Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1893-12-13
INTERIOR DEPARTMENT.
Pension Frauds Vigorously denounced
aad the Admin Rtratioh's
Policy CDheId

The secretary OF the interior h1s the super
vision OF SO many important subjects that his
report is of special vllue AL interest On
the thirtieth day Of June, 1895, there were on
the pension rolls 9seJl2 names, an increase of
1921 over the number the rolls June 3D.
1852 or these there were seventeen widows
and dtughtefs of revo.u onary soldiers. thirty
survivors of the wIr of lS1I > A., widows OF
soldiers OF tnat war. 21,5lS survivors
and widows of the Mexican war, 3 $50
"a army nurses and 47b,SI5 sur
vlvors and widows and children of deceased
soldiers and sal ors OF the war of the rebellion.
The latter number represents those pensioned
on account OF disabilities or death resulting
from army or navy service The number of
persons remainin on the rolls June 30, 1898.
Who were penSioned un Ter the act OF June q,
lS9), which allows pensions account of
detth and disability not char seable to army
service, was PISS
The number added to the rolls durin the
year was l2}G34 and the number dropped was
3369o The first payments on pensions al
lowed duri1: the year amounted to s33, 75e
5iI9S. This includes ARE lrs or the accurn-
alton between the tim, from which tfe
allowance OF pension dltes anu the time 81
actually granting the certificates although tnI
law of 1879 permits pensions for disability not
related to military service yet as a requisite
to its benefits disability must exist incapacl
tatlng applicants rom the performance -
manual labor 10 such de trec as 10 render
them unable to earn support
not seem to have been in accord with its trua
intention but toward the close OF the last al.
ministration an authoritatirs construction was
given to the statute and since that time this
construction has been followed This had tha
g. meet OF limiting the operation OF the law %
IS intended purposes.
The discovery having been made that many
names had been put upon the pension roll by
means OF wholesale and gigantic frauds, the
commissioner suspended payments upon mum
Der OF pensions which seemed to be fraudulent
or unaut horized pending complete examina-
tion giving notice to the pensioners in order
that they might have an opportunity ia
establish, IL possible the justice of their
claims Notwithstanding apparent invalidity.
This, | understand, Is the practice which has
for long time prevailed in the pension
bureau, but after entering upon these recent
Investigations the commss oner modified this
rule so as not to allow until after q complete
examination interference with the payment of
pension apparently not altogether void but
which merely had been fixed at a rate higher
than that authorized by law am unable to
understand why frauds in the pension rolls
should not be exposed and corrected with
thoroughness and vi gor. Every name frauiu-
lently put upon these rolls is o wicked i'm
position upon the kindly sentiment IN which
pensions have their origin. Every
fraudulent pensioner has become'a bad citizen
very false with support OF pension has been
perjuy mora common ana false and undeserv-
ing pensioners rob the people not only of their
money. but OF the patriotic sentiment which
the survivors OF war fought for the preserv-
alton OF the union ought to inspire Tnous-
ands OF mel shborhools have their well known
fraudulent pensioners and recent develop
ments by the bureIu establish appallin con
splrcles to establish pension fraud. BY no
,A-Onho sAC lCdSb WEOuR QOuC IS 10 brave ana
deserving pensioners, who surely ou. hit not to
De condemned 10 such associations.
ihose who attempt in the line of duty to rec.
lily these wron IS should not be accus sed OF
enmlty or indifference to the claims OF honest
veterans
The sum expended on account of pensions
LOT the We r ending June 30 15Jt was el56. 40 :
80. II The commits sioner estimates tn It
eiooOJ1OO VIII be required to pay pensions
during the year endin. June b. 1891
Ihe vast area OF land which but short time
ago constituted the pubic domain is rapidly
iaiiin2 INTO private hands 1t is certain that
| In the transfer the benefcient intention of the
government TO supply from its domain homes
10 the INDUSTRIOUS and worthy home seeker is
often frustrated Thou the speculator
VINO stands with extortionate purpose between
the land ONCE and those who with their fam
lies are invited by the government to settle
on the public lands, is despicable Character
VINO ought not to be tolerated vet Ii is din
cult 10 thwart his schemes. The recent
openin TO settlement of the lands in the
Cnerokee outlet embracing an area oi
6,5O0oOO acres, notwit hsta ndipg the ufmos,
care IN framing the regulations governing the
selection OF locations and Wi.hstandinp
TIE presence OF United States troops furn
lshed an exhibition. thou n, perhaps in a
modified degree of the mad Scramble the
violence and the fraudulent oceup ition whieh
nave accompanied previous o9enin Rs of pubiic
land concur with the secretary in the belief
tnat these OUTRAGEOUS Incidents cannot be en-
tiFeiy prevented without a chan e in the
laws on the subject and I hope = recon-
mendat1ons in that direction will be flyorlbIy
considered