New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-24
ARE PENSION Avs EVADED?
REPRESENTATIVE COGSWELL THINKS THEY
ARE.
HE DECLARES THAT THE ADMINISTRATION l.
TRYING TO NrLLIFY THE DEEPEN
DENT PENSION ACT
[DY TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRIBUNE. ]


Washington, May 23.-" Are pension laws evadrd I
said Representative Cogswell. OF MASSACHUSETTS,, 10
Tribune correspondent to-day. IL have become con
WINGED that it is the deliberate purpose OF The Demo
cratic officials in the Department OF the Interior vi-
tuay TO nullify the Dependent Pension law and In
saying this say what think know TO he true.
The Democrats did not dare 10 come Into Congress
and vote TO repeal that law. and they bave set out to
accomplish by indir"ction-by cvasions ana circnHi-
locuticn-what they lacked the courage t. do openly
and dir~ctly. say that this is their purpose. ana
that they IRE engaged even now in carrying II ont
II There has been a single pension certificate Issued
under the Disability act for the benefit OF any person
in any district sipce the 4h Of March. have not
been advised of it, and the fact has escaped my Oh
servatiOn; but ! have been notified OF number oi
OF rejection and rcfIisas 10 reopen cases.
some three months ago | went over the testi
mony In lot Of In which the people of my
district intcrcsted and informed by the cx-
amincr VINO went them with me that many Of
thea complete. and would be referred TO III"
Board Of Review for final action, which would Is
had In Two or three months. when / inquired about
these IL few days ago | informed that
further evidence had been called forsuch related
TO the crcdibinty of witnesses. etc Further and
more specific inquiries have convinced me tia, every
excuse Is being made 10 postpone and # possible
prevent, the final adjudication of under the
Disability act and to reject and refuse 10 reopen
muHS tuS'S us poSlDe Every possible ODslatt II
thrown in the way of the applicants: requirement
is no sooner answered than a one Is imposed ana
the entire proceeding Is outrageous
But Commissioner LOcbren was a good soldier and
surely he would not countenancc injustice toward his
old comrades" remarked The correspondent.
"Ah, yes, but know, If you do not. that his plan
was tonrived and put in operation before he was ap
pointed II was not of his making The unusual
was pursued OF appointing and installing the Dcpnty
fha ,oJ
and they had everything arranged and in operation
before he entered upon the discharge OF his oicinl
duties. and do not believe that he will disturb II.
Iou will be surprised when the estimates In for
next year, and the country Will be surprised"
DO you think that great number OF pensions
have been frauduleny granted ~ asked the CORES
pendent.
NO. do not OF course. 1t Is 10 be supposed
that In the allowances Of nearly 100000 claims.
some mistakes have been made and some frauds
mted, but after all the camor that has been raised
the haers OF the pensioners have not been able 10
produce single In which a pension has been
fraudulently granted In the debate IN the House
last session they did bring up the alleged case Of "A
man who had received pension account OF bald
ness, but that was quickly shown TO be a purely
Imaginary and mythical case: In other words, the
story false. Mr. Dazell, OF nSyvana. offered
Il reward of $1,000 TO any person who would produce
pensOner in his district whose pension had been
fiandulently obtained or granted II fraud had
been prevalent that would have been easy way
TO earn ~ ,O0O and 81 900 Is worth having, but
have not heard that he has been called upon TO
pay The reward. l think would be entirely safe In
Offering the same amount, so far as my own district
Is concerned. do not mean u assert that frauds
have been committed and would 60 further
than world 10 expose and punish frauds upon the
pension rolls. But that H. not what the pension
officials are 80 busy about Just now; they are de
libcraely trying 10 cvade and nullfy law which
the Democrats in Congress have not the to
repeal
General COgswell spoke with mulh warmth and
earncstncss, and there l. doubt that he has Ia"
best OF reasons to believe that his severe criticisms
upon the management Of the Pension Bureau Just
and we'll founded In this relation IL Is pertinent
10 observe that the number OF pension certificates
issued each week has rapidly diminished since March
4. until 1t Is only one-thrd One-quartcr as
great a. II was a few months ago. despite the fact
that there has been decrease OF the force employed
In the examination and adjudication Of claims and that
there tens OF thousands Of applications awaiting
settlement.