The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-01-01
GOBLIN TALKS OF PENSIONS
CHIEF OF THE GRAND ARMY FREE
LY DISCUSSES THE TOPIC.
He Says the Members of the Order Are
Not Beggars, and Want Only JUS
tice-ObjectiOns Pointed Out.
LEBANON ID special 70 Sew york world.

Lebanon (Pa.) Special to New York World.
The commandments of the Grand
Army of the Republic, General John i. s..
Goblin, sat in his law Office to-day and
talked freely about the pension question. As
veteran himself and the official head Of
the great organization he is authorized to
speak for $4,000 veterans.
THE pension question has never played
so important a part in the Grand Army Of
the Republic as is popularity believed outside
the organization said he. I'VE have not
kept up the cry of more pensions. There
has not been a continued grabbing.
There are in the Grand Army, as there
are in all organizations, men whose cupidity
is their strongest characteristic, and who
are willing to wiring the last cent possible
out of the government. But such members
are few. In our encampments year after
year the demand for a service pension was
voted down; year after year every effort
to make an official demand for outrageous
pensions has been crushed.
1.-THE members of the Grand Army are
not seeking gratuities but justice. The SOL
der is not a beggar He regards the PEN
sion roll as roll Of honor. He, more than
any one else, is interested in maintaining
it's purity. The Grand Army belives that
no one should receive a pension who is not
suffering from actual disability. Some of
the ablest men in the organization are OPP
posed to pensions altogether, except in cases
of total disability, and they have never
hesitated to speak their minds openly.
"Of course l have noticed that the amount
expended in pensions has increased from
year to year, but explained II
in my own mind by saying that
increasing years made it impossible
for many men who have hitherto sup
nOTf96 themselves to make living, ana
that they were therefore compelled to apply
for a pension. That wholesale frauds have
been committed and that the pension fund
was being robbed right and left never oc-
CURED to me, and / am sure that 1t was
never accepted by other members OF the Or
ganization My little experience in securing
pensions for men whom | knew to be de-
serving went far toward c9nvincing me that
the roll Safeguarded with red tape
rather more than is necessary
TOO MANY SURVIVORS"
Whether there is fraud or not do aot
know. Statements and figures TO which my
attention has been drawn seem to be
stamped with truth, yet they are so startling
as to be almost incredible. L cannot ac-
cept the statement that there are 40745
more survivors and widows drawing pen
sions than there are actual survivors and
widows OF the This indicates a state
of affairs beyond belief. Still, 1 cannot COM
bat the assertion. l have been so impressed
with what appears TO be an array of proof
that have begun a thorough and searching
investigation on my own account.
Il purpose finding out the actual condition
OF affairs, not for my own satisfaction, but
for the benefit of the organization If my
investigation shows that there is anything
like the padding in the pension roll that Is
claimed L shall lay the matter before the
executive committee and the organization
will take emphatic action.
IF there IS a single person on the PEN
sion roll whose name does not belong there
the Grand Army of the Republic wants it
stricken off. AS an organization Il can stand
up and say: Cut off every person who is
drawing a pension without deserving it,. L
am sure that if the rolls are purged of the
fraud said to be on them the Grand Army
will not suffer in the least.
THE number of survivors should be far
fewer now than at the close of the war.
The veterans are dying fast. And then the
great number of men who passed through
the war and have never applied for pensions
should be considered. For instance / have
never applied for pension nor have any
of the members of my staff, although nearly
all of them are entitled to be placed on
the rolls. l am very certain that more than
10 per cent. of the members of the Grand
Army have never applied for pensions.
II am sure that the publication of the
pension rolls would meet with no opposi-
ton on the part of the Grand Army, even
though it should show that there is fraud.
If the publication will do any good. if it.will
result in the detection of the unworthy and
the striking of their names from the roll
and the punishment of the guilty, l believe
that the Grand Army would advocate the
publication.
A JUST CLAIM EASILY PROVED.
"a veteran who is a Grand Army man
has no difficulty in proving the business
of his claim if he makes one. The fact that
he is a member of the organization is a
sufficient proof of service, for his discharge
and antecedents are carefully examined
and investigated before he is admitted to
membership A Grand Army man who APP
piled for a pension when he was not de-
serving of it would find himself in an I'M
comfortable position, because the COM
rades are jealous of the good name of the
organization.
4 will go so far as to say that the
Grand Army of the Republic will favor
Strlcter laws II 1t is shown that the frauds
are such as have been claimed. l have long
Ieit tnal CERTAIN REFORMS are necessary
any way The present laws do not seem
to keep frauds off the rolls, and they do
initiate against really deserving veterans
What is needed is a deal less red tape
and a deal more common sense. 1t seems
to me that there is something wrong in
Washington if the Pension Department is
as bad as has been said.
One of the great evils in connection with
the pension question is the sharks, the
agents in various parts of the country and
in Washington. Of course / do not mean
to place all pension agents in one class
There are perfectly reputable and honest
men in the business who would not stoop
Il
veterans great service.
Sharks are an entirely different breed
II there is so much fraud / am certain
that they are largely responsible for it,
THE Grand Army has suffered from the
cry of demagogues that the veterans should
be supported in luxury and idleness ali
their lives. But the Grand Army asks that
the government keep it's contract with the
veterans They do not ask to be supported
in idlenesS when they are capable of earn
ing a living They do not want to be REIN
bursed for ills that have come since the
war The Grand Army asks that those VINO
were disabled in service, either by wounds
or disease, shall receive a pension and
to that the old soldiers are entitled
There should be some way to exclude
from the pension rolls the women who
have married veterans late in life for the
sole purpose of getting widows pension.
Il think that it is an unwise provision of
the pension laws which demands a hos
pital certificate. Our best soldiers would
not go to hospital unless they were Sc
riously injured. The Skulkers were always
ready to go to the hospital and they have
carefully preserved records and papers and
so get pensions now without difficulty
1t seems to me that the general record
and service should count. A soldier who
had an easy time of it loafing about gar
riSons does not deserve as much considera-
ton as he who endured the privations and
suffer1ngS Of camps and marches and who
was in the thick of the deadliest battles"
TANNER TALKS OF EVANS.
Declares that Publication of Pension
List Would Be HumiIiatin~.