The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1901-11-15
SHAM ROBBERY
Of Tho UnI,od States Treasury by
so Called Veterans
UNDER PENSION sysTEM
Which 8ssms 70 bs Rotten TO
shaBcore, i sspanish,Amerloan
n. Veterans Y RaIdlng BY The
s... !. Regimsnt.

In his annual report tho commis-
aioner Of pensions discusses at length
the faults Of tho proaont system Of pom
sioning and the difficulties in tho way
soedetermihiIg; The mofits, Of claims for
pcnsiona and inoresso. Attention 10
directed to the friction and vnkind fool
Ing that attends tho aGminitrhtion Of
|. the act of Aug z, 1882, which provides
that the open and notorious adulteroua
cohaSitation OF q widow ponsioner shall
operate to terminate her pensiop, but
tho! sbBenpe OF suoh q Law would cnoour.
ago and permit suoh pensioners TO 1.-Two
| In Rdulteryy and ,dishonor tho mt Iot ~
Of their soldier husbands whilo atill en-
joyipg tho bounty Of tho governments,
and on the ,other hand tho widow who
rosppqts tho lsW and honors society by
legally entering into tho marriage rola.
tibn losoa hor pension.
The commissioner staten that whilo
tho law is q most dolioate and difficult
ono to administer, yet he cannot ro.
CONNIE nd its repeal. Attention 10 in
Ityitod agaihto tho necessity of repeal
Ling tho, act e Juno z, 1888, which
swept away all limitations az to tho fl
ling ofiWidows' claims under tho Sonoral
law, and brought about conditions
! which aro q standing invitation to 20
fraudulent claims, the srrearages being
| so large and chances Of dotoction 90
gmali. Itis stated that widowa' claimB
are usually alod within 30 days after
tho death of'tho soldier, but sinoo tho
fpRsbfgo 6s-tho law Of 1888, many claims
have been filled By alleged widows Of
so,diero that died or were killed during
tho civil war. Referring to "slave mar
rtagco," the commissioner says that
with a shreRd and competent attorney,
backed 81 81 willing witnesses, the govern
uisnt hhs no chance, and if tho special
,examinors Of the bureau cndesvor to
Easoostain tho facts, tho interested par.
sies {ery aloud that 'the spies" Of tho
bureau arc prosecuting tho poor Wild
oWs.
In January, 1900, o rule was adopted
requiring guardians Of .pensioners to
render3to the. bureau annual ACCOUNTS
of their receipts and expenditures Of
lpengion money Guardians wore found
to be8drsWing pensions long aftor tho
lSdaathyof their wards. Many oapos were
! fonnd whero inasno s pensioners had
bes lsssd ss ip ass lAs pub
y ssi2sS slstit sfsongs
/ and the off 6lalss had mo KNOT edge that
these peraons were pensioners, whilc
tho guardians had drawn the pension
during tho whole perlod. O.hor Gases
wore revealed in which tho guardians
woro approrriatinR the pension to their
own use, while the wards woro being
1 maintained at public expense,
The report proaents number Of in
terosting features connected with the
| filing Of; claims for pensions on account
Of tic war with Spain and the insure O.
ition in the philippine Islands. While
tho civil war lasted four years and tho
oasMalties woro enormous; and the
| SGaaiBh. American war lasted only
about four months with comparative
few casualtios, it 10 shown that three
years aafter tho olose Ct the Spanish.
American war, claims for pensions
amounting to about 20 per cont. Of the
number Of soldiers engaged in that wal
t.h&d beon filed, while in 1872, or seven
lyoars after tho close of the civil war,
only about 6 per cent. Of the eoldieri
|engaged in that war had filed claims,
The com missioner states that he il
not prepared to believe that those who
engaged in the war with Spain, many
| Of them sons Of veterans Of tho OWL
war, were loss patriotic than their an
cestors, or moro oovotous, but in Iii
opinion tits tho fault Of tho systom Of
4ipensioning, with it's active army OF at
tofney, solicitors end drummers, wht
are practically licensed by the govorn
fment With the promise of $25 for oaoIl
claim allowed.