The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-12-17
FRAUDS ON The PENSIONS,
Cannon Attacks the Policy Of the Ad-
miniStTatiOn.


as Claimed by the Committee on
Pensions-Livingsto Defends the
Administration-In of Fraud
Recalled.
Washington, Dec. 16.-In the House to-
day early in the morning hour, Mr..
Breckenridge, of Kentucky, called up the
urgent deficiency bill, and asked that the
first reading of the bill be dispensed with,
TO which there was no objection.
The House then went into committee of
the whole upon the pension BILL with Mr..
Hatch, of Missouri, in the chair, and Mr..
Cannon took the floor and attacked the ad-
Illustrations policy of suspending pen
siOn5 pending examinations for fraud.
Mr.. Cannon stated that the commissioner
of pensions and the various chiefs of divi-
sion Of the pension Offices, had been called
before the committee on appropriations
and ask many questions in regard to the
conduct of the business The committee
on pensions stated that the actual saving
resulting from Investigations for fraud
since May, when the ruling of Commis-
sioner Lochren went into effect, was
something over 81 100000.
ONLY S3I 900 SAVED.
On cross examination it appeared that
substantially all of this $l,000,000 was
counted as a saving because certain
claims which had never been allowed,
and never would have been allowed, be-
cause they would have not been granted
a special examination, were specially ex-
amined and disallowed. On cross exami-
nation it appeared that the exact amount
which was raved during this period was
only S3l 600.
MIR. Dingley asked whether this S31, 600
ipo111p6 a rod ,vrol1 ~
allowances for fraud.
Certainly" replied Mr.. Cannon.
Continuing, Mr.. Cannon said that the
commissioner of pensions had stated that
in the conduct of the business of his Of
fee, which disburses from $3.50, ,00O, 900 to
Sl6O,000,000 to over 100000 persons, there
is no more fraud than in the ordinary con-
duct of business in the courts.
ORDER NO. 1854.
Mr.. Enloe, of Tennessee, asked Mr..
Cannon who had changed the construc-
ton of order No. 1914
Mr.. Cannon replied that il was done by
the present commissioner of pensions and
the present Secretary of the Interior.
The kifty-first congress made two appro-
priaUions, certainly one, to meet the re-
quirementS of this law, aud appropriated
Sl5O,OOO, 600 for pensions, a large portion
ofwhich were adiudicated under the law
w uCu bLC I Ib9 -SGCOuu COHEIGSS CdUlE
IN with its 14O democratic ma
iority in the House of Represent
atives, that congress appropriated
money to meet the requirements
Of this law, and did it with the approval
Of the democratic House. But in the APP
preparation bill of the Fifty-second Con-
gress was an amendment which revoked
rule l64, promulgated during the admins
tratiOn of President Harrison, which af-
fected 100000 pensioners. The demo-
cratic House had refused to accept the
amendment, and it was stricken out of
the bill. But in May, 1893 with William
Lochren, commissioner of pensions, HOke
Smith, Secretary of the Interior, and
Grover Cleveland, President of the
United States, the pension office had made
haste to revoke this order. No. l64, thus
cutting off about 100000 pensioners, and
had thus committed an act that was akin
TO crime.
LIVINGSTON DEFENDS THE ADMINISTRATION.
Mr.. Livingston, of Georgia, defended
the policy of the administration in regard
to pension matters. He defended in par
tlcular, the Secretary of the Interior.
Hoke Smith, and his commissioner of
pensions, Mr.. Lochrel. He spoke of the
numerous cases of fraud against the pen
sion laws and instanced cases in the Ari-
iona, Mexico and Albany districts. He
SAID that if a southern man opposed the
mdlscriminate granting of pensions, he
was accused of acting with sinister mo-
uYesi but, as a matter Of fact, the south
ern soldier had no objection to the
granting of pensions to northern soldier
who really deserved it. 1t had been
stated by the gentleman from Illinois
lCannon), that pensioners were being
dropped by President Cleveland, Secre-
tary Smith and Commissioner Lochrcn.
How was that brought about2 Hardly
oy collusion. Secretary Smith was a
southern man, it is true, but he was not a
southern soldier, he was too young. The
commissioner of pensions was q northern
soldier and brave soldier, while Presi-
dent Cleveland was northern democrat.
MANY INTERRUPTIONS.
Mr.. Livingston was frequently inter
rrlpted by Messrs Van Voorhees,, repub-
Acan, of New York; Baker, republican,
OF New Hampshire; Pickler, republican,
Of South Dakota, and Dingley, republi-
can, of Maine The latter was so per-
s'Stent in his interruptions that the de-
pate seemed so likely to degenerate into a
personal and acrimonious dispute, that
the chairman, Mr.. Hatch, endeavore
TO quell the disturbance and clear the
Gtsles, and he was forced TO remind Mr..
Dlngley and Mr.. Livingston that they
we're not in the appropriations committee
room and that the chair would not allow
auy such personal dialogue on the floor as
NE gentlemen were indulging in.
LACEY CALLS FOR INSTANCES.
Mr.. Lacey, rep, of Iowa. made an
earnest speech in favor of the soldiers
aad in criticism of the administration.
ne challenged any gentleman on the floor
70 olnstance, if he could, any cases Of fraud
occurring in his district.
After few minutes delay Mr. Living
SION stated that he knew of case Of
fraud in his district Good" said
Lacey, 1--WE have one case in Georgia-one
Ease out Of many thousands.
But what is fraud in Georgia may
wear a different aspect in Illinois
1F Iowa; and it was just possi-
o-e That the gentleman from Georgia
n.LIght regard any man who helped
W put down the war as having been
guilty Of fraud. I'm 1868, he said, "the
IUSoys went marching through Georgia. in
toJ3 Georgia goes marching through the
ooys;' Laughter and applause on the
depu0lican side. He thought simile
G1CTaWn by the gentleman from Illinois
oCdnnonl, was most applicable to the
vase, and he indorsed the statement that
Snnse temperature of the pension Office was
~ below normal. 1t was chilly
Gay when congressman goes
tllo mo the pension office nowadays to look
Sller the interests of a constituent, said
'-r' Lacey. He would see a big stack Of
inapers; and if asked what they were he