Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1893-07-11
NEEDFUL PRUNING.
Pension Commissioners Lochren Getting at
the Root of the Pension Evil.


when his work is completed, the
pension incubus will be purged OF
dishonest and unworthy claimants
and restored to its proper sphere.
If Green b. Raum had remained pen
sion commissioner under a favora-
bic &C ministration and with free
handed congress the pension list, in
the opinion of many. would have
amounted to the stupendous total of
5000, 900, 900 before two wears passed.
Raum asked for $lS5, 900, 900 for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1894. He
got an appropriation from congress
of S165, 900, 900 His successor has
managed to make it possible to cover
back TO the treasury over $4,000. 900
OF this money next year. Not an
honest soldier will suffer. Not a
man who gave his limbs or his
health to the service of the country.
or the widow or child of man who
died on the battlefield or in the
camp, will lose the support of the
government. But the malingerers,
the cotfee-coolers, the bounty Jump
ers. the deserters and their friends,
the thieving pension agents, have
had the doors of the crib shut in
their faces. Only they feel the rigor
of Com missioner Lochren's admins
tration, and they are the only people
who are fighting him today-to no
purpose, it must be said
1t required a man of level head
and cool courage to take Raum's
place. A shifting or temporizing
person would not do. The stain Of
the pension business, which not only
overspread Raum's office. but even
touched the White House, was not to
be rubbed out with rosewater and
silk. 1t needed concentrated I've and
punrice stone, and Judge Lochren
supplied both. He gave up what was
practically life on the bench to take
the commissionership. A man of
mild manners and democratic habits,
he has not been found wanting in
backbone. When he says mo- he
does not mean yes He is at his
desk before other people have break
tasted. He leaves when Pennsvl-
yania avenue is rafting with the car
riages OF the theatre-goers.
His method of examining pensions
is different from Raum's. Raum's
plan was to get through and affirm as
many claims as possible in one day.
He seemed to be afflicted with the idea
that the government of the United
States was too rich and that unless
he shoveled out the gold with a scoop
the walls of the treasury vaults
would burst at the seams. In the
year ending June 80, 1892, he issued
312, $40 certificates. He turned them
out with machine-like regularity at
the rate of 700 day Judge Loeb
rem stopped all that. An application
that goes through his hands gets a
thorough investigation The fiscal
year just closed Gncluding eight
months OF Raum's administration
shows about 1850 certificates. a
reduction already of over 115, 900!
1t is estimated that at the rate
Judge Lochren is working he will
give out more than 81, 900 original
certificates next year. Deducting
10000 for remarriages, deaths and
other eau es leaves the net increase
in original certificates for 1894 at
q, 900. The net increase in 1892
was 1919, 600.
1t is not only in the matter of care
full consideration of all applications
that Judge Lochren has distinguished
himself. He has been ruthless in his
warfare against the abuses in the de-
partment The discreditable con-
struction of the second section of the
disability act made by Raum in cir
cular l64 in order to carry out the
promise Of "a service pension for
every so der" has been revoked.
Harrison's administration was forced
into this by the notorious Corporal
Tanner, but Judge Lochren swept it
aside, and every one of the certifi-
Gates issued under the construction
will be re-examined. The pension
office is disposing of them rapidly.
Three hundred thousand cases come
under this section.
Lochren S coming to Washington
has been like torrent of fire for the
pension attorneys who infest the cap
tai. He began by serving notice
that it would be just as easy for per-
SONS who deserved pensions to get
them on personal application as
through the employment of the i'm
pudent and corrupt solicitors. He
shook up the examiners all over the
country and notified pension agents
that they must stop their loose pay
ment of money. He has one man in
Norfolk or his way to Jail who has
made $500 900 year getting pen
sions for negroes. He is after fellows
in New Work, Iowa, Minnesota and
New Mexico. 1t is said somebody in
New Mexico will get into the peni-
Tertiary before the Judge gets
through with the pension business
of that state.
1t is needless to say that he is
heartily hated by the pension sharks.
L. I sf IL