The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-04-21

| Report OF commissioner Evans, June
90. 1897:
/ Total on the roll .976, Ola
! Army invalid pensioners. .336.299
Navy invalid pensioners. 47SS
1857
Act June 27, 1890
Army invalid pensions. ...... 378.6o9
Navy invalid pensions ... 1881
733, 527-733, 527
Mexican pensions, widows. etc. 242. 4S7
These figures are taken from official
documents made for the government and
published by the pension department
REDUCTION OF PENSION ROLL.
There are only two ways by which the
the death Of the pensioners; second, by
reputation of the nations debt to the
veterans.
Total amount paid pensioners,
1917 $3.50. ...............S1 42, Az, SH
Commissioner Loeb
rem stopped paym't
20 days in June, 1896
amounting to .......S / 200. 600
Allowed last year on
old claims ...... 80. II, $50 413- Il $50 Alb
Aggregate value for the year. .s129, 1876 42S
AeA%ge payment last year,. 1917
Average paid per month ...... HOO
New pensions added during the year,
50,1ol; dropped by death, etc, HIP.
In rebel prisons ..........1S5, 2S7- 295. 357
must be borne in mind that, after the
present administration came into power,
the latter part of the last fiscal year
number Of claims were allowed amount
ing to I2575,001, but that, during the
year 1924 were disallowed. The records
Show that more than 100000 claims have
been pending many years. No department
Of the government is so slow in it's set
Element of claims. To charge that this
is due to the fact that if the claimants
should die, the claims would not be al
lowed, may not be true, but it is true;
If they die the claim is never paid. The
government should deal justly with the
veterans; at least as much so as with its
other creditors.
THE BONDHOLDERS
How was it with those who furnished
the money 10 carry on the war? Bonds
were issued in payment Of the sums Dor
rowed.
In 1867 the bondholders received in pay
ment Of interest and premiums as this
was paid in gold, S154594 $40. For every
$35 of revenue received the bondholder
were paid SIS.
In 1870 the bondhoders were paid s145,-
32,05S for premium and interest, or for
every $So.S0 received from all revenues the
bondholders were paid Sl44O
In 1873, and for several year following
the dark years of the panic, the bond
holders were paid over a million dollars
annually, and no effort was made TO post
pone payment or to cut down the claims.
PENSION FRAUDS.
The cry of pension frauds" is NOT a
new one. Grover Cleveland. when presi-
dent, made a great clamor about ..thous-
ands OF neighborhoods having their well
known pension frauds" And yet during
his administration of four years. with
p Especial examiners, at a cost of more
than million dollars, with a pension roll
of more than 975,0Sl carefully raked as
with fine tooth comb. the law division
of the pension department reports for the
last year OF his admins trat!on but PAP
prosecutions recommended, and but 167
convictions Qess than onethird of these
were prisoners, in all less than two con-
v!ctions for every 10000 on the roll. Can
any class, profession or association excel
this record? Only S29,72627 was recov-
cred by civil suits and returned TO the
government. Last year, 1897. but 24S in
dlctments and only 135 convictions. the
sum of SS.5SS returned and recovered 10
the government. Expense OF special
agents. without salary. s47S.2S5. There is
no department Of the government N
which the disbursement OF money IS sur
rounded with so many safeguards. and
where the consequences OF violation OF
law and Of Misrepresentation are SO ter
r!ble
TURN ON THE sEARCHLIGHT.
Every true soldier will hail wi.h de-
light the determination o: this a. a2v
other administration 70 purge the pension
roll Of ali frauds. But in dong this tote
fair" "tell the tru;h." keep me pension
roll roll 90 honor. do not make j; o,A
Of dishonor. Make it known that more (
than 2jeoG old soldiers have been asking /
the government for from five 70 twenty /
five years 70 adjudieate their claims: thai /
everyone connected with ire pension Z
department from the Missioner OF
pensions down TO the lowest clerk seems /
70 think and acc As though his salary
depended on his rejecting their Gains, 4
and that l65.7S5 pensioners are only re- /
ceiving the palt-y sum Of IS a month.
WHO ARE OPPOSED TO PENSIONS. +
There are three classes OF persons who
are opposed 10 the pension roll:
First-Thoss who did not want the FED /
eral army % succeed.
second-Nany r.oh who are taxed 70 pay
them.
Third-A few envlous persons WHO do
not want tae-r neighaors 20 receive from
me government the Pittance due them.
The soldier. when he enl,s,d did no. ask