The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1899-08-23
sl,S57,1SS TURNED
BACK into TREASURY.
,,,ySyoN COMMISSIONER EVANS
Wakes A NOTABLE REPORT.
uas ipplied the Pruning Knife Vis-
orously. Mckiniey'S Policy of
Conquest Costing Many
Millions.

,,orsion Commissioner Evans, IN his
s,racast of his annual report for the
e.cal wear ended June 30, 1899, gives
,,o imnortant information on more
shan one point.
In the first place the report shows
.,o+ Commissioner Evans has very Wig
orously applied the pruning knife 10
,sions which had no reason for be-
iao He states that on June 30, of this
raor there were 993,714 pensioners on
tba roll. net gain of 1900 over the
,oar before. Looking ahead he saw
No prospect of decrease, for, he said {:
Oft is believed that the roll will ms
crease from the war Of the rebellion,
q. there are probably 100000 ex-union
soIdIers living who have never had
nansion. The roll will increase in
amount naturally by reason of increas
Cd disabilities as provided by law"
Yetin bis report for 1899 the commits
.ioner announces a decrease of pen
sioners amounting to 2,l95.
rbe loss to the roll by deaths in 1898
was g.. 69l. while in the fiscal year just
closed the loss by deaths was A, 345.
This shows the increasing number of
deaths every year, but it does not be
DIN TO account for that decrease in the
total number of pensioners which the
commissioner himself did not antics
pate year ago.
The explanation is to be found in
the vigorous and honest methods OF
the commissioner.
The number of pensions granted
during the past year has been greatly
cut down. Ia the fiscal year Of 1898
me bureau added to the rolls Ga, 35l
names. while in the fiscal year 1899
there were added but 40,9S1, dltfer>
ence of over % 900 names.
Commissioner Evans has also made
notable record in money spent, His
bureau, for the fiscal year 1898, dis
bursed SI45 $50, 1876, while for the fiscal
wear 1899 it has disbursed bnt $138,,
253, 922. enabling him to turn back into
the treasury an uneXpended balance
of 81, S57, 1873 out of the $40, 900 APP
propriation.
In the Eight Of this excellent show
ing Commissioner Evans can well
stand the assaults of pension attorneys
who are raving at him because he will
not admit the bogus claims which
they have tried to work off on the gov
errment.
His report also indicates that the
pension roll will be largely increased
by our war with Spain and our efforts
to subiugate the FilipinOs. The war
with SPAN has thus far brought in 49,
9S6 claims, of which only 295 have thus
far been allowed. The pension bill on
account of the Philippine business has
not yet been presented, although over
1900 have been killed or wounded in
the far east since August 6, 1898, while
thousands in the years to come will
file claims on account of disease.
We shall have to pay very dearly for
President McKinley's policy of con-
quest and subjugation. 1t will cost
many millions in expenditure for an
enlarged military establishment, many
millions for the operations of war
against a people who are fighting for
liberty a war which will probably
continue many years. Worst of all, 1T
will probably cost thousands of lives OF
soldiers who will fall before Filipino
guns and die from diseases and ex>
haustion in climate where white men
cannot last long. Great is imperial
lsm!