The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-11-30
The Commissioner on Pensions.

Nr. satisfactory feature w ''''
federal legislative outlook Is
~ the prospect that an end has
come to the movement ~
embatass Pension Commissioners Evans.
Since the investigation of his methods
by the present comma -rhief oi
the Grand Army and the verdict OF
! Endorsement personally communicated
to the president. Mr.. Evans has been
let alone. THAT h. has been sus-
| tanned throughout by his immediate
superiors was evident AS time passed
and s attest-d by this ref"renc" III
the annual report of the secretary of
the interior
"Ih,. report Of Commissioners Evans
should he carefully read by his ronn-
trym-n in order tina, they may prop
erly understand the great reSponsibili-
ties Of his office and the exceeding difii-
rult.S which he has encountered in
faithfully dischargins its duties. ~"
has no option. and should have no de
sire. to do otherwise than conform I"
the plain direction of tn" law III tht
disbursement Of the enormous appro-
priat ion made for the payment "f pen
siuns. The veterans have no more sim
rcre friend than their c"mlad". TN"
commissioner. who himself served as
an enlisted man in the armies OF ih'
Union: ana he but maintains ana de-
fends the honor of their patriotic ser-
vice when refusing to ignore both the
I.Att Il ;,.it ,,f lax ht IL
to permit the inlpOstOr. whether claim
ant or agent. To share in the bounty
which is provided for the veteran and
those dependent upon him
During the last fiscal year ~ orig
ina claims were Investigated and al
the rolls by renewals and r"storativns,
bringing the net number Of pensioners
ia 80. $50 'th" largest nunih-r in the
history of the government This does
not bear out he assertion of his crit
's that h- has beer actuated by Il
spirit of hostility To- deserving claim
ants. The number Of pensions grant
-l during the year to widows under
the act of June -, lNau. was 1850, or
nearly 400 II, excess Of those granted
the previous year. The total amount
paid to pensioners as first payments
upon the allowance of their claims
during tn. year MAS s9.9"l. 1i".ol. or
Slo6. rs. A more than the first pay
m-nlS during the year preceding. ON
July |. 1901. there We're in The hands
Of lie different pension agents lh.lo9
certificates involving first payments
amounting to SS7S. .l1D.2h, These rerlifi-
Gates were issued 81 near the close of
tn. fiscal year that the pension agents
were unable to obtain vouchers from
the pensioners in time to bring the
payments Within the year. Yet they
property belong among tn" evidences
of the years activity in tn. pension
office
That Mr.. Evans tenure OF the pen
sion office has not been characterized
by Il uissnrdly spirit in the adildica-
iiou nf claims is shown by the fact
that the totai pension expenditures Of
his four wears exceed by nearly S3.uu0.
o0t the total expenditures during he
spite nf the fact that Il generation has:
passed since the close of the civil war
and il might reasonably be expected
that the natural trend of such dis
bursemenis would begin to rec.le.
The warfare on Henry clay Evans.
however honestly joined in by individ-
ual pensioners and ella imants under a
miSuppreheusion OF the facts, was not
honest in It's inception. It Was orig
Inall! n scheme of retaliation plotted
by unShNuiy pension attorneys with
whose projects Of loot the commissions
~ had .nterferred. After a period If
deception IN" veterans are learning
III" truth. The Uutrry against him
has already subsidized ANA ii cannot he
revived