The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-12-13
PRESIDENTS NJ S<AGE.
tcoNTINUED FROM PAGE ONE

tleshlps Maine and reXaS, the cruisers
Montgomery and Mtrnlehcao, Hno tue
coast defense monitors Terror, luflIap
Anphllyte and Moadpock, III Va
which will be completed IN one year,
The harbcr defense ram kitahoIn anu
the protected Columbia, Minneapolls,
Olympia, Cincinnati and Ral"lgh. all OF
which will be completed prior u july
1885. The first class oAt'lesnlpS
Iowa, Indiana, MASSACHUSETTS, and Ore
pon. which will be completed February
/, 1896, and the armcred cruiser Brook
iyn. which will be completed Dy Au-
gust 1st of that year. 1t is also expect.
ed tn 1t the three gunboats authollzt d
by the last Congress will be competed
in less than two years.
: Since 1885, congress has at each ses'
sion authorized tie building OF one or
more vessels, and the Secretary OF the
Nayv presents an earnest plea for the
continuance of this plan. He recon-.
mends the authorization of at least one
battleship and six TORPEDO boats.
While am distinctly in favor OF con-
sistently pursuing the policy we have
ipaueurated of building up thorough
and efficient navy 1 cannot refrain from
the suggestion that Congress should
carefully take into account the number
of unfinished vessels on our nandS anu
the depleted condition of our Treasury
in considering the proprlety OF an ap-
preparation at this time TO oes'n ne"
work.
The method of employing mechanic
al labor at navy yards through boafds
of labor and making efficiency the sole
test by which labureTs are employed
and continued, is producing the besE
results, and the secretary is earnestly
deyoting himself to its development.
Attentio on is invited to the statements
of his report in regard to the working
of the system.
The Secretary of the Interior has
supervision of 80 many important sub
iects that his report is of eipectal value
and interest. On the 30th day of June
1893. there were on the pension roll,
966,O12 names, an increase OF S9,9l4 ov-
er the number on the rolls June ~.
1892. Of these there were seventeen
widows and daughters of revolutionary
soldiers, eighty six survivors or tne
war of 1912; 5 425 widows OF soldiers OF
that war; 81, ,518 survivors anG Wldo"s
of the Mexican War; 1882 survivors
and widows of Indian wars; 2S4 army
nurses, and 475,645 survivors and wld
ows and children of deceased soldiers
and sailors of the war of the rebellion.
The latter number represents those
pensioned on account OF dlsabllitles or
death resulting from army and navy
service. The number of persons re-
maiuing on the rolls June 81, 1898, who
were pensloned under the Act OF June
27, 1890, which allows, pen
siops on account of death
and disability not chargeable
to army service, was 459. .155. The num-
Der added TO the rolls during the year
was 1923 634, and the number dropped
was 33,690 The first payments on pen
sions allowed during the year amount
ed to S33, 1855, ,54998. This Includes an
. increase on the accumulation between
the time from which the allowance OF
pension dates and the time Of actually
granting the certificate, although the
law of 1890 permits pensions for disa-
bility not related to military service,
vet as reqnisire to its beneits disa.
bility must exist incapacitating appll-
cants from the performance OF manual
labor to such degree as TO render
them unable to earn their support.
The execution of this law in its early
stages does not seem to have been in ac-
cord with it's true intentions, but to-
ward the close Of the last administra-
tion an authoritative construction was
given to the statute, and since that
time this construction has been fol.
lowed. This has had the effect of Inn.
iting the operation of the law to It's in-
tended purpose. The discovery having
been made that many names had been
put upon the pension roll by means Of
Wholesale and gigantic frauds, the COM
missioner suspended payment upon
number of pensions which seemed to
be fraudulent or unauthorized pending
complete examination, giving notice
to the pensioners in order that they
might have an opportunity to estab-
lish, If possible, the justice of their
claims, Notwithstanding apparent IN
validity. This l understand is the
practice which has for long time pre-
vailed in the pension bureau, but after
entering upon these recent investiga-
tionS the commissioner modified this
rule so as not to allow until after
complete examination, interference
with the payment Of a pension appar-
emily not altogether void but which
merely had been fixed at rate higher
than that authorized by law. lam un-
able to understand why frauds in the
: pension rolls should not be exposed and
corrected with thoroughDess and vigor.
Every name fraudently put upon these
rolls is wicked imposition upon the
kindly sentiment in which pensions
have their origin. Every fraudulent
pensioner has become a bad citizen;
every false oath in support OF pension
has made perjury more common and
false and undeservlng pensioners rob
the people not only of their money, but
of the patriotic sentiment which the
survivors of war fought for the preser-
vstion of the Union ought to inspire.
Thousands of neighborhOods have their
well known fraudulent pensioners, and
recent developments by the bureau es-
tablish appalling conspiracies to ac-
complish pension frauds. By no means
Is the least wrong done to brave and
deserving pensioners, who certainly
ought not to be condemned to such as
ISOLATION. Those who attempt in the
line of duty to reclaim these wrongs
should not be accused Of enmity or in
difference to the claims of honest vet
erans. The sum expended on account
of pensions for the year enoing June
30, 1893. was S156, FAC. .46714. The COM
missioner estimates that S165, 100000
will be required to pay pensions during
the year ending June 80, 1884.
The condition of the Indians and