The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-12-10
concerning ensious. ="

We tnccrlullN give place 10 IL lelleT
from Commander A. +. Stevens, of
Ezra Griffin Post, upon the subject of
pensions, and indorse nearly all he
says. The remarks of ours to which
he takes exception must either not
have been clearly understood Ivy him
or else they failed to make clear the
meaning within our mind. We there
fore shall try again TO state our opn-
ion on this subject
1t is charged by General Boynton, a
reputable Union soldier who by meri-
tOrous service at ChiCkamauga and
Missionary Ridge. won promotion to
the rank Of bruvet brigadier. and whose
standing as a soldier was conspicuous
ly endorsed when President Mckinley
appointed him chairman of the Chicka-
mauga battle ground commission, that
on the pension rolls are many names
not morally entitled to he there This
opinion has received considerable in
dorsement from other men who wore
the Blue. and these men argue for the
publication Of the rolls. claiming that
such publication would harm no right
full recipient of a pension, but might
open the way to the striking from the
rolls of names which should not be
there.
Fairly interpreted, General Boyn-
tons article is not an attack upon de-
serving veterans but rather an appeal
to them not to stand in the way of an
honest attempt to separate the small
percentage of unworthy pensioners
from the large percentage whose claims
no fair-mindcd citizen would think of
challenging. 1t was an appeal which
could not have been made while Demo-
Gratis were i'm power because during
that period there was scant assurance
of just treatment. But now that an
administration is in power whose
friendliness to and warm sympathy for
the deserving pensioner is everywhere
conceded why should a revision be
opposed? Why should not all honest
veterans gladly cooperate in a request
for it, as matter of fairness both to
themselves and to the generation which
has grown to manhood since the war?
This was the spirit in which we
wrote. 1t was what we tried to say.
Does it deserve to he condemned?
In this connection we quote from the
Washington letter of William +. Cur
It's published in the Chicago Record
under date of Dec. :. Mr.. Curtis, like
General Boynton, has for years stood
at the very front of reputable Wash
inGton journalism and it is unlikely
that either would knowingly misrep-
resent:
\ bill win be introduced i'm congress
and pressed for passage this session pro-
NidinS for the publication of list of per.
SChS now drawing pensions from the
United States, for the purpose Of sub
hitting it to public scrutiny. The ulti.
mate OBJECT is to secure criticism and in-
formation concerning those whose names
will appear. There are tens of thou
sands of persons drawing pensions who
are not entitled to them and have oh
tained them by fraud, although it is dit
tCult to prove it. 1t a list of the names
Of pensioners in every county or township
was posted i'm a conspicuous place with d
brief statement of the military service
claimed, the amount of the pension and
the reason why it was granted it woulG
doubtless bring down upon the comms-
siOner here voluntary evidence from
icls .oo's anu lUIlhcr , tolilraueS ol tne
why the pension list should not be made
public. \ pension is a badge of honor, a
reward Tor palilotlsm ana ialthful mill
,S,,', ~, "'rs' e ] - ',iS ~
yen who, IL 10 eniovad IN, ,,,,u.ortb, ,,,,,,
and is conferred lpon those who have
no title to it.
III the pension hSt should be puDllshcd
a.,,dnisby,,,t mounU
would EXPOSE thousands Of impostors and
men who performed no military service,
or SO httle that they would not be able
Cl tr,, t,', t%i '',vr yo,i "'tTs ,I ENtIS
bureau stumble ovnr cases in which man
who performed little or no service during
the war have hcen awarded honors which
,'o't' p"t rInpp.Sa ne'trdrS i ] are 'nti'lru
disabled arr rcroivinp crrdit ana cn,n.
way be attributed to their military SER
wee, ms movement was not propose
% %,oa I,. 81 'iI pUmT'Il ,, sSS
and members Of the Grand Army of the
Republic, who feel a pride in tncir pom
SlOnS and are determined to do all they
Once lust m as tsey drove them m out I,'ib Of the
camps during the war.
The foregoing estimate Of the num-
her of fraudulent entries may be cX-
ccssivc. We trust that IT is, although
We can see no reason why men like