The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-01-08

made five large volumes, and cost the
government $96, 900. Now there are
LOCO, 600 names, a dozen, perhaps, whose
title arises from the war of 1872, many
of the Mexican war of the Indian wars,
the war of the rebellion and those dis
charged from the regular army since
1865. 1t would fill 10 volumes, and
would cost somewhere near $3.50, 600.
And at once, this would lie added to
the amount the soldier has cost the
government.
But Commissioner Evans has at his
command at this moment an apprOpri-
alton of, believe, $425,0O0 for this year
for the division of special examiners,
and covers the country with network
of men to unearth frauds. Beside, he
has at his command the forces of the
United States district attorneys, and
United States courts in any and all
parts of the country. Isn't this enough?
I'VE have this cry of fraud always
with us. President Cleveland gave 1t
the dignity of assertive mention in his
first message in his second term. He
said: There are thousands of cOmmun-
tiles where it is we'll known that fraud
ulent pensioners exist etc. Then, one
year thereafter came the report of his
then comm ssioiner, Judge Lochren, who
set forth that the special examination
division had expended $400,O 600 of the
public money, and had unearthed 80
cases of fraudulent pensions, chargeable
to old soldiers and old soldiers wild
ows, about one in $4,000; thus proving
by the irrefutable logic of figures that
in our day and generation the surviv-
ing veterans were more honest than
were the apostles of Christ, for among
them the ratio of dishonesty was one
in u.
PENSION ATTORNEYS.
''And now the commissioner rings up
the curtain on the third scene of the
drama, as arranged by him, and APP
parently being being played under his
management. Now he locates all raS-
cality under one head. Everybody else
is innocent or a victim, and the only
raSca1S eXtant are the pension attOr-
neys. Ergo, abolish pension attor-
neys and rascality in these matters will
cease. To be sure, near the end of this
illumination against attorneys, his con-
science moves him to say, there are
good men engaged in the pension attOr-
ney business, and am egOt1Stical
enough to believe that if called upon
for names, he would do me the honor
to put me high up on his list, but 1
think none the better for his declara-
ton against attorneys as a class, and
it does not bind me to the fact that his
statement is lacking in logic, franknesS,
, and truth. We are, and have been for
years, warm personal friends. hoped
for his nomination for vice president.
wanted to see him in the cabinet, and
worked my best for him as to the
commissiOnership. He, in return, has
been very kind to my friends in the
pension office. But 1 am dealing with
the official, and my criticism of him and
his acts is open and above board, and,
think, logical; and above all, war
ranted by the facts.
IF there is rascal among the pen
sion attorneys, Clay Evans is RESPONSE
BILE if he remains there. No legislation
is required for this. He can suspend
and then disbar. If he was venonous
toward me, he could serve me so, and
force me at much cost to go higher for
Justice. He says reprOachfully, The
pension attorney knows what is re-
CURED 1t is to be hoped he does. But
is it matter of reprOach for a man to
know the business he is in if it be repu-
table?
QUESTIONS CERTAIN STATE
MENTS.
''FIe is Outrageously misleading in
three of his declarations against attor-
neys, which I will specify:
First He says the government pays
the attorney fee. 1t does nothing of
the kind. If the case be allowed the
fee specified under the law is with
held from the first payment of the
amount found to be due the claimant,
and is sent by the United States pen
sion agent to the attorney. No mat
ter how much work an attorney may
do on a case, if it is not allowed he
gets no compensation whatever
I'D, He says that the government
practically pays them Cthe attorneys
a bounty, a fee of S25 for every pen
siOner that can be induced to file a
claim which they can prove up and
have admitted In this statement he
got so excited that he lost his bear
ings on the highway of Truth for Com
missioner Evans knows, as we'll as I
do, that the only case where a fee of
S25 is permissible is where the claim
arises from wounds or disease incurred
during the war, and then only when
the claimant has signed a fee agree
ment contracting with full knowledge
so to do. He knows as well as 1 do
that the act of June q, 1890, specified
that a fee of only SO should be al
lowed in cases arising under this act
He knows as well as I do that in a
case for increase, the law limits the fee
to 81 only. To violate these provisions
is a penitentiary offense. I do not
say, and I do not believe that he DELHI
erately misreDresents the facts in