The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-05-31
uTGT PENSION FRAUD.

cocratarv Hoke Smith has dlscoVereu
,,,,e nenslon fraud, which has Tor
wears been perpetrated. and when ne
has determined to stop. thereby saving
the Government between Slo'OW'VOO anu
s2o 600 900 in pension payments. IL IN
,,oIyes the repeal Of an order passed by
General Raum. and Endorsed by Assist
- cecretarv Bussey, under the Harrison
administration.
The pension laws IN the United states
statutes provide that "any officer OF the
army. including volunteers and mihtla'
or anv officer in the navy or marine
oorps. or any enlisted man, however EN-
ployed in the military or naval service
~ the United States. or in its marine
oorns whether regularly mustered In or
rot disabled by reason of any wound or
injury received, or disease cohracteu
while In the service Of the United States
and in line Of duty" shall receive PEN
sion.
Here the United States laws provide
for 4 pension for officers and soldiers
disabled while in the service, and on June
q. 1890. Congress passed an act proVidlhB
that any officer or soldier, &c, who hau
become injured. out of the service TO
such an extent as TO be unable to support
himself by manual labor, should II such
disability was not the result Of his own
vicious habits, receive a pension OF not
mora than twelve dollars nor less than
six dollars a month.
Thus the law stood until Raum TOOK
possession Of the pension office. soon
after entering upon his duties that huch-
INVESTIGATED official took upon himself
20 iesue an order to the effect that in
fixing rates of pensions under the ACT OF
June 27. 1890, all claimants whatever
whether disabled IN or out OF the service
should receive the same rating although
the laws expressly declared that any
soI5ier &c. disabled out Of the service
should receive no pension whatever, I'M
less his disability was the result Of no
vicious habits Of his own, and was 50
great that he was unable 10 support him
self by manual labor. Therefore, under
this order Of Raums, millions upon m
lions of dollars have been unlawfully
paid 10 pensioners injured out OF the ser
vice long after the wsr had ended.
Secretary Hoke Smith, having discov-
cred this wanton violation Of the United
States laws, has determined to imme-
| dstely put n stop TO it. Hereafter all
| pensions paid 10 persons unlawfully re-
| ceiving them-that IL, TO all who were
| injured out OF the service, but are
able to support themselves by manual
labor-are 10 cease, Raum's order
| is to be repealed, and from sl5,OOO.OOO to
s2O,OOOOOO will annually be saved to the
| Government.
II is a most important and valuable
step that Secretary Smith has taken, but
it should not stop with the simple repeal
of Raums order. That corrupt Official
should be arrested and brought 10 trial
] for dsobeying the laws. and unlawfully
| taking money from the Treasury. From
1 the time he went into Office until he
came out he was constantly being in
vestigated on one charge or another OF
fraud, but by some hocus-pocus ne al
ways managed TO escape conviction
| Here. however. Is distinct and direct
case Of his unlawful waste Of the public
money. and he should by all means be
brought 70 trial. and be made TO suffer
the penalty OF his crime.