The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-06-17
ATTACKS ON PENSION OFFICE

Inspired by Selfish Motivcs-No Just
Claim is Ever Rejected = Trouble
Due to Dishonest Attorneys and
Claim Agents.
Washington Post: Despite the votes
! of censure which some of the Grand
Army posts and other veteran organl-
cations are hurting at the head of
Pension Commissioner Evans there Is
apparently no Indication OF trouble up
on that officials pleasant countenance.
Il have no defense to make" he said to
a representative Of The Post yesterday
afternoon, when asked about the critl-
cisms made upon his administration.
The truth is that no applicant for Z
pension, who files a legitimate and
honest claim. complying with the law
in all respects, fails to be granted a
pension. More than this, we always
! give the applicants, especially II they
are old soldiers. the benefit OF the
doubt"
/ by whom are these criticisms in
spired?"
They are traceab1e in very large de-
gree to the claim agents, whose efforts
to detraud the government have been
interfered with by this bureau. You
may be surprised to hear this, but 1t Is
the fact. Every time we bring one Of
these gentlemen up with round turn,
we hear from him in an indirect way
through attacks upon the pension bu-
reau. He bears lis natural grudge,
and can always find honest people to
impose upon.
For instance, know that some res
olutions, passed in Oklahoma. were In
| spired from Washington, and were Of
fered there by man whose disbar-
ment as an attorney had been recon-
mended. At the Illinois encampment
pension attorneys were numerous with
their poisoned arrows. Whenever we
disallow large number of fraudulent
| claims. the disgruntled and dishonest
| attorneys consplre to raise n howl
about the injustice done to the deserv-
Ing soldier. They throw great deal
Of dust In the eyes OF the veterans, but
We. who know the circumstances are
! too busy granting pensions to legiti-
mate applicants to be disturbed"
Then you can trace much of the
criticism to these sources?"
Beyond doubt. You would be sur
prised to know how frequent and how
ingenious are the attempts to defraud
the government Only recently In Nash
Vile. we discovered that n man who
had filed LOG cases had concoctcd all
but four OF them upon n fraudulent
| basis. He had gone to cemetery where
| colored soldiers were buried, copied
the names from the hcndstoncs and
had filed claims In their names for
widows. orphans and dependent rein
tives who did not exist, supported by
atIldavlts of other persons equally fc-
tittous. with additional nGidavits from
colored preacher rs to the crcdIblity
OF all his witnesses On his first trInl
the man was sentenced to ten years In
prison. but on n plea of insanity secur-
ed a second trial. The colorcd prea cher
has gone to the penitentiary for four
years. Our activity in bringing to jus-
tice the lnstlgators OF such fragrant
frauds is being constantly perverted In
to hostility toward the soldier. AS n
matter Of fact, We are really helping
and protecting the deserving pension
err, and the virtue Of the pension roll is
being maintained"
But In some cases direct charges are
made against your burcau?"
Yes" replied the commissioner,
lauGhingly. Take the ease, for IN
stance, of the resolutions pissed by the
Grand Army cncampment at Cincinnati
last year. 1t was charged In those res.
olutions that the pension bureau would
make no rating for deafness or rhcu-
mntism the assertions being made that
! had issued instructions to this effect.
OF course the charge was absurd.
never gave such instructions never
even thought of such n thing. The
resolutions were adopted In Ignorance.
but were spread broadcast over the
country. Some one had heard that such
orders had been given and no one
took the trouble to investigate before
| acting on The rurner."
lis that the only ground for fault
nndlng?"
No" was the reply. ut is said that
we ought to pension applicants n, tho
ratings made BY medical boards
throughout the country. This Is an
lmpfactlcablc suggestion. Medical
boards differ In the widest degree ma IN