The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-03-23
GEN. sLocum ON PENSIONS.

4
Gen. FL. W. Slocum was recently inter-
viewed upon the report that he had been
considered for appointment as Commissioner
of Pensions. He is reported to have said:
If were 20 years younger would be glad to ac-
cept the position, but at my age do not feel called
upon to take such heavy work upon myself as
would be required of any man who successfully
administers that Office. young man could take
hold of it and make reputation for himself Thai
pension roll is fraudulent roll. There is no mis-
take about that There are deserters and bounty.
Jumpers on IL, and other men who were never In
the army at all. would like to 60 through 1T and
find out the names that should not be on the books
at all. IT can be done hut it would involve great
deal of labor.
/ do not need the office the salary but
would accept the office II were younger man,
for the sake of getting at the fraudulent names on
the pension-roli and casting them out. The DEM
ocratic and Republican Congressman have been
equally guilty in swelling the pension list. and the
pension agents have contributed their share 10
piling up the cost. Here it is 30 years after the
close of the war. and paying this immense
sum for pensions. II ia wrong
The best proof that the General is too old
for the Office is afforded by this statement
It shows conclusively that advanced years
have seriously affected his mind and be-
clouded his understanding. Much younger
men than Gen. Slocum, and with at least
fully as much ability to thoroughly investi-
gate, have repeatedly attacked the pension
roll in sanguine expectation of finding 1t
morass of iniquity, and in every instance they
have been greatly disappointed. Congress
sional Committees, public officials, and hostile
newspaper men have all had the same ex-
perience. They have started with the con-
fident belief that they were going to startle
the world with their revelations, only to re-
tire, after greater or less length of time,
utterly discouraged by their want OF sue
cess
This has not been for lack of facilities for
investigation. They have had all the ap-
pointments they could desire. The trans
actions Of the Pension Bureau are as open
to public examination as those of any other
public Office. Even if there had been any
desire on the part of the pension officials to
conceal their operations, they could not have
thrown any cloak about them which would
have resisted the powers of Congressional
Committee, and two of these, desperately
determined to find something wrong, have
been at work for over three years without
finding single act to trumpet to the
country.
Gen slocum must have a singular idea of
his own ability to imagine that he could
succeed where 30 many other able men have
so signally failed. He has done nothing SO
far in life to indicate such a pre-eminence
over other men. In fact, he has passed into
the history of the war and of Congress as a
man of quite ordinary talents
When he says that there are ON the roll
"deserters, bounty jumpers and other men
who were not in the army at all, - he simply
says what is untrue. and what he should
know to be untrue Gen. Slecum has had
considerable experience in army matters, and
he knows that before any mans claim for a
pension is even considered an application is
made to the War Department for his record.
| Unless that is found to be clear no further
steps are taken in the matter.
| Gen Slocum's charge therefore is an i'm
parchment of the accuracy of the records of
the War Department more than anything
else, and he should call Secretary Lamonts
attention to this.