The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-11-08

Discussed by nj Commissioner
Pensions In His Annual Report

Washington, November Gin his an
sions discusses at length the faults OF
the present system of pensioning and
the difficulties in the way OF determin-
ing the merits of claims for pensions
and increase.
Attention is directed to the friction
and unkind feeling that attends the ad-
m~inistration of the act OF August z,
ISsa. which provides that the open and
notorious adulterous cohabitation OF a
widow ~pensioner shall operate to ter
inmate her pension, but the absence
of such a law would encourage and per-
init such pensioners to live in adultery
and dishonor the memory OF their SOL
der husbands while still enjoying the
bounty of the government, and on the
other hand the widow who respects the
law and honors society by legally en-
tering into the marriage relation loses
her pension. The commissioner states
that while the law is a most delicate
and difficult one to administer, yet he
cannot recommend its repeal.
Attention is invited again to the ne
cessity Of repeating the act of June Z,
1855. which swept away all limitations
as to the filing of widows claims un-
der the general law, and brought about
conditions which are a standing invi-
tation TO file fraudulent claims, the ar
rearages being so large and the chances
Of detection so small.
1t is stated that widows claims are
usually filed within thirty days after
the death of the soldier, but since the
passage of the law Of 1888 many claims
have been filed by alleged widows Of
soldiers hat died or were killed during
the civil war.
Referring to slave marriages." the
commissioner says that with a shrewd
and competent attorney. backed by will
ling witnesses, the government has no
chance, and if the special examiners
of the bureau endeavor to ascertain the
facts. the interested parties at once cry
aloud that the spies" of the bureau
are prosecuting the % widows.
In January 1900, a rule was adopted
requiring guardians of pensioners to
render to the bureau annual accounts
of their receipts and expenditures of
pension money. Guardians were found
to be drawing pensionrs long after the
death of their wards.
Many cases were found where insane
pensioners had been placed in asylums
and other public institutions as indi-
gent persons and the officials had nc
knowledge hat these persons were pen
S%ioners, while the guardians had drawn
the pension during the whole period.
Other cases were revealed in which the
guardians were appropriating the pen
sion to their own use, while the wards
were being maintained at public ex-
penSe.
The report presents a number Of in
teresting features connected with the
filing of claims for pensions on accoun,
Of the war with Spain the insur-
rection in the Philippine islands While
the civil war lasted for four years and
the casualties were enormous; and the
Spanish American war lasted only
about four months with comparative
few casualties, it is shown that three
years after the close of the Spanish
American war;, claims for pensions
amounting to abou 20 per cent. of the
lumber of soldiers engaged in hat wal
had been filed, while in 1872, or seven
years after the close of the civil wa:
only o 6 per cent. of the soldiers
engaged in hat war had filed claims.
The commissioner states that he is
not prepared to believe that those who
ngage in the war with Spain, many
of them sons of veterans of the civil
war, were less patriotic thu their an
c%estors, or more c%ovetous, but in his
opinion, it is the fault of the system OF
~pensioning, with it's active army of at.
torneys. solicitors and drummers, who
are practically licensed by the govern
ment with the promise of S25 for each
claim allowed.