The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-07-08
A RECORD or lNFAMv.


Thu Pension Policy of the HAIRLESS A.
mlnAstration.
The letter addressed 10 the president
Of the United States by former en-
ployc Of the pension bureau gives a
clearer view than anything before pub
lished Of the infamous record Of our
pension administration under Commits
sioners Tanner and Raum. The cutlery
against Tanners recklessncss was due
to his outspoken candor, and IL led to
his withdrawal from Office, but his sue
cessor was even more reckless and un-
scrupulous, and the new law OF 1890
gave him greater scope. The main diff
ference was that where Tanner was
open and brazen in declaring his poll
cy. Raum was crafty and secretive in
carrying out the same policy with in
creased opportunities.
The value of Mr.. Burnett's testimony
lies in his citing actual cases and testi-
flying from absolute personal knowl-
edge. After having been years in the
service of the pension bureau as clerk,
special examiner, supervising examiner.
and reviewer Of field work. he finally
gave up his place rather than be longer
party to the fraud and extravaganza
that saturated the administration of
the bureau. Before taking this course
he gathered facts sufficient to Justify
it and TO enable him to reveal what hah
been going on about him whenever the
administration might become friendly
to efforts at reform
IL appears very clearly from this rev.
elation that the policy of the last ad-
ministration was to put rs many names
as possible upon the pension rolls, and
To scatter from the treasury Of the
United States as much money as posi-
bic among claimants for pensions. This
seems to have been the deliberate pur-
pose Of Gen. Raum. and it must have
been in pursuance of an understood
policy of his superiors. 1t was evident
ly part and parcel of party policy.
which included at once the buying up
Of the soldier vote" and the dissipa-
ton of the revenues of the country so
that n reform tariff would be difficult
if not impossible. 1t was in keeping
with the whole spirit of the Fifty-irst
congress, which passed the Mckinley
tariff. the Sherman silver purchase act.
and the disability pension act.
Mr. Burnetts cases are merely sam
pies, and represent thousands upon
thousands. They show that pensions
were granted for disability where no
proof of disability was furnished and
in the face of adverse reports from the
examiners Disabilities were credited
to service which were proved to have
had their origin before enlistment or
long after discharge The record of
"desertion" was changed to ''honora-
BILE discharge" in thousands of cases,
and pensions were granted to bounty
jumpers" and sneaks. Evidence shown
to be forged or fraudulent was accept
ed, and the proviso of the law regard
ing disabilities caused by the applicants
own vicious habits was practically ig-
nored. The pension rolls are befouled
with the names Of hundreds OF men
who receive the bounty of the govern
ment on account of loathsomc diseases
due to their own vices
In short, it was impressed upon the
force of the pension bureau from the
commissioner through all the grades
that the object was not careful scru-
tiny, strict compliance with the law,
and the protection Of the public treas
ury from fraud and extravaganza. but
the passing of as many claims as possi-
BILE in the speediest fashion. If exami-
! ncrs were disposed to be scrupulous
they were ovcrruled, but for the most
part they were induced to conform to
the expectations and requirements of
their superior officers The action OF
congress in providing for pensions has
been lavish, but the conduct of the
pension bureau under Commissioners
Raum was infamous in its rccklessness,
and it is costing the government proba-
bly, not less than fifty million dollars
year.
All this will doubtless be stopped un-
der the present administration. but
that is not enough The mischief
should be undone so far as it is now pos
siblc. The service of the pension bu-
reau should be completely reformed.
and the pension rolls should be purged.
Mr.. Burnett makes some practical sug-
gestions or this subject, which may he
Of value to the government lie thinks
tHdt WltHiu a Car the Nhoic cHc iiii-
lion claims could be overhaulcd and
those eliminated which are founded in
fraud. false representations. and disrc-
gard of legal requirements. The ma
tional administration is overburdcncd
with the heritage Of the iniquities OF
the four years Of Saturnalia that pre-
cedcd it at Westinghouse. y. Times
M'klNLEY'S MISTAKES.
A Erroncoua Statement Concc rnlng the