Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1893-04-30
ruaas THE PENSION ROLLS.

The Gazette's editor long ago called
attention in an article on .the Roll OF
Honor" ~ the fact that there were
numberless rauds on the pension
rolls, unl manfully took tho ground
that those should be eliminated and
the pension list be made again what
il was at first, and whit the patriotic
people OF America intended it should
be-a Roll OF Honor. That article
was rcpubiished with favorable com
ments in many OF tho leading news
plpors in this country, und tho nsita
tIa thus started has gone on
increasing. May it lead to the speedy
purging OF the pension list.
Tho most drastic measures could
&c: b. soYere enough for that purpose.
Ia tais purifying process every
comrade Gun be enlisted who has given
honorable service 10 his country's
hoIr III need. And it is rs much II
patriotic duty. II you know Of n pcr-
son receiving pension in your town
who is not houorably entitled to it by
service in tho field, send tho namo to
tho new Pension Commissioner for
investigation.
Or il you fear tho wrath OF the To-
service wenrers OF the bronze button
who might drive you out OF tho &. a.
X. Post bec,use you will not conrive
at fraud. sond tho names md adj
dresses TO the editor Of tho Gazette,
at the Office OF this paper, and We will
SEQ tn it that proper Investigation is
mndo.
No American can afford to neglect
this Important matter. With q pen
sion roll greater than the number of
mon in tho field at tho cloee Of tho
war q: the rebellion-and most OF
those lilo in honored ~graves-aud with
an expenditure over SlG0,0C0,UoO IL
year for that one item, it behoovcs
those Interested in the real veterans,
AMI this tried and truo veterans them.
selves, 10 DO up and doing.
There will be somo startling revela-
lions in the next two or thrco years.
W. arc convinced. We have some
svlloaco already which will hs pre-
parod for the new Commissioner of
Pensions. II fraud cannot be proven,
thea tho pension will still DO pLid.
IL fraud n DO proven it canuot DO
too quickly proven, ind tho pension
should cease.
Every dollar paid in fraud is wicked
ly s~tolon, not alone from tho patient
Taxpayers, but from the deserving
veterans. Strike, comrades, while
tho iron is hot, and il it should seal
some bogus claimants SO as to leave n
mark by which they may be known
Of all mon, there will bo no Cause for
regret.
In this connection we wish to cnll
attention TO tho fmntic efforts mudc
by n George Il. Lemon, in his claim
agents organ, to befog and mislead
the people and tho comrades who sup
port his paper and have made him
rich, by publishing hugo cartoons OF
o~ne-leggcd and otherwise maimed
yotornus, and claiming that whom
honest men and honorable editors
olamor for the wedding out OF frauds
they arc injuring these MANNED heroes.
Lemon knows better than that. There
never was n worse or moro vicious
misrepresentation made by him and
tho claim agents ring. Tho gist OF
what wo have all along claimed is
given above. We have added moth
ing TO and takon nothing away from
our demands, and readers CT tho Ga
zotte will boar us out in what wo say.
Wo ask only this: Lot tho pension
list be overhaulcd. If q nnmo is sent
IN as that OF n person believed TO DO n
bogus or unworthy recipient, lot tho
facts 10 investigated. IL the person
is unworthy strike tho nnmo from the
Roll Of Honor. That 10 all. No more,
no less. Can tho Grand Army
mountcbanks or Mr. Lomon object to
Ihis2 Is it striking down h%onorably
wounded or disabled soldienf
Purge tho pension roll OF honor OF
fictitious claimants and recipients.
There 10 no politics in this
Honest veterans do not fear tho
light, however searching--Grand
Army Gazette.