Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-03-03
THE PENSION ROLL.
A New York Physicians Plan for
Purging It.
4 PROTEST BY CHICAGO NEGROES.
Two Thousand Afro Americans Hold q
Meeting and Memorabilia Congress on
the Recent Assassination Of .
C0lOred Postmaster.

New YORK, March DIR. John II
Gardner, OF New York, who some timt
ago was q medical pension examiner
in the service OF the United States gov
eminent, is the writer Of an article In
the March number OF the North Amer
lean Review which will appear to-day,
In which he makes suggestion as "a
the method by which he thinks the
pension roll of the nation might be
purged and the United States saved
millions of dollars every year. Dr.
Gardner contends that:
II the officials selected by the people to seek
out and properly compensate men who were
disabled In the defense Of the union had exer-
csed one half the care that the life insurance
companies do In avoiding risks, the pension
roll would present very different appearance
from what ii does to-day
The plan which DR.. Gardner suggests
for purging the pension roll is one
which would involve measures to cor
rect the carelessness of the original
examiners. DR.. Gardner says:
Here Is method by which frauds and pre-
tenders can be gotten rid OF. Let congress pass
. law requiring re-examnation OF every pen
yioner who bases his claim on physical disa-
bilIty contracted while dschargng his duty
o. union soldier A board Of medical exam
liners should be established In every state
two or more boards might be required In
some states Each board should be COM
posed OF two members, one surgeon and
the other a physician. They should be
selected solely for their eminent and scknOwl-
edged ability and their honesty and standing
In the state They should give oil their time
TO their work and b. paid salary OF 10000 q
year They should carefully examine every
pensloner In their respective states and report
10 the government exactly the physical condi-
ton Of each and how much, II any, disability
In any case was the result OF service
In the war OF secession They would be
Influenced by nothing except the phys
ical facts presented and always give
the applicant the benefit Of any doubt Such
On examination would require about one year
10 complete 1t and would cost the government
from ", 0O0 90 to t3.0 DOl No man can pre-
dict certainly what the result Of this examlna-
tion would be- My experience for 20 years In
the practice Of my profession. has made me
familiar with the physical condition Of d num-
Der Of pensioners and believe at least one
third Of those claiming permanent disability
will DO found to DO frauds.
CHICAGO NEGROES PROTEST.
CHICAGO, March |. Two thousand
Afro.Americans, at IL mass meeting
held here last night, entered solemn
protests against the recent assassina-
ton OF Postmaster Frazier II, Baker
and his infant child at Lake City, S.
G., and memorialized President Nc
Kinley and congress to take prompt
action TO punish the murderers. The
resolution adopted recites that effec.
tive steps should be taken to put q
stop to lynching and proper protection
afforded every citizen, without regard
to color. The gathering was in many
ways remarkable. In point Of num-
bers, as well as In personnel, 1t was a
most emphatic and significant protest.
Among the speakers was Mrs. Ida b.
Wells Barnett OF the Anti-Lynching
league