St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-12-05
PENSIONS.
Many Names on the Roll by Means
OF Wholesale Fraud.

"
Many Names O the Roll by Means
OF Wholesale Fraud.
On the 30th day of June, 1893, there
were on the pension rolls 966, O12 James
an increase of SO, 944 over the number
on the rolls June 80, 1892. Of these
there were widows and
daughters OF Revolutionary soldiers,
eighty-six survivors of the war of 1912,
5,425 widows of soldiers of that war,
2l.51S survivors and widows of the Mex
lean war, 1882 survivors and widows of
the Indian wars. 2S4 army nurses and
475,645 survivors and widows and chill
dren of deceased soldiers and sailors of
the War OF the Rebellion. The latter
number represents those pensioned on
account of disabilities or death result
ing from army and navy service. The
number OF persons remaining ON the
rolls June 30, 1893. who were pensiOned
under the act OF June q, 1890. which
also pensions OH account of death and
disabilities not chargeable to army serv-
ice was 459. 555. The number added
to the rolls during the year was 133. 634
and the number dropped was 80, $50.
The first payments OH pensions al
loWed during the year amounted
to SSS, o76, 549. so. This includes ar
1Soios VI tuc dCCuIHUIGllOn DG-
tween the time from which the allow
ance of pension dates and the time Of
actually granting the certificate. AL
though the law of 1899 permits pensions
for disabilities not related to military
service, yet as a requisite tG its benefit
a disability must exist incapacitating
applicants from the performance of
manual labor to Such a degree as to rem
der them unable to earn a support"
The Y cutiUn of this law i'm its early
stages does no seem to have been i'll
accord with its true intention, but tow
ard the close of the last administration
an authoritative construction was given
to the statute. and since that time this
construction has been followed. This
has had the effect of limiting the opera-
tons OF the law to its intended purpose.
The discovery having been II AIDE that
many names had been put upon the
pension roll by means of wholesale and
gigantic frauds, the commissioner sus-
pended p ayments upon a number of
pensions which seemed to be fraudulent
or unauthorized, pending a complete
examination, giving notice TO the pen-
sloners i'll order that they might have
en- opportunity to establish, if possible,
the justice of their claims, notwllh-
standing apparent ~inVallGlty.
This, | understand, is the practice
which has for a long time prevailed in
the pension bureau, but after entering
upon these recent Investigations the
commission modified this rule SO as. not
to allow, until after complete eXamlna-
ton, interference with the payment of
a pension apparently not altogether
void, but which merely had been fixed
at a rate higher thar hat authorized by
law. l am unable to understand why
frauds in the pension rolls should not
be exposed and corrected with thor
%oughnesS and yigor. Every name fraud
ulently put upon these rolls is a wicked
imposition upon the kindly sentiment
in which pensions have their origin;
every fraudulent pensioner has become
a bad citizen; every false oath in sup
port of a pension has made perjury
more common, and false and undeserv-
ing pensioners rob the people not only
OF their money, but OF the patriotic sell
timent which the survivors OF a war
fought for the preservation OF a MO
ought to inspire. Thousands of neigh
Dorhoods have their w~eltknoWn fraudu-
lent pensioners, and recent develop
mentS by the bureau establish appalling
conSpiracieS to accomplish pension
frauds. By no means the least wrong
done is to brave and deserving pension
ers, who certainly ought not to be con-
demned to such association. Those
who attempt in the line of duty to rec
tify these wrongs, should not be accused
of enmity or Indifference to the claims
Of honest veterans. The sum expended
on account of pensions for the year
ending June 80, 1893. was S156. 740. 467.47.
The commissioner estimates that $780,
900, 900 will be required to pay pensions
during the year ending June 80, 1894.