The National tribune., 1899-08-24
THE COMMISSIONERS REPORT.

Address, IHE
THE COMMISSIONERS REPORT.
The following is the abstract of his forth
| coming report given out to the press by
Commissioner Evans:
The report of Commissioner of Pensions
Evans for the fiscal year ended June 30,
| last, shows total disbursements Of $780,
the Treasury out of the S140,O00,O00 ap-
propriated. The total number of pension
ers ON the roll June 30 was 991 ,519, a de-
crease of 2,195. There were 0,991 names
added to the roll and AZ, ,1S6 dropped. The
report shows the pension roll is decreas-
of death and S,S41 because of remarriage,
| minors attaining their majority, failure to
claim pension, and other causes.
Under the general law there were 1,412
claims filed and 3, 1924 allowed. There were
6,Is4 original widows claims filed and
brought a total of 1926 claims. of which
| number but 295 have been allowed.
Under the act of June q, 1890, original
invalid pensions to the number of $3.50
were filed and &c, ,641 allowed. There were
1885 original widows claims under this
act filed and II, 1S5 granted. Out of 81, 800
applications for increase under the gen.
eral law 22.460 were granted, and out of
31,770 applicants for increase under the
act of 1890 5,603 were granted. A re-
capitulation shows that out of total of
111,3S7 claims filed, 9S,054 certificates
were issued
During the year 63 attorneys were dis
barred, 10 suspended, two dropped, and
one application for admission to practice
revoked. The total number of attorneys
standing disbarred July 1, 1899, is 1,163.
Like everything else furnished by Mr..
Evans for publication this is cunningly
misleading.
The most outrageously misleading feat
ure is the crafty juxtaposition made of the
number of claims filed and the number
of allowances. The natural implication
Of this is that the Bureau has acted prompt
ly and literally upon the claims filed,
granting a very large proportion of them.
Nothing could be farther from the truth,
and the falsehoed is made direct and pal
pable by the statement that "out of total
of Ill 1887 claims filed 9S,O54 certificates
were issued"
He distinctly tries to convey the i'm
preston that he was so far up with his
work, and so liberal in his adjudications,
as to allow 9S out of every Ill claims filed
in the Office during the year just ended.
How can he possibly reconcile this state
ment with his previous one that during
the year only 40,991 names were added to
the roll?
For what and to whom were those re-
naming 57,054 certificates issued?
This was much more than half the total
number of certificates issued, and the re-
markable discrepancy exposes to any
thinking man his whole scheme of artful
jugglery with pension statistics.
Another crushing exposure is made by
the close correspondence of the number
added to the roll with the number dropped
by reason of death or other causes. 1t
needs but very moderate perceptive powers
to see that he has figured from the first to
make a showing Of a considerable reduc-
ton of the numbers on the pension roll,
and is able to point to 2,195 less than there
were at the time of making his last report.
To this cruel end everything else has
had to bend. No matter that the veterans
and their widows have grown much older
and more needy; no matter how loudly their
age and decrepitude clamor for the aid the
Government pledged them; no matter that,
in his last report, he estimated that fully
5000 had as yet been unable to secure
any pensions whatever; no matter how
much proof they have piled up in the dusty
pigeon-holes of the Pension Bureau, not
one Of them could get on the roll except
through the grave of some deceased COM
rade. 1t is monstrous!
He reports that he turned back into the
Treasury 81 ,S57, ,1SS of the money which
Congress had given him to pay off the
just claims Of the veterans and their widows
This would have put on the roll more than
is, 500 Of them at IS a month, if Mr. Evans
had not allowed his keen desire TO figure
as a reformer and an economist to chill
any promptings toward mercy and justice.
To return to Mr.. Evans's sharp Juggling
with claims filed" and claims allowed" 4"
The truth is that very few-almost none
Of the allowances were of claims filed so
recently as this or last year. The fortu-
nate few were those who had enormous in
fiuence behind them. In his last report
Mr. Evans said that on Jan. Is, 1898,
there were 651 ,66S claims pending, of
which about 100000 were Originals" !"
These have been pending all the way from
three up TO 81 years, and with this mass
Evans has been industriously Juggling to
make up his showing OF 9S,O54 certificates,
which yet added but 40 ,991 names TO the
roll, and allowed him to turn back 81 ,S57,-
1SS Of the appropriation to the Treasury,
ard cut down the number of pensioners
2,195.
The whole of the chicanery, the wretched
subterfuges. the cunning tricks of pre-
tending to grant pensions, and yet denying
them to tens OF thousands of sadly-waiting
claimants is told in that table of artfully
cooked statistics.
UNDER 8iR. EyANss Orders.
No claim carrying any considerable