The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-17
THE PENSION ROLL.
LibeIOus Cartoons and Unfair Attacks
Upon the Pensioners.

To the Editor of the indianapolis Journal:
Cartoons in recent numbers of Harpers
Weekly are libeIs on United States pension
ers In one of these cartoons Uncle Sam
is shown in his traditional toggery, minus
his bell-crown plug hat, ano astride his neck
is a crippled veteran, who holds crutch
in one hand, and his peg leg protrudes
in front Of Uncle Sans nose, as, in recum-
bent position, his hands upon his knees. he
seems utterly unable to withstand the pres
sure that proceeds from the enormous Carl
cature of humanity that sits upon the
shoulders of both the veteran and Uncle
Sam. This figure is booted and spurred,
and Uncle Sans hips serve it as stirrups.
On its head is a fve-pointed cap or CROWN
its face is fiendish in expression. On it's
great chest and abdomen is Inscribed
Fraudulent Roll of Honor-Pensions-D
serter-Bounty Jumper-Professional Patri-
-Maligner-Perjurer.'
This cartoon is maliciously libelous of the
United States pension roll. 1t charges that
only an Insignificant per cent. of the pen
sonerS are honest pensioners. The utter
falsity of this charge is known to all who
care to know the truth of this matter. The
fact that many influential papers are quot
ing and sanctioning the new assault upon
the pension ROLL as made by the Harper
and in an article in the New York Sun of
Dec "A, 1897, gives some anxiety to the vet
Grams, and offer a word in defense of the
honor of the pension roll
The assertion is made in the Suns article
that there are 6,405 more survivors drawing
pensions than there are actual survivors"
No state of facts exists to justify this as
sertion, / believe will appear from facts
of record. The Sun further says: 1.-THE
rOI CHI l,o.
pensions while there are but 727 122 actual
survivors. The Sun errs as to the number
OF actual Survivors. The commissioners
or pensions mas an almost infalltble guide
rs to whether an applicant for a pension is
a survivor of the civil war not in the
muster rolls of the federal army on file in
the office of the adjutant general. No one
Is granted a pension whose declaration for
pension is not corrObOrated, to service
by the muster roll of his company and Iegi-
ment III, by any chance, veterans name
has been dropped from his company roll
proof OF enlistment, service, etc. is made
by officers or comrades, and his name is re-
stored to the roll. The applicant for a pen
sion proves enlistment, service and honor
able discharge by the records in the War
Office. There is no opening for fraud as
to enlistment and service. He proves in
currence of wounds or of disease in line of
duty by officers or comrades, by his regi-
mental surgeon, and it's continued existence
by the local board of surgeons. There is
little room for fraud in these matters. Are
those officers and comrades perJurers?
Here ! remark that eX-President Cleve-
land thoroughly purged the pension roll
during his last term. Everybody veterans
especially, remembers the vigorous and in
defatigable purging of the pension roll
made to a finish, by Hoke Smith. But now
the New York Sun and other journals that
have little love for the veterans, if they be
Judged by their words. re-echo Clevelands
grave charge against the honor OF the roll,
made in q paragraph of a message to Con-
gress. which reads: Thousands of neigh
borhoods have their well-known fraudulent
pensioners The pension roll withstood
successfully CleVQland'S 4
ais it will the renewal OF the war by the
same forces that prosecuted it under his
The Suns method of demonstrating that
the pension roll is largely fraudulent will
now have attention For q starting point
the following is presented by that journal:
James G. Blaine estimated that the num-
Der OF Individuals who actually served dur
ing the war was . 063. 3g1 >" Another esti-
mate. made by equally good authority puts
the number of enistments at 2S65,02S in
Guiding Ie-enlistments, and that, exclusive
ally in the service. There is difference of
336, U9 in tho estimates Wild ly different corr
illusions must result from these widely di-
Vergent premises. In accusing the pension
roll OF being fraud upon the United States
treasury. precise data should be used TO de-
termine the number of enlistments. "Eeti-
mates are factors of too much uncertainty.
Precise data exist for determining the
number Of enlisted men and officers. The
commissioner of pensions acts on precise
data. No mistake can occur as to a pen
sioner being a survivor. But the sun
and takes up the 1890 report of the commits
sione~ of census as to the number of sur
vvors at that date. and 90 that report
bases its charge that 6. 40j more persons are
drawing pensions as survivors than there
are actual survivors of the civil war. It
says: Robert y. Porter, the commissioner
OF census. in 1890 directed an enumeration of
the survivors Of the war and OF the surviv-
ing widows. The enumeration showed that
there were approximately ,073 soldiers
surviving and 1893 widows.
It will be observed that the commissioner
of census does not claim that he has given
the true number of survivors. He says he
has appropriated that number came near
TO It, That IS all that the word implies.
Hence, the number 1034,U13 is not 10 be ar-
cepted as the actual number of survivors in !
1880. Pursuing the matter OF survivors the |
Sun says. Now, take the survivors alone.
In 1890 there were l. GA .0I3. Deduct 1885 :
who have died. which includes estimate
for six months of the present year fIA93l. !
and the 12l.60S deserters and emergency /
men. II viii be seen that there are actual |
survivors to-day s2l,l2s who might be en-
titled 10 pensions
IN this paragraph the Sun guesses that |
there were 12i.t0S deserters and emergency |
men surviving in 1890: guesses that IS5, 3i5 |
survivors have died since 1850, the guess as