The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-04-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Fraud liz Pension once Discovered and
Punfshed-Present Administration
Notable for Honesty and
Uprightness.

Uprightness.
The tone which has characterized
the Roosevelt administration from the
beginning has been once more exempli-
fed by Secretary Hitehcock's accept
ance Of the designations Of ten mem-
bers OF the board ofreview Of the PEN
sion Office. Soon after Pension Com
missioner Vaspasian W arner entered
upon the duties OF his Office he discoy-
cred, quite by accident, that certain
members Of what was known as "the
McLane Pennsylvania Regiment" had
been granted pensions to which they
were not entitled. Investig ration re
vealed the fact that this org anization
had been recruited at the beginning Of
the Spanish war by Colonel Nc
Lane, but had not been mustered into
the regular army and had, OF course,
seer no service. Under the pension
laws there was not the slightest author
ity for granting pensions to any OF the
members of this purely volunteer or
ganization, but several were found on
the pension rolls. Further inquiry
showed that the board OF review OF the
pension Office was responsible for this
violation OF the law, but before the
pension commissioner had verified the
facts to an extent which would warrant
his recommending the dismissal OF the
board. the members all handed in their
designations and they were promptly
accepted. The investigation was then
dropped and it is not charged that the
members were guilty Of dishonesty of
purpose, but Of wilfuI violation OF
the law.
Under a less strict administration
the secretary of the interior would
have felt 1t necessary TO consult the
president and probably TO inquire what
political influence was back Of the
members of the board. With Theodore
Roosevelt president, Secretary Hitch
cock knew there was no such necessity.
A simple verifeation OF the charge that
these men had granted pensions with
out authority Of law, had given away
a part OF the public funds without the
sanction OF congress, the secretary
knew to be all that the president would
wish to know, and knowing that, he
would Immediately approve the prompt
acceptance of their resign ations. It has
been lack Of the knowledge that the
president wouldturn a deaf ear to every
political appeal which has led former
cabinet officers to deal SO leniently
with their subordinates as, practically,
to encourage disrespect for the law
and even to pave the way for dishon-
esty. And the laxity with which for
mer cabinet officers have treated such
mistakes is largely accountable for
the various species OF graft" in the
government service which has been
been brought to light since Theodore
Roosevelt became the chief executive.
The immensely and inbrieacy of the
federal Observation-Disclosures it impera-
tive th at every indication Of dishonesty
be probed TO the bottom and that every
proven case Of wilful or careless dis
regard OF the public interests be visited
with summary punishment. With the
sort OF administra dealt out by
Perry Heath, when he was first assist
ant postmaster general, and the laxity
tions, the weakened and the careless
grew more SO and the dishonest thrived.
With th at determined effort on the part
of every high official to secure honest
and efficient discharge Of public duties
which aracterizes the present admin
istration, from the president down, the
entire federal service is certain TO inn
prove in every way, and while the pub
lie may be somewhat scandalized by
the exposures Of the present, Presi-
dent Roosevelt will leave no heirIooms
of graft and incapacity to be discov-
cred and made public by his success
sors.
One other mistake was discovered
by Commissioner Warner. In some
instances, the famous pension order
rs has been construed as being retro
active. This appears, however, to be
an error Of judgment chargeable to a
former administration Of the pension
Office, and as the men who began to
draw their pensions too early as a re
suit Of this error are all alive, the
government need only TO withhold
their monthly stipends until the books
are balanced again and nothing will
be lost to the government. The pen
sioners may be seriously inconye-
nienced by the temporary Withholding
Of their pensions, but that cannot be
helped, and, too, it is more than likely
that they contributed to the error by
bringing political influence to bear.
The extent to which improperly, TO
use mild word, was permitted to go
under q former administration is ex-
emplifed By the fact that it has re-
Gently been discovered that one his
honest official OF the government had
secured places in the public service
for thirty mine near relatives, making
an even forty including himself. This
official, who occupied . high and re-
sponsible position, has now been in