St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-09-30

after less than four months incumbency
by the new commissioner fraud of
the most criminal char acter has been
found in widely separated districts of
the country, and the perpetrators are
being prosecuted. Take, for instance,
the pensioners in the city of Baltimore,
now being investigated by the pension
office. The law requires that checks
for the payment of pensions shall be de-
livered to the pensioners direct, or to
some known member of his family.
In Baltimore it was discovered that
more than 1000 checks were
being sent to one attorneys
office. There might not be any cOllu
sion or fraud in this; but there Is no
room for doubt that fraud was possible
where pension agent had the power
to handle such vast sums of
money belonging to clients, real or
fictitious. Does any honest man ques-
ton. in this instance, the right or the
patriotic duty of the commissioner to
investigate? Well, if in the progress of
such investigation it is shown that
SumS-large or small-are going to
parties who have no right to the money
under the law, will any one pre-
tend that the commissioner has done
anything but his duty under his oath?
Probably not.
1t has become the fashion in certain
political circles to try to cast odlum
upon reforms III the pension bureau by
slurrlng the secretary of the interior
because he happens TO be
a SOUTHERN MAN.
1t is not the purpose of the writer of
this article to defend Secretary Smith.
He is probably abundantly able to take
care of himself. But it may Lot be out
of place TO call attention to the manner
i'll which all bureaus i'll the various de-
partmentS are conducted. In the
interior department there are sew
eral bureaus: The pension. land
Office, public printing Office. geological
survey and others. The head of each of
these is held responsible for the proper
administration of the business thereof.
Commissioner Lochren is master of his
own department, and has no wish
to shirk any of its RESPONSE
bilitieS. All orders are prepared
by hlm.or under his direct supervision,
and Issued by his direction. The secre-
tary OF the interior has II ither the time
nor the desire to Interfere in the man
agement of any of the various bureaus.
In cases of illegal action OH the part OF a
bureau CHIEF, the person wronged has
the right of appeal to the secretary.
These appeal cases are heard by AS
slStant Secretary Reynolds, and the tes-
tlmony reported to the secretary, who
thereupon renders his decision.
Every detail of the pension bureau is
the action of the bureau, and not OF
Secretary Smith. Judge Lochren is the
responsible head of that bureau under
this administration, aud is entitled to
praise or blame for everything done
therein.
Finally the pension bureau is the
governmental department most avail
able for political attack, and will doubt
less be used as vantage ground by all
political parties III the future as it has
been in the past. This article has not
been written with view to the assault
or the defense of any
MAN, SYSTEM OR PARTY.
The writer is himself a veteran of
| more than three years service, pen
| slOner in small way. and has been per-
SOnally acquainted with Judge Lochren
| for full generation. The commission
er knew when he accepted the position
| that he would be subject TO attacks
without number, many of which would
| probably come from former friends and
comrades. He left a salary and emolu-
mentS equal or superior to those
appertainlng to his present posi-
| ton, an honorable place on
| ilC UCHCh ElhCH " ElH UPON
| his merits by both Republicans and
| Democrats, and quiet home surround
ed by friends-a home where strife
never entered, where the slogan of war
fare was never heard. where the bugle
of conflict was dumb. He came to
Washington, as he volunteered in 1861,
actuated by the same motives that sent
| hin into the charge at Gettysburg,
where 76 per cent of his COM
rades lay bleeding when it
was over. He is not cold, or
heartleSS or unsympathPtic, but is the
exact opposite of all these. But above
everything he is a just man, and Will
do his duty as he sees it without regard
to consequences to himself or his friends
or bis enemies. And withal he is hui
mana fact illustrated few days ago
by his correspondence with a member
of congress, who he evidently thought
was endeavoring to impose upon him.
In Washington the personality of
Judge Lochren is scarcely known. But
at home he is recognized by old and
| young as the type Of the excellent
lawyer and the righteous Judge
Just as in the regiment TO
which he belonged he was known
as the soldier sans peur ct sans re-
prOche. 1t is well for the people having
business with the pension Office to have
some idea of the type OF man with whom
they are to deal; henc this brief esti-
mate of the commissioner of pensions
and his methods. FRANK j. MEAD.