The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-12-29
Ringing Circular by Com
mander-in-Chief Adams.
A FULL INVESTIGATION.
The Organization is Determined TO Ferret
Out the Frauds which President Cleve-
land Alleges Exist-The Pennsylvania
Veterans Take Prompt Action.

The members of the Grand Army Of the
Republic throughout the United States
are aroused by circular issued by
Commander-in.C Chief John G. b. Adams,
urging that the entire machinery of
the organization in every state of the Union
be set in motion in order that the fraudulent
recipients of pensions which President Cleve
land says exist may be located.
This step is one of the results of the PEN
sion problem incorporated in President
Cleveland's recent message to Congress.
Whatever proof of fraud the veterans may
find will be submitted to the Department of
the Interior
When Hoke Smith first began his whole.
sale suspensions the members of the Grand
Army were among his most severe critics.
AT the various department encampments
aud the Grand National Eucampment ring
ing resolutions were passed, and at the polls
in last November the veterans spoke in no
intended to show that it is the desire of the
organization to make the pension roll a roll
Of honor. At the same time it is expected
that the investigations which have been
begun will show the falsty of the admins
tration's statement
In the circular Commander-in- Chief
Adams says
WHEREAS The President in his message
to Congress has stated that Thousands of
neighborhoods have their well known
fraudulent pensioners, and as the mission
of the Grand Army of the Republic is to
encourage honor and purity in public
affairs, " l, therefore, call the attention Of
all the comrades posts and departments of
our order to the statement of the President
and urge them to report to the Honorable
Comm issioner of Pensions, Washington, d.
c., any person known to be in receipt of a
pension not justly entitled to the same under
yhe law and to forward a duplicate Of said
report to these headquarters at once.
"Let the cases of fraud be proven, not i'm
piled. The information that comes to these
headquarters daily of comr' es totally
disabled whose pensions h2 Jeen suspended
and of widows, whose husbands were killed
in battle, being suspended until they can
prove that their husbands were naturalized
citizens of the United States, leads the Com
mander- in CHIEF to believe that the state
ment is broader than can be substantiated by
facts If these wrongs actually exist the
Commander -in-Chief pledges the support Of
the Grand Army of the Republic "to those
who attempt in the line Of duty to rectify
these wrongs" assuring them that the Union
veterans are as anxious to guard the
Treasury of the nation in time of peace ~
they were to defend its flag in time of war"
The readiness with which the matter has
been taken up was shown by the action of
Department Commander Sample in this
stale. AS soon as the circular from the
national Office reached the Philadelphia
headquarters he sent out the following to
every member of posts in this state:
"The Department Commander heartily
untes with the Commander-in.C Chief in urg-
ing upon the comrades of this department
the necessity of proper action in the matter
of pensions that may be improperly or fraud.
ulently granted, and urges that if any such
can be found the names be forwarded without
delay. Mere suspicion il not sufficient for
forwarding names. The fraud if there is auy
should be proven with reasonable degree o4
certainty"