The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-12
TRIED ONCE AND FAILED.

If the commissioner of pensions can
find no better way to purge the rolls
than by publishing the names of pen
sioners and the amount each receives,
the roll will continue to carry its pres
ent complement of frauds and unwor
thies until death does the complete
purging 1t is some fifteen years ago
that each county was furnished with
printed list of the pensioners in it,
the ground of their pensioning and the
amount received. 1t was just after the
arrears of pensions act had melted GU
spidity to a. point where conscience dis,
appeared before it, and claims were
made and granted based on the tall
est kind of swearing" Men suddenly
discovered that they did have some
kind of an ailment and got their COM
rades to remember that they allied with
it in the service Memories were
stretched until they snapped, and mag
nations were cultivated to a degree
that would rival the liveliest of our
modern romancers.
People read the lists and shrugged
their shoulders as they ran across the
name Of some neighbor who was pen
stoned because he had frosted his toes
during some winters campaign-a dis
ability that did not prevent him from
his customary labors--or that another
had lost his teeth or hair or had sore
eyes that were sore when he enlisted
Others were known to be carrying in
surance, taken after a medical exam
ination that pronounced them good
risks. But it was rare that protest was
made to the bureau, and, in one case
of which we know, where protest was
made, the inspector CLOSED the case
over. The fact was that public opinion
on pensions was too demoralized to seq
much wrong in getting a pension with
out merit. Uncle Sam was a long uav
Off and rich and clear game for those
who could work him. Pension claim
agents were persistent and unscrupu-
lous. Soldiers who retained some of
duty and had resisted the temptation
OF that "act to encourage perjury" the
arrears of pensions act, were plainly
told by agents that they were fools for
not taking what was going. what CIV
cry one got who asked, and public
sentiment rather sided, as a whole
with the claim agent. 1t was with ex-
soldiers and pensions as it was wba,,
some quartermaster or commissarv
came home from the war at it's close
poor in pocket; he was looked on az
having been either an honest oficar
or fool, and he was generally credited
with the latter alternative.
AS for the frauds and unwortbias
they will not be faxed by the publica-
ton of their names. They will not hide
their heads or surrender their certiG
Gates. They are not built that wav.
They prided themselves on their sharn
ness in getting onto the rolls and will
feel f1attered that pains are taken IN
advise the world and their communities
no" doroll lhey We're. There is but
one way to do the business, and that is
as Commissioner Lochren did. if no
more drastic mesaure is to be adopted.
But the only honest, fair way Is to
either abolish all pensions, except those
given to actual dependents, men I'M
able to support themselves by manual
or other labor, or to substitute a sery-
ice pension for those now in force
and extend it to all who served. 1t is
encouraging to know that the pension
scandal has become such stencil that
even Republican administration
deems it necessary that something be
done, but publishing lists will not re-
move the foul doors.