The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1893-07-14

y. A. H. men, OF all parties, desire
to see justice done by the govern
ment to all old soldiers, but depecrate
the frauds that have been perpet-
rated through dishonest claim
agents. With the latter-it is mere
" matter of making money, no
regard being had at all to the merit
of the claimant.
In the language of the Grand
Army Gazette, thousands Of appli-
cations have been forced where the
applicants themselves felt dubious
In regard to the merit Of their
claims. They have been cajoled
and worried into the endeavor to
secure something from the govern
ment. And this class of cases
make up the unprecedented appeal
for help thirty years after the war.
The old veterans themselves are
awakening to the wrongs that have
been perpettated in their name,
and are protesting against the
practices which have prevailed SO
long. They see that the majority
Of the pensions laws that have
been placed upon the statute books
within the past few years have not
been made that the truly deserv-
ing might be benefited, but rath-
er that the few might grow wealthy
at the expense Of the old soldiers.
The country has been secured from
end to end and the agents of "these
sharks have infested everyvillage,
hamlet and city, roaming into the
woods searching the bystreets to
find those whom by any conceiva-
BILE reason they could make appli-
cants for pension.
These now desiring to see justice
done demand that the pension list
shall be minutely examined. That
the rolls be printed and distributed
where the names can be, seen. Let
the cause for the granting Of the
pensions, for youndssf for other
disabilities be affixed to the names,
and the amount paid by the gov
ernment. for this is a government
matter, not personal, and then let
the people who know of fraud ir'
regularities tell the story. Where
fraud is charged let examinations
take place, under the proper aus.
pices, SO that personal spleen shall
not prevail or injustice done to
those charged. Give every benefit
of counsel, but examine.
The following is taken from tbs
Grand Army paper mentioned
above: The latest decision O
Comrade Lochren, the pension
commissioner, and Hon. Hok,
Smith, secretary Of the interior
his official superior on the pension
question, in line with the course
u6nol by the Gazette for years
MS vicious ruling, which wal
seGyvigorously attacked by the Ga
lr9ette, has been reversed. The Law
.@ill now be carried out without
fear or favor, many fraudulent
pensions will be stopped and thu
army Of pensions sharks driver
from one of their retreats.
The Gazette has always Tough
for honest pensions to worthy vet
Grams, and against the raids o
claim agents, whenever a conrad,
was incapitated from earning hi
living at mutual labor because o
wounds or other disability, even j
incurred since the war, SO long a
the soldier saw actual service
even if only for thirty, days. Thi
law and the secretary now agree t.
be correct, and so order"
From these sentiments, coming
from the head of Grand Arm.
quarters, it may be reasonably sui
missed that the fraudulent pensio
agent has about run his course
and that the present administra
ton will have the unqualified SUI
port Of the soldier and worthy per
sioner in its effort to purge tn
list now on the pension roll.
President Cleveland shall carr
out his implied purpose of raisin
the entire pension revenue by a
income tax, it will have the ei
feet ofstimulating the investigatio
of the roll to a still greater exten
At all events, by the general NJ
rising, all over the land, agains
this gigantic fraud, too long OF
dured, it looks as if the unworth
pensioner would have to 60.