The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-11-09
VICIOUS PENSION
METHODS DISCLOSED
Little Wonder That Com
missioner Evans is
ASSailed
[sy Associated Press.l


pensions discusses at length the
faults OF the present system Of pen
sioning and the difficulties in the
way Of determining thu meidts OF
claims for pension and increase.
Attention Is directed 70 the friction
and unkind feeling that attends the
administration Of act OF August T.
1852. which provides thes the open
aud notorious, adulterous cohabitation
rf widow pensioner shall operate
to terminate her pension.
The commissioner says that while
the law Is a most delicate ANA diff
cult one 70 administer yet he can not
recommend its repeal
Attention is invited again to the
necessity Of repeating the act of
june q 1883. which swept away all
limitations as to the fling Of wid
ows claims under the general law
and brought about conditions which
are Statsd to be a standing invitation
10 nle fraudulent claims, the arrear-
ages being so large and the chances
OF detection so small
Referring to slave marriages the
commissioner says that with a shrewd
aud comp tent attorney. backed by
willing witnesses, the government
has no chance, and If the special ex-
aminer- of the bureau endeavor to as
certain the facts the interested par
ties at once cry aloud that "the spies
of the bureau are f~~secuting the
poor widows. The commissioner de
clares that the law is an open invita-
ticn to fraud. perjury and mIsrepre-
sentation that the soldiers themselves
get no arrearages and that the claims
Of /. - widows should be governed
by the sane sule.
In January, 1900 a rule was adopte !
requiring guardians Of pensioners 10
render to the bureau annual accounts
o. their receipts and expenditures of
peasion money The rule was follow
ed b. disclosures which, in some in
stances. were Of a startling natu e
Guardians were found to be drawing
pensioa1 long after the death Of their
wards. Many cases we're found where
insane pensioners had been aced in
zsylums and other public institutions
as. INDECENT persons while tn guard
fans had drawn the peacion during
the whole period, aud either diverte
Il for other purposes or allowed it 70
accumulate for the benefit of the pen
sioners legal representatives. I'm
proper exorbitant and extrayagant
items Of expenditure were snown
which had been authorized and ap
proved by the loc, courts. Othsr
cases we're revealed in which the
guardians were appropriating tne pea
sion to their own use, while lho wards
were being maintained az public eY
pense.
In many case1 pension moaeys were
shown TO have accumulated in the
hands of guardians in sums ranging
from 81 900 to over $4,000. while the
intended beneheiarSs of the bounty
OF the government were being cared
cared foe in public institutions at the
expense again OF the public.
The report prints number of in.
teresting features connected with the
Alag of claims for pension on ac
count OF the war with Spain and the
insurrection In the Philippine islands
Il y shown that the soldiers OF these
enjoy much greater benefits than
we're accorded 70 the soldiers OF the
Civil war in the amount OF tensions
gaated for the sane degree of dis
ability
While the Civil war lasted for four
years and the casualties were enoT
a. ipu1. and the spanish-American war
hsted only about four months, with
comparatively few casualties, 1t is
ahown that three years after the close
OF t8e spanish-Amercan war claims
for pensions amounting to about %
per cent Of the number of soldiers en-
gagged in the war had been filed,
while in 1872, or seven years after the
close Of the Civil war, only about
per cent Of the soldiers engaged in
that war had filed claims.
The commissioner says he is moi
prepared 10 believe that those who
engaged IN the war with Spain, many
Of them sons OF veterans of the Civil
war were less patriotic than their an
SestOrs or more coyetous, but in his
opinion II is the fault Of the system
Of pensioning, with ia active crmy o.
attorneys. solicitors aud drummers
who are practically licensed by th'