The times., 1897-12-24
All Medicines Furnished
NOT A PRACTICABLE PLAN
Grand Army Men on Pension Pub
licatiOn Scheme.
Commander Hopkins Advances -Four
Reasons Against Mr. Evins'
recommendation.

The Recommendation OF Commissioner of
Pensions Evans, looking toward action
by Congress requiring the publication Of
the pension list in full for the purpose of
discussion in Grand Amy OF the Republic
ranks. The consensus OF opinion
among the comrades OF local post
seems to be that the scheme ' Guild
not be practicable. Any kind OF legis
lation along the proposed line would hardly
be antagOnized by the Grand A rmy, a that
organization expresses itself al agreed TO
almost anything that would purge the
pension roll OF frauds, but the sentiment
prevails that the proposed plan OF publica-
tion would not accomplish any good re-
suits.
Depa rtment Comma nder Thbmas s.
Hopkins, OF the Department Of the Po
tomac, il an interview with a Times re.
porter, said;
Il do not anita guniZe the publication
Of the pension list in full, but think that
it would be unWise, nd tina { il would not
result in any good. AS far as l am con-
Cerned, l would just as leave have the
plan carry, il there is any belief that it
viii lead to the detection OF fra nd, but
l do not II NIX that it would do an nythinr
Of the kind"
Have you anv strong reasons Tor think
ing the plan would be useless or unwise.
asked the 'eportcr.
First, it wcuId cost in the neighborhood
Of about $2GoO00. THIS being the case
l hardly think it would be practical bic ior
fa ont r. f.4vt
publication, a : the small number OF frauds
already detected leads to the belief that
only few could be found on the rolls nov.
Second, tie list would not be read.
Third, it has been the practice under
former Administrations, when the ne
papers wanted a list OF pensioners in any
locality fer the purpose Of investigating
claims and detecting frauds for tie Pension
office, to furnish those newspapers with
list asked foI by them. Such could be
done now and frauds hunted out just as
Well as they could be under the proposed
'publica ton" method.
n iI5v ndmDer or pensioners have
wounds of character they wouldn't care
to see put in print, and advertise d to heir
neighborS. Then again, large number
have diseases. other than wounds, that
tHe' MtuIu XVI loi uSCtlCt Sdhe' "aHl
placed III type.
Judge Locnren Conmis sioner of 2 m
sions, under Cley Gland. with a arm yof spa-
cial agents a his command, inJ estigated
the frauds which were alleged to have
neyconbed the lists a the time. and found
only thirty three cases Of fraud in four
years.
Commander Hopkins, when asked what
the positiOri of the Grand Army of the Re
public was ON this question of pension
frauds, referred to the circular sent ont by
Past National Commander Adams, several
years ago. The Circular reads:
Headquarters GAR.
Lynn, Mass, Dec. i, s93.
Whereas, the President Of the United
States In his message to Congress has stated
that thousands of neighborhoods have their
well known fraudulent pensioners andis S
the mission, Of the Grand Army or the Re-
public is to encourage honor and purity In
public AFFAIRS L therefore call the atten-
ton OF all the comrades, posts and lie
partments of our order to the statement or
the President, aud to urge them to report
to the Honorable Commissioner of Pensions,
Washington, D. c., any person known
to be in receipt OF d pension and 3InjuStly
entitled to same under law and to forward
a duplicate of said report 20 these head
quarters at once.
Let the cases of fraud be proved, not
implied. The information that comes to
these headquarters daily of comra les
totally disabled whose pensions have been
and of widows, whose nus
bands We're Killed in battle, being sus-
pended until they can prove that their |
husbands were natUIalized citizens of the |
United States, lead the commander-in-chiaf |
to believe that the stat ement is broa der than |
by the facts. Ifthese wrongs |
a ctually exist, the commander in Chief !
pledges the support of tue Grand Army OF |
the Republic to those who attempt, in the |
line of duty, to rectify these wrongs, |
assuring them that the Union veterans are
as anxious to guard the Treasury in the
lime OF peace as they Were to defend the |
lag of the Union in the time of war.
JOHN G. B. ADAMS,
Chief.
JAMES F. MECH,
''Adjutant General
The proper way to correct the list, Mr.
Hopkins Thought, was hv having the Pen
sion expert investigate the case of any
pensioner, who, upon com pIaint, is be.
eyed to- be getting his pension fraudu-