The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-01-24

THURSDAY. JAN. IL.
lH, Senate. Mr.. Pugh secured recognition
to present bill providing for the immediate
issue of $l00000,000 Of Treasury notes to meet
the deficiencies these notes 10 be redcemable
in coin, and TO be constantly reissued. 1t
further directed the coinage of the seigniorage
and tho deposit of silver bullion from American
minis.
The Senate resumed consideration Of the bill
! (H. II. s092l making appropriations for the
payment of invalid and other pensions of the
United States for the fiscal year ending June
80. 1896, aud for other purposes.
Mr.. Gallinger of New Hampshire, secured
| the adoption of the amendment repeating that
provision of the last Pension appropriation bill
which forbids The payment of pensions 10 non
residents not citizens of the United States and
not given for actual disability.
Said Mr.. Galinger concerning the bill:
Mr.. President, the bill under consideration
calls for an appropriation of Sl400O0,000 for
Army and Navy pensions OF the various classes.
1t is 81 ,5Sl $40 less than the amount estimated
for by the Commissioner Of Pensions. but it
will doubtless be found adequate for the pur-
pose, as there is no difficulty in administer
ing the affairs Of the Pension Bureau as to
make the expenditures fall within the limit
of the appropriation. The report of the COM
missioner of Pensions for the fiscal year end
ing June 30. 1894. shows that balance of
the appropriation of the preceding year; and
i submit that the methods which saved that
amount to the Government can be amplified SO
rs to increase the amount to 30, 40. or SO
millions. if necessary. during the current fiscal
year. True. if the S25, 100000 had been ex-
pended. it would have carried Joy and gladness
into the homes of many needy veterans, and
would have added that amount TO the money
in circulation among the people; but it would
L..,a nn, f.sn dc
posing before the country party of economy
and reform and might have compelled them.
in constructing their wonderful tariff bill, to
have left adequate protection upon some New
England industry.
Il do not propose TO 20 into an exhaustive
discussion of the pension question, that is
unnecessary. The voters of the country be-
iieve in generous policy on the part of the
Government toward the old soldiers, and 1 am
fully of the belief that they regard the Repub-
lican policy as one of greater justice than the
Democratic policy. They do not believe in
splitting legal hairs, or applying doubtful con-
structiOns of law TO the claims of the men
who fought TO preserve the Government III
the people could be heard on this question,
they would give the benefit of the doubt to
the soldier; thing that is never done in
either the clerical, the legal, or the medical
division of the Pension Office. The people do
not want money saved at the expense of the
men who periled their lives to save the Re-
public; and woe be to the political party that
adopts narrow and unfriendly policy ia deal
ing with this great question.
What desire more particularly to speak of
to-day is the complete ami crushing collapse of
the charge made by the present Executive, re-
peated in the halls of Congress. aud reiterated
III the Democratic newspapers of the country,
that the pension-roll was tainted with fraud
aud corruption. In his message to Congress in
December. 1889, President Cleveland made use
OF these words:
Thousands OF neighborhoods have their
well-known fraudulent pensioners and recent
developments of the Bureau establish appalling
conspracies to accomplish that fraud
That very serious allegation was published
to the world, and was used by the Democratic
party as one of its chief campaign arguments.
1t WIS caught up by the metropolitan press.
aud columns upon columns of editorials were
written in denunciatioD of the men whom this
same President had on former occasion,
characterized as mendicsnts. One great New
York newspaper repeatedly declared that at
least one-fourth of the names the pension
roll were there by fraud. and that the Demo-
cratic party was doing great work in purging
il and making il roll Of honor. Let US see
what the facts disclose on this point.
According TO the last report OF the Commits.
sioner of Pensions there were on June Sc, 1894,
800, 54a names on the rolls, and there were
applications pending to the number of 2S7, 2O9
making total of 256. s53 cases subject to in
vestigation. Congress appropriated 100000 TO
enable the Bureau TO investigate these cases
through tho medium OF Special Examiners, 80
being employed for that purpose. The $500. 600
was expended. and large additional amount
must have been required 10 pay the fees OF
United States Commissioners Marshals, wit
nesscs and other necessary costs. 1t is we'll
known fact that, under its present manage
ment, the Pension Bureau takes cognizance of
every letter written to it alleging fraud on the
part Of pensioners, and that in Investigations are
started in all cases where information of that
kind reaches the Bureau. According to the
report OF the Commissioner OF Pensions (page
81 AGA criminal reports were submitted by
the Special Examiners. they having made in
vestigations IN -, 1872 cases. Now, how many
convictions were found against soldiers and the
widows OF soldiers, including those on the rolls
and those having applied for pensions aggre-
gazing, as have before stated, l.256 753 cases?
why, Mr.. President, the records show that
these 55 Special Examiners. backed by the
President of the United States by the officers
Of the Pension Bureau and by the Democratic
party and press OF the country, succeeded in
finding during the entire year Just 80 cases of
fraud on the part of soldiers and the widows of
soldiers! Just 80 cases, less than one for each
State of the American Unioni Just one for
n
yet we have been told-iudced we have heard
ii in the halls of Congressional the pension.
roll is tainted with fraud from beginning to
end and needs purging and publication. What
a complete and overwhelming refutation is this
of one Of the stock arguments of the enemies of
pension legislation in this country. 1t is a
record of glory and honor that ought to put TO
shame forever the slandcrers of the Union SOL
.dier, whether they are in high or low position
IL ought to cause the newspapers Of the country
which have circulated this serious Islander to
hasten to make PREPARATION for the great wrong
they have Dune. II might well form the basis
for a paragraph of apology from the Chief Exc
cutiye OF the Nation, who originated and gave
the sanction of his high Office 10 this wicked
and outrageous assault upon the honor and in.
tegrity of the Union soldier. Aud il might
well suggest 10 former Democratic member of
Congress, now the Governor Of Southern State,
that he uttered An objectionable ialsebood when
he said in debate:
81 give il as my deliberate Judgment state
ii a fact that no people earth, since govern
SO despoiled and plundered i'm the name of
patriotism and under the guse of pension laws
rs have been the people of the United States
Mr.. President, ii Was well said elsewhere
that ia no other Department of the Govern
ment showing like number of transactions,
can there be found any such honesty Of purpose
aud such asmall amount of fraud as is shown
here
In connection with this army Of Special Ex-
aminers. who are ostensbly engaged in adjudi-
eating claims, il is Interesting to observe that,
from the report Of the Chief Examiner there
in their hands at the close of the last fiscal
year so. 663 cases. and the suggestion is made
by this official that it will require an appropri-
alton of Sol $50 10 enable them to dispose of