Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-08-30
THAT PENSION INQUIRY.

We give place today to a communica-
ton from Judge Botkln on the pension
question. II is intended as a reply to
n brief editorial IN the News" OF Aug.
Is, commenting on paragraph which
appeared in the New York Journal. AS
our readers will readily discover, the
extended remarks Of Judge Botkin al
verge into n much wider field than that
we entered, are chiefly attacks on
persons who are not connected with the
controversy and political flights that
only damage the writer's cause
The Deseret News in reproducing the
Journals statement, simply touched on
a matter that has been discussed in
large number Of influential newspapers
for several years. The Journal men
toned cases OF impersonatlon OF dead
pensioners. and other means by which
pensions are In way rendered "im-
mortal" The News" summed up the
whole matter In this sentence: but Ia
Il not time to overhaul the entire pen
sion system. for the benefit Of the tax
payer2" What Is there In all that, TO
excite the Ire OF any bona flde benefcl-
AIRY Of the pension laws? Wherein does
II reflect upon any soldier, or the widow
or heir of any soldier legally entitled
to the sum provided by law for such
worthy individuals9
The Judge has gone a good deal out
Of the way to take a slap, and hurl a
few stump-speech epithets. at an ex-
President who has nothing TO do with
the present question. Also to work up
feeling among innocent pensioners,
that they have been assailed. We give
place to all that nonsense. that the
writer may not have occasion TO say
that we refused him a hearing. But,
really, It is space wasted, and does not
reach the subject introduced by the
Journal and very briefly touched upon
by the News"
Pension frauds" have formed topic
for public consideration for many years.
II has been taken up by most Of the
leading American papers and maya
zines. That there have been many
cases Of fraudulent applications,
through attorneys specially engaged
In the business. and OF actual deception
by which money has been fraudulently
obtained. has been demonstrated be-
You'd rational dispute. This Is virtually
acknowledged by our correspondent in
his closing paragraph, where he says
fraud should be exposed and the
guilty ones punished" That is the
whole matter In review. Why so much
extraneous and unnecessary protest.
As TO "the services OF our soldiers
and the forti,ude OF their friends a
home;" has any one called either II
question? Has there been any attemp
TO belittle them? Has there been
demand for "a decrease In the pension
roll" by striking from Il their names
or the names Of any dear old wives
OF pensioners? Nonsensel Neither tn
New York Journal nor the Desere
News has said a syllable In disparage
nent OF the heroism Of the nations de
tenders, or the patriotism Of their rela
tives. We have only endorsed the cal
for an Investigation which shall ex
pose fraud and punish the guilty.
our censor admits the very ground q
our contention; that IL. that frau
should be exposed and the guilty one
punished" and yet he issues chal
lenge 70 us TO point out single com
munlty In the United States where sue
fraud could exist" but cunningl
adds the words ~ known" Just 50
~ known" The demand IL made "a
investigation that they be mad
known" and then they vii not b. "sui
dered 10 exist" Is II 10 be suppose
that In the great cities Of the Ian
such frauds are impossible to RENAL
for a time unknown? Facts prove ths
they have 80 existed. but whe
cknown" Of course they would not n
main very long.
Now we respond with a challenge
any one who can do so. TO point out on
sentence, either in. our editorial OF
the paragraph We quoted from u
New York oJurnal. which casts a
slightest reflection upon any bona "a
pensioner. either a living soldier or u
lawful heirs to a pension Of depafte