The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-10-17
HOKE SMITHS SPY SYSTEM.
1t VIII Cost $75O,OOO, but 1t Is Hoped
to Make Pensions Odious.

to Make Pensions Odious.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Oct. 16.-It is proposed
to spend. during the ensuing fiscal year,
half as much money in the work Of 'purg-
ing the pension rolls" as in all of the work
of the pension system 1t doesn't cost over
S10OO,000 a year to pay the surgeons who
constitute the pension examining boards
throughout the country, the pension agents
and their clerks and the large force here
in the Pension Office. 1t costs less than 1
per cent. of the pension disbursements. to
pay for the work of placing pensioners up
on the rolls and paying them. Secretary
Hoke Smith has already had placed at his
disposal for the current fiscal year 100000
''for the investigation of pension cases"
and he has reported to Congress that he
must have 100000 more. This makes q
cool 100000 Added to this Is the pay Of an
immense force of clerks who have been sent
to the field to engage in the sneak work or
spying upon the old soldiers, their widows
and dependent relatives. for the purpose or
patching UP hearsay evidence and SANDER
Gus reports upon which pensioners are
dropped from the rolls. II Congress appro-
PIRATES the additional 100000 asked for. and
it likely will-for there Is a clear Demo-
cratic or anti-pension majority In both
branches of Congress-there VIII be ex-
pended by confederate Hoke Smith during
the present fiscal year not less than SI5O, 900
in the work of ''purging the pension rolls"
1t may be said, also, that nearly every
man and woman who Is receiving a sal
airy from the Interior Department and eS-
pecially those in any branch OF the pension
service Is now spy upon tne c yeferan IS
these expenditures.
1t would seem that no officer under Pres
dent Cleveland beneath the dirty
work of spying upon the veterans and
their dependent pensioners. The Journal
correspondent is Informed upon reliable Of
%ArN rfx.1 Of tKR-f xstf0
tions have been issued to all loyal Dem
Ocratic poStmaSterS' 10 report to the de-
partment-it cannot be learned whether the
Interior PostC flee Department" those
in your community who are suspected or
drawing pensions without being entitled
to them In short. the Postoffice Depart
ment is being turned into a spy system
against pensioners. PoStmasterS have ex-
ceptionally good opportunity to get all the
for all the scandals afoat. This, on ac-
count of their position, which enables them
to keep run of the clandestine correspond
lives of all patrons of their Offices. Then.
1T is stated upon excellent authority, all
cf the loyal Democrats In the field as
partments other than the Interior. which
has direct jurisdiction over pensions, have
been verbally instructed to keep an eye
upon the pension business and report all
suspects" This makes complete network
of federal machinery to break down the
pension system. TO make pensions scorn-
full and to reduce the expenditures to the
minimum by dropping all from the rolls
against whom the least scandal or III re-
port can be secured 1t Is not necessary
to prove that the testimony upon which a
pension was secured was fraudulent, or
there was perjury, and the pensloner is
not under the law, entitled to the money.
Some bad report which turn the COM
munity against the pensioner is sufficient.
Err. Cleveland Cannot Attend.
WASHINGTON. Oct. 16.-It seems now
certain that the President and Mrs. Cleve-
land will not visit the worlds fair before
it's close. as 1t was hoped they would. A
few days ago President Higginbotham, Of
the exposition company, wrote to the Pres
ident, cordially inviting him and Mrs
Cleveland to be present In letter sent
to Mr.. Higginbotham, on Saturday, the
President announced that ne was unable to
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