The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-05-06
PURGE THE PENSION LIST.
An Earnest Appeal From the Grand
Army Organ.


From the G<and Army Gazette.
Elsewhere the Gazette prints an article
from the Fitchburg, Mass, Evening Mail of
January 80, to which we wish to call atten
lion of all comrades. Comrade Mann speaks
with no uncertain or weak tone in his ear
nest, truthful words.
The Gazette's editor long ago called atten-
ton in an article on ''The Roll of Honor" to
the fact that there were numberless frauds on
the pension rolls, and manfully took the
ground that these should be eliminated and
the pension list be made again what it was
at first, and what the patriotic people of
America intended it should be,t Roll OF
Honor That article was republished with
favorable comments in many OF the leading
newspapers in this country, and the agitation
thus started has gone on increasing. May
it lead TO the speedy parging of the pension
list.
The most drastic measures could not be
severe enough for that purpose.
In this purifying process every comrade
can be enlisted who has given honorable SER
vice in his country's hour of need. And it is
as much patriotic duty. If you know of II
person receiving pension in your town who
is not honorably entitled to it by service in the
field, send the name TO the new Pension
Commissioner for investigation.
Or if you fear the wrath of the no-servce
wearers Of the bronze button who might
drive you out of the 6. A. X. Post because
YOU will not connive at fraud, send the names
and address to the editor of the Gazette, at
the office of this paper, and we will see to it
that proper investigation is made.
No American can afford to neglect this i'm
portant matter. With pension roll greater
than the number of men in the field at the
close of the war of the rebellion-and most
of those lie in honored graves-and with an
expenditure over Sl60,000,0O0 Il year for
that one item, it behooves those interested in
the real veterans, and the tried and true vet
Grams themselves, to be up and doing.
In the Department of Pennsylvania at its
recent encampment resolution was intro
duced declaring it to be 1.-THE sacred duty OF
every member of the Grand Army of the Re
public to use his efforts to make the pension
roll Il true roll of honor, and see that the
name of no person appears on that roll I'M
less that of worthy recipient of the bounty
of a grateful and most generous people.
The editor of the Gazette is one of those
who have the honor to be physically incapa
citated from performing any manual labor or
earning living without assistance, by
wounds honorably received in battle. As
such we can have only the purest motives In
agitating this question. And we appeal to
all honorable citizens, regardless of party, TO
give information to the present adminstra-
ton in ferreting out the bogus pension CLAIM
ants None can object to the most rigid eX-
animation. II the claim has a proper basis
the fact can easily be shown, since Uncle
Sam was not SO unbusiness line as to grant
pensions without taking precautions to frame
a law that would call for evidence not to be
gainsaid or overthrown easily. 1t Is not the
worthy that need fear, but those whose
claims were granted or rerated through favor
tism.
There will be some startling revelations in
the next two or three years, we are convinced.
We have some evidence already which will
be prepared for the new Commissioner OF
Pensions. If frauds cannot be proven, then
the pension will still be paid.
If fraud can be proven it cannot be toe
quickly proven, and the pension should
cease.
Every dollar paid in fraud is wickedly
stolen, not alone from the patient taxpayers,
but from the deserving veterans Strike,
comrades, while the iron is hot, and If it
should scar some bogus claimants so as to
leave mark by which they may be known
of all men, there will be no cause for regret.
+ In this connection we wish to call attention
to the frantic efforts made by one George E.
Lemon, in his claim agents organ, to betog
and mislead the people and the comrades
who support his paper and have made him
rich, by publishing huge cartoons OF one.
legged and otherwise MANNED veterans, and
claiming that when honest men and honorable
editors clamor for wedding out of frauds,
they are injuring these MANNED heroes,
Lemon knows better than that. There never
was worse or more vicious misrepresenta-
ton made by him and the claim agents ring.
The gist of what we have all along claimed
is given above We have added nothing to
and taken nothing away frem>our demand,
and readers of the Gazette will bear us out in
what we say.
We ask only this: Let the pension list be
overhaued. If name is sent in as that OF a
pensiouer believed to be bogus or unworthy
recipient, let the fact be investigated. If the
person is unworthy, strike the name from the
roll of honor. That is all. No more, nc
less. Can the Grand Army mountebauks o
Mr.. Lemon object to this? Is it striking
down honorably wounded or disabled sol
diers?
Purge the pension roll of honor of fictitious
claimants and recipients.
There is no politics in this.
Honest veterans do not fear the light, how
ever searching.