Evening journal., 1897-12-31
rHE PENsIoN ABUsE.

Ever since Jne war Ol bic INOb~iiiSh
closed the abuse OF our pension roll has
been growing more and more fragrant,
until al last the warmest friends Of the
system have been forced to demand a
halt. In all parts of the land the press
and people are crying out against the
great sums Of money which are being
paid from the national treasury an
nually to meet the claims OF the old sol
diers and their decendants, and TO sat
isfy the greed Of pension agents, many
of whom honor the pension roll merely
for the pickings it affords them.
When the friends OF a system de-
nounce It and demand reform there
must be something truly shameful
about II, and the action of the 'Repub-
licans to-day merely follows and con-
firms the action Of the Democrats for
many years past. No Democrat denies
that the worthy men who fought the
battles of theircountry and were wound
ed or suffered impairment OF health
while so doing, should receive from the
government, which they helped TO pre-
serve in its integrity and entirety,
some substantial recognition of their
services. But there must be a limit
to such public benefactions. They
must be conferred upon none but de-
serving men, and should not be made
the pap for pension sharks, whose only
interest in the old soldier is what they
can get out OF him in the nature OF
fees The bigger the fees the better
they like him.
Now the Grand Army OF the Repub-
lie. which is composed of old soldiers,
realizes that the abuses of the pension
system have assumed such proportions
that something must be done, and done
quickly, to save the pension roll, for
the people Of the country are growing
tired OF being robbed under the guise
OF patriotism.
General John p. S. Goblin, comman-
der-in-chief OF the Grand Army Of the
Republic, has given to the newspapers
some significant utterances within the
past few days. He is the chosen rep
resentatiye Of 100000 veterans, and
speaks with authority. His utterances
are as conservative as they are signif-
cant, as the following extracts from
his interview demonstrates: The pen
sion question has never played so inn
portant a part in the Grand Army Of
the Republic as is popularity believed
outside OF the organization. There are
IN tho Grand Army, as there are in all
1.
their strongest Characteristic, and who
are willing to wiring the last cent pos
sible out of the government But such
members are few. In our encamp-
ments year after year the demand for
a service pension was voted down;
year after year every effort to make an
official demand for outrageous pensions
has been crushed. The Grand Army
believes that no one should receive a
pension who is not suffering from ac-
tual disability. Some of the ablest men
in the organization are opposed to PEN
sions altogether. except in cases Of to-
tai disability, and they have never hest
tated to speak their minds openly.
Whether there is fraud or not / do
not know. Statements and figures 10
which my attention has been drawn
seem to be stamped with truth, yet
they are so startling as 10 be almost in
credible. / cannot accept the state
ment that there are 40,745 more sur
vivoIs" and widows" drawing PEN
sions than there are acctual survivors
and widows Of the war.
Il purpose finding out the actual con-
dition of affairs, not for my own aatis-
faction, but for the benefit of the organi-
zation. If my investigation shows that
there is anything like the padding in
the pension roll that is claimed, shall
lay the matter before the Executive
Committee, and the organization will
take emphatic action. If there is a
single person on The pension rol
whose name does not belong there the
Grand Army Of the Republic wants Il
stricken off.
THE number Of survivors should b'
far fewer now than at the close of tbs
war; The veterans are dying fast Ant
then the great number Of men WHIT
passed through the war and have never
applied for pensions should be consid
ered l am. very certain that mor'
than 10 per cent. of the members Of tn,
Grand Army of the Republic hav,
never applied for pensions.
81 am sure that the publication of thi
pension rolls would meet with no oppo
sition on the part of the Grand Army
even though it should show that Their
is fraud. If the publication will d
any good, if it will result in the de
lection of the unworthy, and the strik
ing off Of their names from the roll an
the punishment of the guilty, I be
lieye that Grand Army will adyocat
the publication
Il will go so far as to say that tn
Grand Army of the Republic will fave
stricter laws if it is shown that TIL
frauds are such as have been elaine,
/ have long felt that certain reform