Sunday Washington globe., 1902-02-02

the laws OF Congress. tSee GLOBE Jan 90,
Ioo7)
AT the last G. A. X. National Eucamp-
ment Judge Rassieuv declared that the conf
plants Of the veteran against Evans fraud
ulent acts were almost universal The
Judge further said in that address with
out any effort ON the part of this organiza-
tion (the G. A. r. or its officers to give
undue prominence to the pension question,
that subject has overshadowed all others,
and has called for more attention and
thought in the past year than all other
questions which concerns us" (See Judge
Rassieur's speech in full in the c. A. r.
Proc.)
Congressman who resort to the Sims and
Bell trick to falsify and deny the veterans
just complaints, will wake up after next
election to realize that the veterans stand
for the supremacy Of law, and oppose re-
prisals on pensions for making up a
salary. grab" fund. It is one of the most
serious and insidious dangers that threaten
the Republic, II the President may refuse to
carry out the laws made and deprive a mill
lion of citizens residing in every county in
the land of their legal rights under the law.
Evans and Hitchcock, prompted by the
anti-pension junto, are openly and boldly
setting the law at defiance, because they
do not agree with the policy of pensioning
veterans under the laws. They openly pro-
claim that II would cost $500, ooo, ,oooto carry
out the law This is another one of their
bold lies for a fraudulent purpose II gives
their confession all the same. Evans de-
clared that he was able to reverse Assistant
Secretary Davis as often as Davis reversed
him (Evans), because Evans held the policy
of the administration. What is this but a
confession that the decisions Of the board
of appeals are political not local Take the
case of requiring the insane and minors to
prove dependence before Evans will pay
their pensions, no matter what amount of
or how strong the bond the guardian files.
(GLoBE, Jan. S, II and 49, We cite this
again, because il is a new wrinkle in the
department and entirely a change of the
law by political construction based on open
lies in the decision authorizing il. The de-
cision cites only one alternative of its own
former decision (which held that the COM
missioner might pay the ward instead of
paying the guardian. Now the Secretary
says it is optional with Evans to pay the
pension or not, citing the same decision,
Moore, p D., p. S. (See Commissioner
II, P. D., p. 357.) In the Moore case,
Commissioner Evans was on the other
tack, and wanted to pay the guardian,
and held that he was bound by law to
pay the guardian, not the ward. Evans
did not need this new fraud then.
Moore was an insane soldier under guar
dianship, but claimed that the appointment
was a fraud, aud asked to have the money
in person. Assistant Secretary Davis held
that payment to the pensioner was manda.
tory by law, and must be paid to either the
ward or to the guardian. In that case Davis
agreed with Evans, and held that the evil
dence did not warrant Evans in refusing to
pay the guardian. Davis cited the law,
and said NO sufficient reason is shown
to justify you in refusing to pay the
guardian"
If any thing further was needed to show
a fraudulent intent in Hitchcock and
Evans, the Act of March g. 1870, shows that
minors aud the insane are the only persons
exempt from being limited to date of filing
claim, and to them is to be paid in one sum-
as a single payment, all arrears back TO date
of discharge in case Of an insane soldier,
and back to death of soldier ain csc Of
minors. There is not a word in the law
about dependence
The trick is a thinly-veiled scheme to
hold the money in the Treasury, unlaw-
fully for ship-subsidy and salary-grab
rake-offs. The Comptroller knocked the
bottom out of one pretense.
See what Evans will unlawfuly retain in
the Treasury If half (say I2,ooo) of the
guardianship have estates. To average them
at 81 so pension per year Ia small average)
he saves paying QUE one million, eight hum
dred thousand dollars ($I, sooooo) each
year AT IS 900 additional grab" for each
Member Of Congress in the House (3S7) the
aggregate grab will be s. ,o7I 900 per year.
1t just about takes the wards pension il
| legally withheld. But Evans has "a plentyn
of other stealings in reserve should the
wards funds fail to meet the 'salary.grab. D"
Take his small sneak thief stealings from
successful increase claimants during his
FIVE years in the Office, by uulawfully and
secretly Withholding the order for medical
examination for six months. II was year
for FIRST two years. (See GLOBE, January
/ II, 1902. Last year he issued 3S,764 increase
certificates. Say each year averages the
same, and take the lowest possible increase
to each for six months (SI2), Evans has
stolen from these aged veterans, on his own
rating and orders, $2,I4o,44o IN a sneak
thief way in his five years.
a pension attorney recently nanueo US
list of thirty-hve illegal schemes which
Evans aud the Secretary of Interior have
boldly put in motion in the Office and run for
year or more at time and then declared
them off as illegal. Each one was conceived
to cut out great blocks of claims, consisting
| Of from 5000 to 100000 claims in a block.
Evans says 1t is necessary to do this fraudu-
lent work to keep the pension laws down
] fror,t ho ahrmpffuc the Traaaurv With yr,ora
! pensioners than ever, he has cut twenty
millions annually. Congressman Bell says
Evans lis a man of great nerve and execu-
tive ability who cannot be deferred from
/ running his own Office" That is the kind
/ or executive ability and nerve" found in
| all thugs and political bosses Of the Croker
! stripe. He IS a very stubborn man, devoid of
| judgment, discretion and executive ability.