The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1894-03-08
MONDAY. MARCH 3.

Routine business occupied the Senate, which
at 3:20 adjourned
In the House. the Pension Appropriation
Bill again took mp the attention of the
members.
Mr. Dolliver Qowa, r. criticized the present
administration of the Pension Office. Old,
brOk en-down soldiers he said, and women and
children in his district had complained to him
not alone of the delay of justice in securing
pensions, but of their denial, and not alone of
the denial of justice, but of the bloodless inge-
nuity displayed by the Interior Department in
putting obstacles in the way of getting what
they were entitled to.
Mr. Hepburn iowa, r. scored the action of
the Representatives of the IL late Con federate
States for their opposition to liberal pensions.
Not one of these States, he said, contributed a
dollar-not even a nickel-to the pension-rOll
OF the $3.50 600 900 internal revenue taxes the
South paid less than S9.000,000; of the $177-
100000 customs receipts the South paid but
81 600; of the miscellaneous receipts less
than s., 600 900; 80 that" said he addressing
the Southern members "you contribute less
than $15, 000, 600 to the revenues of the Govern
ment. How do you get that back? Nine mil
lion returns as sugar bounty, So. 600 900 in PEN
sions, and 100000 as a deficit in postal re-
receipts YOU therefore. receive back So, O0O,-
600 more than You contribute You contribute
not a cent to Northern pensions. What differ
enee does it make to you what we do with our
own money!"
The first proof of hostility to pensioners by the
Administration Mr.. Hepburn found in the fact
that Grover Cleveland was President; the
second. that Hoke Smith was Secretary of the
Interior. When Hoke Smith went into office,
he continued, SCI, 600 applca were pending.
Instead of adjudicating these cases, the Depart
ment went back and suspended II, 600 pensioners
whose cases were in law res djudcata. How did
this record compare with that of his prede-
cessor, who in the previous six months allowed
10000 claims? He denied that there were
any great number of fraudulent pensioners.
Mr.. Euloe (Tenn., D. defended Commissioner
Lochren and the Secretary. He contended that
Justice had actuated every suspension of PEN
sions. Since the beginning of the Cleveland
Administration until Feb. last 303 cases
of fraud had been discovered by the Pension
Office and 147 con victions had been obtained.
In discussing various alleged frauds, Mr..
Enloe cited the case of Co ]. 184th Ohio which
had served from February, 1865 TO September,
1865. Not a member of the command heard
the firing of gun, yet "A were applicants for
pensions on the rolls
Mr.. GrOsvenor interrupted to read from the
Record to show that the majority of men in the
Is4th Ohio were veterans who had served two
or three years before that enlistment.
Proceeding, Mr.. Enloe had read letter from
Commissioner Lochren, under date of March 5,
1894, saying that there was between 5000 and
10000 pension cases at present under investi-
CATION where there was strong presumptive
evidence of fraud.
Mr.. Tawney (Minn.. r. brought out point
regarding the kind of persons who had been
found guilty of fraud. He took Minnesota for
an example There he said, 30 out of AZ in
dictments for fraudulent practices in obtain
ing pensions referred to on the floor by