The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-03
UNsUsTAINED CHARGES.

Two months ago an article appeared i'm
the Forum. written by Francis Z. Leupp,
setting forth that the reason why the pen
sion roll does not materially decrease so
long after the war, is fraud in the service.
Portions of this article have been copied
into hundreds of papers, thus giving the
public the impression that the pension roll
is 'honey-combed with fraud" In his
article Mr.. Leupp gives instances of frauds
which have been perpetrated and discov-
cred. For instance, one medical board
passed thirty-two cases of heart disease in
one week There is a medical board in
every county in the Northern States.
thousands of them, and only one is found
TO be either dishonest or lax but the dis
honesty of this board was exposed by hav
ing the cases sent to another board. which
discovered that the applicants did not suf-
fer from heart disease Thus one medical
board corrected the fraud of another. In
this State, some time since, a medical
board rated an applicant at SO per month
for normal liver and gave him total
rating of sl2O month. This last was
case of gross ignorance on the part of
board which had few cases. but IT was dis
covered by the examiners i'm Washington,
as were the thirty-two cases Of heart dis
ease, and thrown out and the medical board
dismissed. Moreover, 1t is the diagnosis Of
examining boards, rather than the ratings,
that governs the examiners in Washing
ton. 1t can be added that the medical
boards, as a rule, are made up of reputable
| physicians in active practice.
Mr. Leupp and his friends call attention
| to the instance Of a Tennessee attorney
| who filed los claims. o. which only eight
had any merit, the others being fictitious
| and based upon forged papers. Who made
the discovery that these claims were fraud
| ulent? The agents and special examin-
ers OF the Pension Bureau, who are
| constantly on the lookout for such
| frauds. and generally discover and reject
| them. Certainly, claims not allowed can
not swell the pension roll. The writer
might have added that a score OF claim
| agents have been sent TO the penitentiary
| for attempting such frauds Still another
| instance cited by Mr. Ieupp is that of an
| Indiana claim agent who submitted claims
| for men who had never been in the service.
| That he did so is evidence that the claim
agent and Mr.. Leupp are ignorant of the
fact that an honorable discharge must be
presented by every applicant at the outset.
| Such claims, not accompanied with dis
| charges, were rejected and consequently
| could not have swelIed the pension roll.
Soon after Mr.. Cleveland became Presi-
dent, upon the assumption that the pension
rolls were "honey-combed with fraud. -
more than 10000 pensioners Of one class
were suspended. and several thousands of
| other classes. In all OF these cases the
pensioners were required to submit fresh
| evidence that they were entitled TO pen
| sions. The result was nearly all the sus-
| pended pensioners were restored 10 the roll
before the close Of Mr.. Cleveland's term.
| That there are men drawing pensions who
should not. and others having larger pen
sions than they should. is not denied II is
| equally true that other men who deserve
| pensions are unable TO get them, and still
| others who do not receive as much as they
should. But these facts and such evidence
as Mr.. Leupp gives do not warrant the
| assumption that the pension roll does not
shrink because OF pensioners added by
fraud. BY an act approved by Mr.. Cleve-
land Jan. %. 1857. all soldiers who had
been enrolled sixty days in the Mexican
war were given pensions when sixty-two
years OF age. That was less than thirty
five years after the close of the war. II
Is now almost thirty-six years since the
close OF the war OF the rebellion. but nc
such favor has been extended to union
soldiers. The Journal does not join in the