Arizona republican., 1899-09-21
Pension Commissioner Evans Re-
plies to His Critics.
QUESTIONS ASKED OF WIDOWS
n Sequel 10 the Resolution Offered
in the Recent EnCampmenf
Against f1r. Evans Because of
Alleged Objectionable FiefhodS
PraCfiCed by Him. Tanner Did
fne Same Things.

Washington, Sept. 2O.-The war be-
tween Pension Commissioner Evans
and his critics received an impetus to-
day in a statement prepared by the
pension bureau and given cut for pub
lication- 1t related to the resolution
CT censure offered in the closing hours
OF the recent grand army encampment
! at Philadelphia as a rebuke for al
legged objectionable methods practieed
| by ths commissioner. 1t was charged
! that widows whose characters were
above reproach had been insulted by
pension examiners, who had asked
them if they were living chaste lives.
Mr.. Evans answer to the encampmert
was that widows who would forfeit
their pensions if they remarked some
| times lived in the marital relation
without ceremony, in order to evade
the law, and that these cases were in
vestlgated in order to discover pos
stble fI9ud. Mr.. Evans insisted that
the inquiries complained of had only
been asked in suspicious cases; but
his opponents asserted that no such
distinction had been made. Yester-
day the pension office issued the fol-
lowing statement TO- show that the
practice now complained of was in
vogue under the ccmmissionership of
Mr.. James Tanner, who was instru-
mental in drafting the resolution OF
censure:
At the national encampment of the
c. A. R. at Philadelphia, just before
adjournment, a sensation was sprung
on the eneampment through the com
mittee on resolutions offeri ~ a re-
port proposing to censure the honor
able commissioner CT pensions on a
statement of a single individual dele
sate-CorpOral Tanner-to the erect
that he had seen instructions that
were issued to the special examiners
Of the pension bureau by Commits
sioner Evans, referring to the act of
August z, 1882, requiring the examiner
to ask widows if they had violated the
law, or, in other words, committed
adultery since the death OF their hus-
bands. When called upon by the COM
mittee, the corporal could not tell
whether the instructions were written
or printed. Then he offered to furnish
an examiner present who would ccr-
roboTate his statement, and in this he
failed. The encampment promptly
side-tracked the resolution, and ex-
plunged all reference to it from the
proceedings
Commissioner Evans furnishes the
following extract from the printed in
structicns issued before his term of
officei began, and which were in force
during Corporal Tanners entire term
OF office as commissioner cf pensions:
Referring to act OF August 7, 1882:
Adultery: From Book of General In
structions to Special Examiners of the
United States Pension Office. 1886,
Issued under date rf May l.
1886, Widows 3Sth, page 21
IF pensioner c. claimant has co.
habited with any man since the death
Of the soldier, in the absence of a
marriage ceremony, the examiner
should ascertain just what relation
the parties maintained toward each
other, how they were regarded by the
community in which they lived,
whether they ever openly avowed CT
the relationship of hus-
band and wife and were 50 recognized
Oy thsir neighbcrs and associates; or.
T the parties lived in open and no
-crious adultery, that fact should be
shown, together with the date they
began to SO cohabit
Additional instructions to special
examiners. Issued in pamphlet under
late of February Z. 1889, page 5.
Widows
" She should then state, where, and
~ whom she was married to the SOL
lier, whether there is a record of the
anne, and the persons who are com
'etent witnesses to that fact
What was her full name at the
ime of her marriage to the soldier?
Had she remarked. or remained
he widow of the soldier?
Had she cohabited with any man
IS his wife since the death of the SOL
ier?
Was she ever married previous to
Ter marriage with the soldier? II so,
i've the facts in regard thereto, as
veil as the date Of the death of her
ormer husband or her divorce from
i'm
''The foregoing instructions were