The National tribune., 1910-11-17
THE PENSION ATTORNEYS.


We cannot lstthe outrageous misrep
resentatton Of the Worlds Work as t
the pension attorneys go without an
other discussion Of it. AS a busines
proposition The, National Tribune hal
had the. least possible interest in pen
sion attorneys. The total amount paiC
the paper by pension attorneys in tn
course iof a year would not maintain
The National tribune for a day. Any
one can tell this by looking at the IN "a
ger amount of advertising they do ant
always have done in the paper. At tht
same time we have had a fraternal III
terest in them, since probably 9S out o
100 are good comrades scattered thruou
the country, who have eked out thei
small incomes as Justices of the Peace
County and Township Clerks, Notaries
etc, by taking a few pension cases
Many of them do this work more as ;
matter of love than anything else t.
help their comrades who are in neeC
and should have their assistance. Thes'
| men are as good citizens, as honest, up
right and we'll deserving as any men il
the country. They are of the best stand
ing in their several communities, ant
better men cannot be found in theil
neighborhoods. This is not saying tina
a few black sheep may not be found il
SO many as $4,000 men. Yet the Worlds
Work has the audacity to bring thi:
sweeping calumny against the whole
mass:
I'm 1890 a courageous Commissioner
of Pensions, Mr.. Evans, undertook to in
vestigate claim agencies. AS result he
disqualified 24,662 of the registered at
torneys, leaving only Is, ,4S1 authorized
to practice before the Bureau The
causes which led to the disbarment ant
suspension of the 24.662 included the
following offenses:
COLLECTING illegal fees from claim
ants.
Making false certificates to pension
vouchers
Preparing and filing false affidavits
in support of claims for pension.
Forging pensioners name to pension
vouchers and collecting illegal fees.
ost-dating pension vouchers.
"Collusion with dsbarred attorneys.
Failure to refund improperly paid
fees.
"Disbarred by State courts for deceit
malpractice and other gross misconduct
"Collusion with pension attorney in
the prosecution of pension claims while
an officer of the Government
"COllusion with a Federal officer in
the prosecution of pension claims.
collecting illegal fees. and In capaci-
ty OF pension attorney borrowing money
from claimants. failing to repay same.
Attempt to bribe Government Off
10, y,ytfk n
Of pension claims.
"Practcing under an assumed name
and forging fee checks.
Making false statements to Depart
ment in order to be admitted to prac-
tice
Procuring and filing applications and
affidayits not sworn to.
prosecuting claims while a Govern
ment officer. s.
Interfering with the work of and as
saulting a Special Examiner of the
Pension Bureau.
"Illegally drawing several pensions
after death or remarriage of pensioners.
Making and filing false affidaVits to
secure removal of charge Of desertion.
collecting Illegal fees and making
false jurats to pension vouchers.
COLLECTING illegal fees and procuring
and filing as evidence papers which were
not sworn to. -
procuring and filing false, fraudulent
and forged evidences.
.Loaning money on pension certifi-
Gates.
Gross neglect of claimants interests.
FALSELY representing to be an officer
of the United States.
Conspiracy to obtain fraudulent pen
sion.
Forging fec agreements.
"Blackmafl."
The plain facts about this. as can
be ascertained by an examination of
the reports of Commissioner Evans.
are that the Pension Office was encum-
bered with a list of men who had pros
ecuted one or more cases since 1860.
II was known that thousands of these
had died and thousands more had given
up the business or moved to other parts
of the country. It was desirable to
revise the roll, and therefore the no.
tification was sent out to all the per-
sons whose names and addresses were
In the Office to qualify under the pro-
visions of the act of 1884 before Jan.
1, 1899. At that date, 1s,481 had COM
piled with the requirements and signi-
fled their intention of practicing before
the Bureau. AS matter OF fact, the
says that something like
/ 900 were really engaged in the active
prosecution of claims. The Commis-
sioner's report says that for the year
1899 there were the following reduc-
tions in the number Of pension attor-
neys:
Disbarred SO
10
..................
................ 2
by request. t........... 2
Dropped because of acceptance
of Federal offices. s............ SO
Died 107
Failure to register. er............. 24,425