The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-11-14
THE ROLL OF HONOR.

The pension roll of the United State
8 Justly called n roll Of honor lh
people at large are abundantly abl
and willing to maintain 1T as such
They begrudge no proper recompens
hy way of pension TO those who faith
fullv served the country in its hou
of pe.j'; but there has sprung up
very general belief throughout th'
United States that the pension roll has
become badly tainted with fraud. The
| World IS Work magazine is devotlns
much of its space to series of article:
showing these frauds, giving instances
names, amounts, and other particulars
IN way that shows familiarity with
the pension roll which few persons can
obtain 1t is commendable work al!
through, and the articles themselves
maintain with commendable vigor the
sentiment expressed above, that moth
ing is grudged to the worthy old sol
dier, and that the chief purpose of the
articles is to purify the roll and make
meant to be and as it ought to be.
We are convinced that one very
weighty proposition contained in those
articles would eliminate very much of
such fraud as has been alleged. and in
some cases proved, on the pension roll
and that is, the lifting of the veil OF
secrecy that is maintained as to those
whose names are on that roll. We are
convinced that the most of the fraud
would be eliminated at once by public
ity. The names of all pensioners, their
residence with the amount that they
receive, and the reason why they are
on the roll, ought to be published
throughout the length and breadth of
the land. No honest pensioner would
or could fear such publication 1t is
only those who are on the roll surrep-
titIously, or perhaps frauduleutly, who
would have any reason to complain OF
such publication
The Worlds Work urges this as the
first step to purge the roll of imposture
and fraud and make it indeed a roll
& lcnor. We agree decidedly with
Tins There is no more reason why
there should be secrecy with regard to
this pension roll than that there should
be secrecy with regard to the paw and
allowance of the officers and soldiers
now composing the army. In fact We
no not believe in secrecy at all in the
administration of public affairs, and
in matters Of the expenditure of pub
lie money, especially such enormous
amounts as are carried in the pension
appropriations every year, Publicity
should be courted both by the Govern.
ment, for its own protection, and by
those who r!gntfu,ly are on the pension
roll. for thfir own honor No one who
is honorably on the pension roll but
would feel relieved and triumphant in
the striking from that roll of any name
carried there through fraud, perjury.
Or any form of wrong
The pension roll is and ought to be
kept a roll of honor, but it is not a
roll of honor AS long as dishonor at,
,achcs to 1t by fraud, perjury, or graft. |
Let the pension roll he purged. and first
u all, as the great means through which
i shall be cleansed. let the public have
The namo of every one in every com.
numty who is drawing a pension from
he United States by reason of service
'r allowance of any kind through mill
ary service or obligation in law relat
Ts thereto. That is the frst step; and |,
t the World S Work shall succeed in
having this done, the most important
step for publication will have been
AIKEN Obviously. publicity is the right
hing to apply to the pension roll; and
hat publicity cannot come any too
Don. Too long delayed, the remedy is
iablc TO be made too drastic because
# accumulated fraud and unbearable
upon the people.