Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-14
THE RICHMOND DtsPATCH-TUESDAY. AUGUST IA. 1894.


crimes against the pension laws nave
Tn the CITY of Norfolk II was dIscovsreu
,,a, a large number OF persons had -
.nr.a nenslons upon forged aflidavi's , m,'s
.s.a,,rn The commission OF perjury. In'
,..,,sS states District Court for the Eas.
~. ,,,s,r,,t OF virginia has recently pesr ,
s,c,,nied for term after term IN the -
frauds with special couhsei
o,..n,oyed nv the government assis.i"s -
az nrosecutions, ana az resui.
,inyieader. a pension claim aeen, "a ss a
nr',rv now occupies feionf se"' ..a.n
number Of his vile acooh'phoeo "a,e,,ep,
convicted end sentencen w ,sts ba
In the penlteutiary HOW n'usn Yen,ure
cost the government WIZ ~"
to say. -, oourse for those in
49," "a Investigate each susPeS'
sss,,d,Isr, case, but the huhleivu' 49,.
.,,s,enatlc frauds perpeua.eI !" - Ga
~ ts =. ,be city Of Buffalo. anu IA
heh.e', .hnr cities and through the VIZ
,nn". of the present Chief OF tne ,,.,rce
p'reau brought 10 light mus. IAN
evorv honest and disin,Il ',,on have.
that the pension laws OF .nI' adr,,nIstered
- nenuhIican rule, been ahnl''. ~ o.
ui,ucI ,ha slightest regard for 'he ~,
terest OF the COVE"
bear us p,' - ending June 20. 1892, VIII
~. GO down into history as &
=, hitch the Pension bureau a''i- or
~ 80. c,,acity for granting pension ~.
..aa. In ttat single year Sll'V" ''
tifcates were issutu' MON this floor
In a speech delivered upon '.i,s
no, many months ago by me u lss," fSIacl-,
"a gentleman from Illinois tbeni'.ai ,hat
Who now sits before me I'VE tho tst
,t.o,,s,hort the entire year from u" 1se,
','V tsat IN the Goth OF June, lo.-'
~. 100 moro than one thousahu
Indicates issued for eacn WI
80, e. .hot vear. Il Il TO b. wohuei'u =
u"' - fraudulent claims "eIe -,
~ ....d 20 elip through when the ,rts
.,achirerv was made 70 "oiN
a.tonishing rate Of velocity ,,,e,, an
81 Chairman. Il will never be eSen ap
,rnximatslv known how many III . ,,e,,.
raroas are being carried upon ~ -, a in
sion-rols Were II possiole =. III az the
49,, nr,nber. this House. as wen a.
Inc NUM- ,..o,,,d he struck with amaze
ment. - r,tinois who was
- rorr,oiesIoner OF Pensions uiluei
~ cIeveland's first Administrator 80
nc tho benefit of some Valuapls c"'N
lions in the speech to which l nave JuJ,
I',aod lie demonstrated in that speech
H.. there were under the Raum admins
,r,,ion nension examiners who were caPa-
HE Of examining and passing upon an dse e
rage Of 100 cases a day. There was "'ie,
:, soo,ns 60 industrious and Jealous, as
well as so expert at the business, 10 80
managed 10 dispose OF an agSrsate -,
zoo cases a month. thus beating all
known records.
HONEST METHODS.
Is It surprising Mr.. Chairman that our ,,
Republican friends. whose hearts e"et -
with nride at the bare contemplation Oh
euch rare and wonderful achievements
should find nothing worthy their adrnira-
ton and much deserving their condemna-
tlon In the business-lke and honest m
thods which row obtain In the fehsloh
Rureau2 Gratitude has been aptly oe-
scribed as a sense of favors yet 10 coIli'
and | strongly suspect that many VI
those who are eternally pratng about tie
gratitude which the nation owes 10 thoSo
who saved its life are thinking iar hoi
about what a lax administration vi Ia"
will DO for them politically IMAM they arc
concerned about the pretcnded VIM :
| Of the soldier and the honor and glory OF
tho repiblic | confess that my suspi-
cions ara always aroused when L near
some peusion looter indulginS in thls
patriotic strain.
MIR Chairman, have wandered some
what away from the question with winch
we are Immediately concerned but wan'
70 hiring home 10 this House and the ccuh-
inv a REALIZING sense Of what this nation
has done and is doing for those VINO
fought the battles OF the Union, thelr
widows. their children, and their depend
ent relatives. 1t has made the bIOades'
and most liberal provision for every
human being who has the slightest claim
mon its bounty. and has done 1t TO inc
utmost extent Of its ability. The people
OF the south have unc0mplaininSly borne
| their full share Of the burdens which the
largest pension-lst the world has ever
known mas necessarily imposed upon
every section OF our common country.
They have. comparatively speaking, re-
ceived no compensatory benefits. ana they
have paid il all out Of their poverty ana
| at the greatest sacrifice 10 their prosperity
They do not ask that single one OF the
laws Of passing liberallty upon our sta
tute-books shall be abrogated. but they
do demand that those laws shall be hon.
estly fairly, and justly administered.
The United States pays out annually
for pensions a far greater sum than Is
paid 10y England France Germany, Rus
eia. and Austria combined. one third or
our entire revenues. roundly stated, are
| absorbed IN the payment Of pensions, and
| IL is now proposed by this bill TO restore
To the ponsion-lists thousands whose
names have been by act Of Congress
stricken therefrom. who never had any
real claim upon the bounty of this gov
eminent, who reside abroad, and who
| owe their allegiance to some foreign po-
tentate.
Mr. Chairman, I am unalterably ops
| pOscd to this measure. The country is in
no condition TO assume new and unneces-
sary obligations. The long and unprece-
dented period OF financial distress and
business prostration through which We
have passed and the present depleted
| condition of the public Treasury demand
retrenchment rather than extravaganza
i'm public expenditures.
/ stand ready at all times to vote for
every proper, reasonable and just appro-
priation. but / cannot support a proposi-
| ton which rests alone upon sentiment.
and which. II adopted. must add greatly
| 10 the well-niGh intolerabe burdens now
laid upon a justly-complainin and long
suffering people. Let us be just TO the
taxpayers at home rather than generous
TO those who. sharing none Of our bur-
dens of taxation. yet would live upon our
charity. | trust. Mr.. Speaker this mca-
| sure will he defeated