Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1897-09-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

to be highly gratitied with the ability
manifested by the commissioner of
pensions to keep ahead, in expendi-
lures, of the "march of prosperity. "
The statements of the receipts and
expenditures Of the government, is
sued from day to day, tell the story of
how the pensions are sapping the treas
ury faster than high taxes can re-
plenish it. Since June 80, the
end of the fiscal year, the govern.
ment has expended nearly $25, 600,
600 more than it has collected. Half
of that deficiency was created in the
first half of August. OF the $72, 76O,-
900 or more expended since the fiscal
year began, more than $25, 600, OOo has
been expended in pensions. In the
month of August alone more than $lO,-
600, 900 has been put out to pension
ers. The late President Garfield
could never have accounted for this
gross swelling of the pension rolls.
His dreams of $24, 100000 u year as
the extreme limit of hepension expen-
ditures has long since been discounted.
Analysis of the figures shows that Com
missioner Evans has put the machine
in the way of outrunning all records.
The payments for the l8 days of Au-
gust, OH the authority of the govern
ment statement, was 80, S55, 600, or
more than half million of dollars q
day. If this rate is kept up, the ex-
penditures will exceed half million
day. At that rate they will reach
more than $3.50, 600, 900 year, and it
is expected that they will reach $780,
600, 900. They have never been higher
than $159, 900, 900 in year, and they
had dropped to $14O, 200, 900 a year
until the political exigencies of the
Republican party seemed to demand
that the taxpayers should be required
to make the Republican party more
popular, regardless of expense. And
yet the pension agents say that the
next Congress is to find new ways of
spending money for pensions and
these pension agents, who look to the
Republican party to make their bust
ness better, are demanding new ways
of absorbing the taxes to require
affectionate patriotism. Commissioner
Evans has only to keep on as he has
begun to get the annual pension ex-
penditures up to 5000, 600, 900 q year.
SUDDEN SpAsM OF VIRTpx-AmOng
the recent dismissals at the pension
bureau here was that of a chief of
division, who might have kept his
place if he had told the truth, since
his offense was one that has been habi-
tually practiced by other chiefsin that
office. One of the rules OF the bureau
requires clerks to report on slips, pro-
vided for the purpose, the exact hour of
arrival at and departure from the Of
flee, together with note of any period
absent during the day, with authority
therefor. In the case referred to, the
chief had ignored the daily report of
one of his women clerks, whom he
had permitted to come in late, leave
early and take time off in the course
of the day. The clerk reported these
absences, presumably understanding
that the chief would make no
mention of them in his re-
port, and she was not deceived. Her
reports were torn up, as are all
such slips when the record has been
taken from them. Some other clerk
in the same division, however picked,
up the fragments of the slips, and so
had evidence for this administration
against chief of the last administra-
ton. The commissioner charged the
chief with dereliction. The chief knew
his testimony was as good as the oral evil
dence of another, and he also surmised
that the beneficiary Of his favor would
not betray him, and, moreover, the
practice complained of had been fol-
lowed by all the other chiefs with the
cognizance of the head of the bureau.
He accordingly denied that he had re-
ported the woman present when she
was absent. Then Commissioner
Evans produced the bits of daily slips
carefully pasted together and the chief
was dismissed.
Book THIEF PUNIsHED-Thomas w.
Lloyd pleaded guilty here of stealing
a law volume from the law library OF
Congress, and was given the maximum
sentence, II months and 20 days ii,
Jail. Mr.. George F. Curtis. custodian
of the law library, stated that the
robberies of books from the capitol
have been going on for long time,
some of the most costly volumes
having been taken. Several months
ago suspicion began to attach tc
Lloyd. Recently one of the attaches
noticed that Lloyd, when going
away from the building, seemed to be
of abnormal size about the waist. He
was arrested and confessed, telling
where he had left the books for sale.
Several volumes were recovered.
Lloyd said lie stole the books because
he could get no employment and was
hungry. Judge Kimball asked Lloyi
if he did not lose his position in the
library because of drink, and he ad
mitted that such was the case. Ir
passing sentence the court said he re
garded the crime as deserving of thu
severest punishment.
CLIENT IMMORTAL IN NAVAL ANIMAL!
The late Samuel Chester Reid, wht
has Just died in this city, was promi
nent for many years as the promotes
of the General Armstrong claim agains
the government. The Armstrong wa.
the privateer long owned and com
manded in the war of 1924 by hi
father, who made himself immortal il
naval annals by his remarkable figh
against two or three British cruisers
at Fayal in 1914. Mr.. Reid served il
the Mexican war, was a practicint
lawyer in Mississippi and Louisian,
and during the civil war he served a
war correspondent on the confederate
side for a number Of southern news
par ers. He was the author of mum
ber of volumes on war and legal sub
iects.