The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-09
The G. A. r. Should Act.

Following in line with the other
Republican papers of the country, the
Illustrated American urges the neces-
sity Of pension reform. and at the same
time adopts q suggestion advanced by
the G. o b e. This is that the Grand
Army Of the Republic is, both by rea-
son of its character and by self
interest, designated as the proper
agent for purging the pension roll of
existing abuses. The magnitude of
the frauds upon the government is no
longer denied even by the men who,
little more than a year ago, were be-
fouling Cleveland and Lochren, and all
Democrats who had sought to inau-
gurate pension reform, as enemies of
the soldier and the republic. They see
that the financial burden has become
one too heavy to be borne. They ad-
init that, when the number Of actual
pensioners and all applicants for PEN
sions exceeds largely the number of
soldiers on the army rolls, a prima
ed. Further than that they do not
go, except to suggest that the pension
roll should be published and posted in
various parts Of the country.
This remedy, as we have pointed out
before, was tried once without any no
table gain. To make it effective there
must be q concerted and determined
effort everywhere to expose and to
punish those who have obtained
admission fraudulently. and who
are now drawing pensions at the
expense both of the taxpayers of the
country and of the genuine and needy
veterans Of the war. No agency can
be so fit for this work as the Grand
Army of the Republic. ALI over the
country its posts are scattered, its
members hold frequent meetings. and
they can tell better than any one else
whether a given pensioner is entitled
to the relief that he draws. 1t is as
hopeless to try to accomplish this re-
form as any other without organiza-
lists haphazard methods can do no
more than scratch the surface of the
vast abuse. The commissioner Of pen
sions protests, members Of congress adj
NIT the evil, and the newspapers of the
country proclaim with one accord the
vital need of reform; but, unless the
work is organized and carried on sys-
tematically, the best to be hoped IS
the accidental discovery of a few cases
Of fraud here and there
Such general reform as will purea
the lists and make pension a. reward
only Of valor and of suffering must be
carried out through different agencies
and with greater perfection of de-
tails. If the government were to nre-
pare lists of pensioners by districts, lin
ittng each to comparatively small
area, and then group them by ststes
and If these lists were to be sent tn
every Grand Army post in the terri
tory covered by each, and to the Of
ficers of the G. A. R. in every state
with request that they scrutinize
them, examine the circumstances and
report every error or doubtful case.
1t would be an intelligent and effect
I've plan of operation. There will be
some man who knows the record Of
every pensioner and can tell whether
he is deserving hero or a rank i'm
poster Ali names where any doubt
exists could be investigated easily
by such division of labor.
where it would be impossible If
the government assumed the burden Of
the whole undertaking.
The members of the G. A. R. have,
moreover. a double motive for per-
forming this task. It is their desire,
we believe. to keep not only the rosters
of their posts, but the entire pension