The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-09
PRINT TIE PENSION ROLL.
CROOKED PENSION ATTORNEYS ITS
CHIEF OPPONENTS,

|
The Aot,sn Or Congress In rabrishinr tire
Issns 81 Revolutionary PensieneTs when
the sapse oues,iens ns to 1heir 1hteur,tr
hress ss Are new Before Tia Pubi,c.
wAsitrNcroN. Tan. a.-Tbo courve pnruued Inv |
Conureaa In EARLIER daya with reoard 10 tho prn. |
sioners Of the Revo,utiopary war and the print.
ing Of the pension rolls will be new 10 most
readers. But. frat. n word In regard 70 the
present situation. During the last week the air |
of the national capltai baa been lurid with in. !
sults to the yeterans. which large numbers OF |
the latter apureciate and resent. These have
taken the insidious shape Of sympatby with and
defence of tho soldier. They come
from throo sources; first. tho crooked pension
attorneys. who lie in wait like road agents for |
tho veterans money: next, the yeak.backed
politiciana. whom these attorpoyp friphten by |
threatening them with tho soldier vote: and
lastly. the sbreyd politicians of the Lesser grades |
who scbemc for this vote by loud protcstations !
of stanch friendship. These three classes are
very busy In Washington. They all insist that
the proposition to examine the pension rolls to
zee IL undeseryiue mon have swollen the list Is an
insult to the disabled veterans of the nation. At
the same time they are all 90 wrapped upin their |
pursuit of the veterans money or his political |
support and his votes that they do not seem to |
appreciate tho fact, as many veterans do, that |
In1B h9A6TIIOn OIL ync1TH Ii " kGOn InBuIE 10 OV6T1
high minded soldier, since 1t classes them all as |
men who stand together to perpetuate wrong.
They grow especially indignant over the propo-
sition that to men in comfortable circumstances,
who are in no sense in need of a pension. IL is
not q badge of honor. They vigorously oppose
tho idea that such pensions should cease and
the money thus saved be used to literally in
crease tho pensions of those who, because of
their own service or that Of father. son, or
brother. are in want. They insist, with one &C.
WV ~ ouu puone eo .n"O ~ 'ne
propositions emanate from soldier haters."
% sn..t thr. ,or IN. votor.ns ,nd ~ tn,,st that
NspeaA snuS !. ~. v'. "ia ~ in nSieL snas
ia to Mace these veterans ON a. low A level as
th.v tbcmselvea occrnv-,ban yb;cb mara
u nH. s iuam,. ,.o,,S S sO 'wno..,s,. winch "0f'
At the end of their several protests against
unfrisndliness To the veterans. thew ali pnit. IN
a roaring chorus against the publication of tho
pension rolls. They being judges. this is tho
browning insult offered soldiers. But all who
understand the situation here among pension
attorneys very well know that I. is not the
tehciea ,nsult 70 inc Seterans wnlsn oistIroS
them. but the full knowledge OF what such q
publication would show concerning their own
handiwoFk. Unquesuonaoiy such publicity
Without wHasa s numbe IN which, nulSnV ~ouid speedily " e enuoss
60. - 80 - ro.,onsih,o o. Az ,raohas
work of loading tho rolls with undeservine
cases. But tho real soldiers, to whom public
men viii do we'll to listen. are fa,IinG into line
to resent and repudiate such views. To say
that q disabled veteran, properly on the pension
roll. would feel insulted at the publication OF his
name and rate Of pension. is to all those honor
able veterans q claim that a soldier is insulted
.! procleimihR 10 ms neienoors tnat NO was ais-
abled In the service Of his country, and that
honor, and compensated him with such sum as
g. could afford In partial recompense for what
no has suffered. Those who make all these
claims, ostensibly in the interest Of the soldier.
but really in their own selfish interests. and join
rol1s, represent q s e ntt The o. only GSt enen sIs q the ssoi al sne
and their only maligners In Washington to-day.
publishing the pension lists. It is interesting to
recall the action Of Congress in printing the rolls
of Revolutionary pensioners when the same
are now before the public. 1t will be especially
in.srss,ing . e note . I hat At. the s1 printing, I e. Of the pen =;
Representatives, in 1920 and subsequently by
the Senate In 1884, was ordered. by each house
shoMst wi Z aat's 81 aI|. ssai sH t Vote as II th viii feG smr.
prise the indignant gentlemen Of the present
day to find that 1t was deemed q sufficient rea-
son for dropping Revolutionary pensioners from
the rolls to find that they were mot in such re.
duced circumstance In life as to need the assist.
adopted a resolution inquiring OF the Secretary
of War whether any pension had been grant
ed which, for reasons that he would st te.
ought not to have been granted, and what
course hal been pursued in regard to them.
Feb. 20 the Secretary Of War replied:
THE description Of persons whose pensions
have been granted improperly may be comprised
in the followinE classes:
4. Those who served In corps which,. at
first, were considered continental, but which,
on further inquiry, proved not to be so. THAT is,
they were in State seryice.l The course pur-
| sued in relation 10 such cases has been to drop
the names from the rolls. The names will be
Ton Nd In tha list trnnamitted with the nrnner
ren,arka snnered 'NF
40, .... i.
-: inose wig aro noD in suon Ieduceo CIT
cumstances IN Ilo as W heSo ING assisIhnce OF
their country ior support. In cases where Satis-
factory PROOF has been adduced that the PEN
sioners were not in needy circumstances their
names have been dropped from the rolls. The
names of such pensioners are on the lists with
suitable remarks.
"It NAV be prouer here to obserye that. In
aome cases wbere Information has haan received
aebat he nensjoner or nersons anniv;na FOR nen-
Inat II e. app.yih LII
assistance. their claims have been suspended.
The names OF such pensiopers arc likewise noted
ne.