The National tribune., 1911-03-30
ANOTHER PROFESSOR GONE
WRONG.

getting hold of half facts and figures
out of place and insisting on talking to
them. Prof. VIM. c. Veditz adds to
the unpleasant notoriety which college
professors have gained of late years by
a TRADE against pensions in an address
delivered before the Bankers Associa-
ton at Washington, D. c., and which
has attracted the attention of the press.
It is another sad illustration of how
little a college professor may know
about the actualities of life.
The Professor says he believes that
too much money is being given TO men
who do not deserve pensions. Men of
mature thought before accepting such
statement in its entirely would in
quire as to what may be said on the
other side. A little inquiry would show
that we have an Interior Department
and very capable Bureau of Pensions.
organized with the highest ability. con-
Quoted by men of unexceptional in
tegrity and devoted to seeing that men
who do not deserve pensions shall not
get them.
1t may be that the Secretary of the
Interior, with his corps of legal assist
ants, and the Commissioner of Pen
sions, selected by the President for bis
intimate knowledge of the pension sys-
tenn and confirmed by the Senate after
thoro examination Of his oualifica-
tons, are much inferior to the learned
professor in their knowledge of this
subject and the methods of administra-
ton. If so, we had better alter our
form of Government, and have our
public business transacted by men Sc
lected by college faculties on account
of their ability to memorize Latin guam
tive ability.
The most serious trouble with college
professors is that they CLEAN their
knowledge from foreign textbooks, and
do not gain wisdom by exhaustive study
of the workings of our own institutions
to see how theories and suggestions
come out in actual practice. 1t is to
ILLS we OW0 SUCH pOiillCdl HOStTuIuS d6
the initiative. referendum and recall.
This country has been built up to
it's present greatness by earnest, prac-
teal men, looking eagerly for any sug-
gestion for improvement, practically
trying many things and finally holding
firmly on to that which actual trial has
shown to be good. In spite of the out
cries Of half-thinkers. trained in foreign
thought, our institutions are at least as
effective, as vigorous and as honest as
any found in the world. We think that
they excel all others in these essential
aspects.
The Pension Bureau, the most often
assaulted by these imperfect thinkers.
has maintained itself successfully
against their assaults, and whenever
the assaults have reached the dignity
that is deemed worth while to answer
the Bureau has splendidly indicated
itself. It has a corps of officials equal
to any found in the world. who have
the reputation of the Bureau strongly
at heart and who devote themselves
with the utmost ability and energy to
keeping the pension roll clean and hon
est, 10 perfecting methods by which
only the rightful ones shall receive the
Nations justice and to exposing and
furnishing those who would take advan-
ed to a degree not found in any other
Department of the Governments ex-
penditures by the whole people. The
disbursements of the Pension Bureau
reach every crossroads and village in
the country, and the men and women
VINO receive pensions are continually
under the scrutiny of their neiehbors
Every time a veterans hens scratch up
a neighbor's garden a detective is
created to invoke scrutiny on the vet
Grams pension. Every old soldier wko
happens to be occupying a fair place
under the Government makes detectives
Of all the clerks who would like to get
his place and pay. No other branch of
the Governments expenditures is under
the severe scrutiny of SO many envious
eyes, and in none other is fraud SO dan
gerous.
The cabal of pension attorneys of
which the Professor speaks so conf
IDENTIFY is Pigment of his imagination
If there is any pension attorney in the
United States who Is accommodating a
fortune or even making more than a
fair living out of the prosecution Of
pension cases it would be interesting IL
the Professor would point him out.
One illustration, which, not being in
an European textbook, has probably
escaped the Professors attention. Presi-
dent Cleveland came into Office in 1898
with an official announcemept that the
| pension roll was full of fraud, and that
every community had its thousands of
well-known impositions and shams. Mr.
| Cleveland selected Secretary of the
| Interior and Commissioner of Pen
sions to make this assertion good, and
bring to his Administration great re-
nown for his vigorous reform policy.
The Secretary of the Interior went to
| Congress for an unusually large appro-
priation, 100000, to employ a great
force of Special Agents to develop these
frauds. Congress not only gave him
| 100000 for that year. but it continued
| it for the four years of his Administra-
ton. making a total appropriation of
| 100000 for this work.
| These Agents eager IN win the an