The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-30
Men Who Clamor for Pensions
Ranked with bounty Jumpers,
towards, Deserters and Frauds.
LATEST LAW CONDEMNED
ACT LIMITING POWER TO MAKE SUS.
PENSIONS NOT RELIsHED.
from the Annua Report of the
Pension Dureau-Rulfng Against
Governor Tillman.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 2.-The reargument
Of the Long pension case In the District
Court of Columbia does not awaken very
much interest. Commissioner Lochren Is
confident that the same opinion will te
reached. In his annual report the Commits
sioner reviewed the Long case at length, I'm
which he said: This case has attracted
wide attention, because of the fact that
the pensioner is one of the judges of the
Supreme Court of Michigan, and has upon
the rostrum and through the press un-
stintingly denounced this bureau and my
self for alleged arbitrary AMI illegal pro-
ceedings in the reduction of his pension, and
because of the suits instituted by him in
his district against myself to prevent such
reductions"
After reviewing the proceedings in the
case. Commissioner Lochren says: TT is
quite clear that under honest but mistaken
Interpretation of the pension laws by prior
commissioner this pensioner has obtained
from the treasury more than $1,000 to which
he was never lawfully entitled. Should he
make good his assertion that he will take
this case for decision to the Supreme Court
Of the United States, he may, when it shall
be finally decided. consider the propriety of
returning this money to- the treasury"
In the same report the COMMISSIONS dis
cusses the report of special examiners
which have been criticised in Congress and
elsewhere. The Commissioner says: 1.-The
report of the chief of the division exhibits
the character and Importance OF its work.
Cases which appear to have merit, but
on which the claimants are unable to OBJ
tain essential evidence are, with such in
formation in respect to Witnesses as the
bureau can obtain, placed In the hands Of
G.4at.l go .t.a xrtA Aft4- h14 -
discover and obtain the evidence necessary
TO prove the claims. The larger part Of
the force is always employed In this class
Vision, aided as it is by the law division.
constitutes the main protection which the
government has against fraud and imposi-
MOST of the pension attorneys and
claim agents are capable men and honora-
dishonest and INSCRIPTIONS of men, deal
ing habitually In perjury, forgery and
every species of fraud and faisehood. With
out special examiners the villainy Of such
men would operate without check or fear
of detection and be generally successful,
as it is too often now in spite of all safe
guards. Such men attract the unworthy as
c~lientS-the bounty-jumpers, towards and
deserters, and the fraudulent m~aligners.
AS many Of their crimes are discovered,
their fraudulent cases overthrown, n
themselves and their guilty confederates
brought to deserved punishment by the
work OF special examiners Uhere were l94
convictions from pension frauds last year,
it is but natural that such men or their
clients should be loud and unceasing In
decrying special examiners as spies and
seeking, with the aid of INSCRIPTIONS par
tisan newspapers and politicians, to create
a prejudice against special examiners in
the minds of deserving pensioners and
others. The worthy and deserving soldiers
are still modest, and In the race for pen
sions are elbowed to the rear by the I'M
worthy, who are as truculent in their con-
tinued strife for pensions and increases as
when operating for bounties. They crowd
q - %,o f~Ant ~ Is> 80
erings with clamor for resolutions for more
pensions, and denunciations Of every regu-
iation tending to unmask or prevent dis
honesty and fraud as 'unfriendly TO the
soldier Their Unsuitable greed and detes-
tation of all resolutions made to insure
honesty and restrain or discover fraud,
shamelessly proclaimed. has done much to
lower the regard which would otherwise
be universal,y manifested for the deserv-
ing soldier"
The Commissioner then copies extracts
from reports of commissioners ever since
1867 TO show that the utmost care is neces-
sary to prevent fraudulent pensions, after
which he says: II have selected these ex-
tracts from the reports of the earlier COM
missioners since the civil war to show that
special examinations, fraudulent claimants,
dishonest agents, and the practice of drop
ping unworthy pensioners from the rolls
earlier days fraud in pension cases did not
much support from the public press.
Precipitation bill Dec. q, 1893, preventing the
Commissioners from suspending pensions un-
til fraud has actually been established"
the Commissioner says. has been carried
out, but with no advantage to the bureau.
The effect of this provision is to take from
the officer of the bureau the power to inter-
fere where they plainly see the treasury
being plundered by the fraudulent and the
unworthy. / could cite numberless in
stances of pensioners having no title, PEN
sioners drawing more than one pension,
widows who having remarked continuing
to draw pensions, and all manner of fraud
ulent and illegal pensions where the treas
ury Woula commune 10 pc plenaered Ior a
of this bureau who, because of that proviso,
were rendered powerless to prevent"