Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-12-16
Light on the Fraud of Pensions.


whole, Representative John NJ, Allen
OF Mississippi made remarkable
speech, in the COURSE OF which the great
fraud nerpetrnted upon the country by
it's pension system was fully exposed.
His remarks were revelation with re-
spect to o swinde with the details Of
which the great American public had
already considered itself pretty thor
oughly informed.
In his opening remarks, Mr.. Allen
made q surprising statement, to the
effect that while the Secretary Of the
Interior presented to the House com
mittee an estimate of $40, 900, 900 for
pensions next year, Commissioner of
Pensions IL, ans submitted an estimate
showing that the amount actually RS
CURED would be about sl50, 600. 600. In
the discussion that ensusd, Mr. Evans
stated that his estimate was based upon
facts, but that the Secretary of the In
torior thought the estimate had better
be confined to the figures of the pre-
vious year, the shortage to he covered
by deficiency appropriation after
warda
Here was false dealing from the start.
and under the cover of high official
authority--a member of the cabinet,
Afterwards, Mr.. lien proceeded to deal
with the glaring frauds of the entire
IN, int Il
gent speech. After showing how Chair.
man Dingley, at the extra session, had
said that the awful condition of affairs
was that the government did not have
sufficient revenue 10 meet its expnndi
lures, and then secured the passage Of
revenue bilf that would not meet the
first year's expenditures by 81, 600, 900.
he came down directly to the subject
of pensions, and SAID:
81 find that there were on the LIST
day Of July, this year. on the pension
rolls 97G. Ola pensioners, and that there
are pending more than COO, 00D appli.
cations unadiudicated. Theae appli
cations are, many of them, for original
PENSIONS, many for increases Of pension,
and some for Reinstatement on the rolla.
and there are hundreds OF new applca
tions being filed every day.
Notwithstanding the war has been
over more than thrty,two years, tho
pension roll ia larger now than ever be-
fore. and growing larger every day.
find that there have heen pensinned
l, 42i, $40 pensioners ON account OF the
Civil War. find that this Government
has paid out in pensions since the close
OF the war over q, 100, 600 coo, and that
now we are paying out every day nearly
half OF the entire revenue of this great
government for pensions; that we are
laying more than twice as much, frou
the best information | can gather, as all
the rest of tho nations OF the world ;
that France maintains standing army
of more than half mill on of men for
about two thirds of what our pensioners
cost US, and that Russia maintains a
standing army OF almost |, coo, 600 of
men at loss cost than our pension roll.
had occasion once before TO call
attention to the statement mado by
General Garfield on the pension ap-
rr0priatiOn bill twenty one years ago.
Speaking on thia floor on the It'll day
Of December, 1876 discussing a bill that
carried s2S, 6%33, 600, he said:
My idea is, If gentlemen will allow
me-, that We have reached, and perhaps
passed, tho summit of appropriations
for this object. 1t took number of
years to develop and get through with
regular form OF laws TO admit to the
Tolls the persons entitled to pensions,
aud the time must necessarily come
whom We shall pass the climax aud DO.
gin tn go downward. / suppose we have
already reached the maximum
How startling thon would have
been the proposition, il the human
mind could have conceived il, that
Confronts us to-day. Twenty one years
after that the summit has rot been
reached, although tho appropriations
were more than five times az great ag
that ABOUT which he spoke.
Mr.. Chairman, l have been hearing
about the maximum ever since l came
to Congress-, although | came nine years
after General Garfield spoke about the
maximum, We do not stem TO be any
nearer the summit now than We have
seemed to be all along. | remember on
the discussion of this bill in tho Fifty
fret Congress, Mr.. Morrow, who hal
charge of the bill, predicted We would
reach the maximum in 1894.
| This il the close OF 1887, and tho
Commissioner of Pensions assures me
thar will have to come back TO Con
gress again before 1 ever SEQ the maxi.
mum reached. know that grnat
many brave soldiers who fought for Uha
uniUn believe it is time 10 call halt.
Many of them in and ont of this House
have said us much to me. think |
represent fairly tho feeling and tnmner
OF the Southern people, anu tho OK
Confederate soldiers on his question.
We recognize tho fact that tho govern.
ment is going to do the proper thing
by the soldiers who fought its battles,
and that proper thing III 10 make good
as far as possible with pocuniary aid
to the soldier during his lifetime such
disabilities and injuries as be may
have received by reason of his servicea
in line of duty and to those dependent
on him after his death during such
condition of dependence.
= s. = s. u
Tho poor laboring pnope- those
who are striking for wagea that will
enable them TO buy nrcad--help to pay
thsso penaiorg. They do not ask that
the pensions he abolished, but is ii
too much for them to ask that they be
made reasonahle2
Mr.. Chairman, ainco the Inaugural.
tion Of the era OF Mckinley prosperity,
of which we have heard go much, the
depreciation this year in the cotton
crop of the Southern States is mora
than sl00. 900, 600. 1t is not to be won
dsred at, Mr.. Chairman. that this con
dition OF things should have impressed
little Georgia girl, of whose prayer |
heard as | came on 10 Washington. In
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