breath and in the next
call for larger appropriation for tn Sc
examiners" for whom his specious pre-
text finds lucrative political berth. He
must, 60 make bis fell purpose complete do
what has never before been done, make
every pension board partisan board
without Republican representative
upon II. And after all the vast
expense 10 the government entsiled by this,
oae Of the several policies of infamy that
the President has inaugurated. what has
been accomplished? Forty three more
fraudulent cases have been discovered
by this corps Of examiners" than
were found in the same time under
the former administration! "Infamous'
is scarcely strong enough descriptive for
the pension policy Of the present admins
trstion. But while this is being CARR on
with regard to the pensioners of the Civil
War how is the economical" policy APP
piled to the Mexican War pensioners, in
which the ex-rebel brigadiers figure largely
Ga the Mexican pension rolls there are
the names of l5,2l5 survivors and 12s2
widows, AMI something over 5000 cases
were pending at latest reports. This makes
a total of %, 49,, or several thousand more
men than the nited States had in Mexico
at any one time during the war. These all
receive tither s. or Sl2 month.
A long list of widows included under his
act were the wives of husbands who were
| educated at the expense of this government
and afterwards turned traitors to it. These
| widows names went on the pension roll at
once while last April there were pending
the claims of li5 $50 widows of Union SOL
diers v no had not yet been able to get on
the roll. There is enough in the almnis-
tration's pension policy to bring down upon
| it the righteous Indignation not of old sol
| Jiars alone but of eysrv laval man