Sunday morning globe., 1901-11-17
SUNDAY NOVEMBER Il, 1901
Evaus and Bis Report.


The annual report Of Commissioner
Of Pensions Evans is the most remark
able document ever issued by any pub
lie Official Of this o. any other country
Matters Of the greatest interest to tn.
public are not mentioned at all, while
matters OF no interest to the public
whatsoever and which should find no
place in such a report are treated with
,-e minutest detail
For instance, he deyotes over a
dozen pages to a blistering arraign.
ment Of the Washington pension at.
torneys He declares mat most of the
claims have been filed through selfish
solcitation of these attorneys operat-
ing through an army Of drummers
and "gratters Strange as it may ap-
pear, he suggests no remedy for this
pension shark evil which he images
menacee the very foundations of gov
eminent. In conclusion, he innoceatly
inquiries.
Would it not be practicable to
adopt a system Tin view Of the pos
s..ilities Of the futureJ that would re-
heye the peusioner of the payment Of
an attorneys fee?'
The idea Of a commissioner Of pen
sions propouuding such a question to
the secretary Of the interior i'm his
annual report is ludicrous in the ex-
treme. IL would De eminently proper
for Mr.. Evans to explain to his super
ior officer and through him to the tax,
pays of the nation, why he has main
tanned the attorneys room" for the
sole benefit of those pension sharks he
so bitterly arraigns, at the enormous
cost of $4,000 per annum. He has
expended during his incumbency over
S25,OOO of the Governments money on
a class of citizens that he evidently
regards as both worthless and danger
Gus. To confer gratuitously and with.
out official authority personal favors
on and grant special privileges to men
whom he regards as enemies Of the |
is irreconci'ably incoasist. |
ent.
If these attorneys are ever con.
spring to defraud the Government by
procuring the passage Of dishonest
pension lawsand the granting Of fraud. |
uieut pension claims. does that entltle .
them to a room in the Pension Office, |
and have three clerks and a messen-
ger dance attendance upon them as
they examine the papers in the claims |
in which they are interested?
II Is evident that Mr.. Evans is an
active and responsible party to as bare
faced and impudent a fraud as was
ever practiced on this Government. |
While denouncing pension sharks and
prating about official honesty, he is
granting them special fayors to the
rag.ume music Of $4,000 per year,
THE principal officials Of the Bur
eau" ne says, "are men who served
i'm the Union Army; there are Col ex-
Union soldiers and sailors. Ga widows
of ex-Union soldiers and sailors EN-
ployed in the Bureau and Bureau serv-
ice, each and an desirously Of doing
promptly and generously their duty
under the law in giving the full meas
ure Of generosity Of the Government
to its lawful benefciares'
The foregoing is Of no practical inn
portance and is merely ugged in as
sap to the c.. A. r. But If it was Of
tue highest importance, it would be
yaluless for the reason that it is not
true.
The chiefs Of the Law, Middle, South
ern, Certificate and Finance Divisions
are not ex-Union soldiers Nor is the
chief clerk, appointment clerk, sup
erintendent Of the building or the $2,-
600 clerk in charge Of the attorneys
room. To is quite clear that Mr.. Evans
is very desirous Of having the country
believe that DE is a just impartial and
generous public official That it would
be utterly impossible for him TO dis
criminate against an old soldier I'm
favor'of a spinster. But the record Is
against him.
Evans report is to deceive the peo-
pie, not 10 shed light on his alminlstra-
ton of the Pension Office.
After commenting largely on the
promptness with which the Spanish
war soldiers filed claims for pensions,
he concludes with this paternal ad-
monition. "No blame or criticism
should be attached TO the soldiers, as
they are importuned and persuaded
tnat it is their duty to file claims
whether disabled or not