The herald., 1893-06-29


600. In 1880 there was deficiency Of
s25, 900, 900 and in 1890 OF 500, 900, 900.
Figures do not make very interesting
reading, and we shall shortly drop them.
To the appropriation OF sl65, 100000 for
pensions in 1893 there will be an I'M
doubted addition Of from $25, 900, 900 to
$50, 900, 600, making the sum total of our
expenditures under that head for the
fiscal year 1893 close upon or quite $780,
000, 900.
This is sum so enormous that IL may
well challenge the attention of the citi-
zen irrespective OF party. 1t is sixty
millions Of dollars a year more than it
costs to maintain the whole magnificent
German army, including the entire Ger
man pension outlays. Large as 1t is, if
the system under which 1t is disbursed
were an honest one, the American peo-
pie would support the burden uncom-
plainingly.
But Mr.. Warner multiplies facts that
prove irrefragably that tho whole system
is reeking with corruption. He regards
It as certain that one-third of the moneys
paid out to so-called Union heroes are
fraudulently paid out. 1t is here where
the pension shyster gets in his work.
The procedure OF Identification ia faulty
in the extreme, and subornstion of per-
jury has been resorted to on a colossal
scale. Bounty jumpers, deserters and
frauds OF every kind and description are
on the pension lists. As one method of
wedding out the pretenders and frauds
Mr.. Warner suggests the great expediency
of publishing in the papers throughout
the country the names of the applicants
for and the recipients of pensions. He
thinks that this would lead to the de-
lection of some of the impostors and
would deter others from attempting to
get fraudulently on to the rolls.
According to Mr.. Warner we are now
spending half million dollars day on
pensions. From the way the figures are
massing up we regard this as rather an
understatement. But it is striking
way of presenting the matter. The de-
pendent pension bill has swollen the list
of pensioners inconceivably, and, under
present methods of procedure in the
pension bureau. there is no telling to
what extent our pension lists may swell.
There is practically no limit to the ROD
ter. We may shortly find ourselves pay
ing out $250,0OO, 900 year for pensions,
and as to fully 40 per cent of this vast
sum the appropriation will be fraud
and crime.
1t does not do any real soldier any
good to know that some sham soldier is
getting money from the government OF
the United States that he ought not to
receive. Fraud and imposture should
always be rebuked. A good authority
on pension matters says that the num-
Der of pensions granted on subornation
of perjury and false peraonation amounts
to fully 80 per cent of the total roll, and
the frauds on the dependent pension
rolls threaten to be monumental. One
of the latest kinks is embodied in the
marriage of young girls to old
men, in order that they may
get tho widows pension. This
results in form of immortality that is
certainly not to the interest of the
United States to encourage. When her
old hero dies the young widow, in order
moi to lose her pension. frequently lives
in a state OF concubinsge 80 as not to
forfeit her pension, uwhich eeasea on a
re-marriage.
Mr.. Warner is both wise and patriotic
in calling attention TO the infamies OF
our pension system. They have at last
reached point at which they promise
to become an insuhsrsble burden. In
the interest of the real soldier the sham
soldier should be followed up. exposed
and punished. The people OF the United
States will have enough to do in provid-
ing for the veritable heroes Of the war
for the Union. To allow the records to
be loaded down with the names OF per-
sons not really entitled to che gratitude
of the country would be TO wrong both
the soldier and the taxpayer.