The Helena independent., 1893-12-17
PRESENT PENSION POLICY
Subject Of . Lively Debate Which
Lasted Ali Day in the
House.
Tho Obscene Cannon Rails Against
Commissions Lochren and
Secretary Smith.
Livingston Says Thee Onicials Simply
Want to Exsmins Appiications-Hot-
beds Of Psssisn Frsuds.

Livingston says Thsss Ohicials Simply
Want to Exsmins Appiications-Hot-
beds Of Pension Frauds
WASHINGTON, Dse. 16.-Debate over ths
pension policy Of the standardization. grow
ing out OF an item In the urgent dsficisnoy
appropriation bill appropristing $780, 600
for special examiners. consumed the entire
day In the house. Usdsr tbs lead of Can
non an assault was made against Clsvs-
lands pension policy. especially shat POI
tion which resulted In the revocation Of Or
der lG4 and subsequent suspension Of thou
sands Of pensioners. Livingston, of deoE-
gia, and Enloe. Of Tennessee, defended the
Administration. aud Lacey. of lows, and
Morse, Of Massachusetts, opposed. Brock
inridpe took the floor and explained that
the bill contained appropriations amount
ing to s.. l.651. 1885, Tho only item antaRo-
nizod was the appropriation Of $4,000 for
special pcnsion examiners.
Touching this item Cannon thought It
time for congress to examine the manner in
which tho pension Office IL being conducted.
Hs referred 10 the clause In the presidents
messsgs, declaring shat every nsighbor-
hood had IT. fraudulent pensioners. He
reviewed the action Of tho department In
cutting off thousands Of pensioners. There
has been much allegation of fraud, bat lit
tie had materialized on orosB-sxamination.
or 235 special special examiners in the de-
partment dozen wsrs employed to Enn
down these alleged fraudulent pensioners.
All she pensions cut Of wero olassed by the
eommissioner to the credit Of the amount
saved by the office. One million dollars in
rejected pensions had been classified as
$1,OOO,OOO saved. Yet. altar examination,
It was found that but $3l, 900 had been ac-
tually paid ont to pensioners who had pro-
cured pensions BY forgery. perjury or false
personation.
Cannon undertook to say shat there is no
more fraud In the administration Of the
burssd annually $3.50, 600. 600, than in the
adjudication of cases in tho courts of. the
country. Tho Fifty-frst congress appro.
priated $3.50. 100000 for pensions. The
Fiity-second, with 14O democratic major
ity, appropriated e16S. 900 to meet payments
ON account Of pensions. II Oraer 164 was re-
sponsible for munh o& this maananinity.
Yet the. present head OF Ahs pension depart-
ment, and the secretary Of the interior, now
undertook, after this construstion had
stood four years and besn aeQuiesosd in by
the democratic houss'o representatives.. to
reverse that construction. .g,
~ was an sot," said he. shaking his hst
ominously. ''akin to crime. An Infamous
ruling Of the ADMINISTRATION by which men
receiving pensions. whoss cases had been
proved, we're stricken from the rolls. Look
at the Bennett case, which is known from
one end to the other. II such ruling had
been made bv republican administration.
by Raum or Bussey, after the construction
Of the law had stood three years and been
attack IL now"
THAT. right" shouted Enloe. give /,
to Raum."
"Oh. no." replied Cannon. II will not
90 for Raum. because. in Gods ohanoery.
he Ia nos guilty and your commissioner is"
Comparing the work Of Raum and Loeh-
rem, seven nonths' administration of each
showed that Raun issued 144,000 certif-
cates. Loshren $4,000. In the same period
Raum had rejected $4,000 claims. Loehrsn
$1,000. Loshrsn had kept up with Raem
on rsjsotions, but Raum had beaten him
two to ono on issues.
That's greatly to his credit" shouted
some ono ON the democratic side.
Il do not think go" said Cannon, ''and
think my judgment will bs the Judgment Of
history"
Livineaton replied to Cannon. The ap-
propriation under discussion WAS to provide
for held examiners for the pension Office.
Cannon had not challenged the prepriety
or justice OF the appropriation, but had 90
eupisd she time casting shadow over tbs
Administration of the pension Office and in
attacking Secretary Smith and Conmis-
sionsT Loohrsn for rsvoktsg order 164. A
democrat. north OF south. was always
under suspicion when he criticized pen
sions. Smith was Southern man, but be
Lochrsn had been a soldier in the union
army and n gallant one. Cleveland had
not been In the army, but he could assure
tho house and the country that justios was
and would bs done BY these distinguished
men. Applications were scrutinized with
care. as they should be.
Blair. Stone. Picker. Cannon and BinR-
ham haFtassed Livingston Al every stsp
and Blair declared he did NOT object ts
wedding out fraud. bus did object to max
ing that ptctext q cloak for delibei ate
conspiracy to deprive honest pensioners Of
their pensions. Livingston replied that the
sole purpose of the adminissration was to
purge the pension rolls Of names that dis
henored them.
Euloe. the old antagonist OF Ex-C Commits
sioner Raum, declared that tho pension
department. under this standardization was
the greatest Of the government. 1t was do
ing noble work. He was surprised ~ the
line Of defense set up on the other aide.
In the eye Of the law they (the rspublieans)
wsre the accomplices of fraudulent pea-
sioners. Because the administration was
investigating and furnishing these cases Of
fraud, how could honest men parade this
before the country as hostility to deserving
pensioners. EnlUe wanted every soldier in
the country entitled to = pension 10 hAvo il.
and have all he was entitled TO. but he also
| wanted every soldier dishonesty on the
roll or drawing more money than ho vas
| entitled TO. taken from the rolls. He pro-
ocsded to discuss tho rsault Of the investi-
CATION of the pension office.
At Baltimore il was found that pension
attorneys secured penSionssa' cheeks. held
them a. payment FOR money due. and
charged a fee for collecting them. Al Nor
folk regular mill for the manufacture Of
pension testimony was unsarthed. In New
Mexico the most astounding frauds are
committed. A similar condition OF Affairs
existed in the Indian territory. and in Ger
tain parts Of lows.
In concludinu Enloe said the time would
como whom every honest Union soldier and
| every respecting o,tizcn would applaud the
pension policy OF this administration.