Year: 1879

day of February the authority of the Commits
sioner of Pensions and published in the Record Of
February s.


In order that may not be charged w ith any
exaggeration, we print below the debate.


Senator Beck gentleman who never talks at
random, whose memory is fully to be depended on,
states, a member of the Committee on Appropri-
ations, that Commissioner Bentley appeared before
that committee and said in substance that 90 per
cent of all the pensions now paid were fraudulent
pensions. As the total amount of pensions paid
yearly is about $50 600 O00 this would make nearly
SIX MILLIONS OF DOLLARS fraudulently taken from
the United States every year These figures are
appalling and Incredible


Senator Edmunds, of Vermont whose clear men,
tai vision things they are, declined to accept
SO wholesale and enormous a condemnation, and
states the figure of probable fraud at rate that s
much nearer the truth and likely to be within
the range of the facts and call special attention
to his remarks


Now we particularly desire to call the attention
of all parties interested to the fearful indictment
thus brought by the Commissioner himself upon his
own administration of the Office.


If he having at his command all the resources of
the Government to detect and punish frauds, having
given to him fortyone persons, at good salaries and
of his own selection whose sole business is to act
detective corps under his special orders permits
and has permitted twenty per cent. of frauds to
ist and go unpunished-if he has allowed and is
allowing S6 100000 to be stolen out of $50 900 900
every year by sham pretenders to the injury of the
honest pensioners and to the great loss of the Gov
ernment the question naturally arises if he is not
altogether expen sive branch of the public
vice. and whether he ought not to be replaced by
some who will stop this tremendous leak
4 If, however, we go with Mr.. Edmunds and the
men of calmer judgment, and say that it cannot be
possible that any such enormous loss has occurred
or can occur then the question is, what is to be
thought of an officer who will make charge so
staggering in amount and containing SO horrible
slander upon the average honesty of the people,
without full and satisfactory evidence to sustain it?


The dilemma is before Mr. Bentley. Let him
choose eithee horn and ON either he is impaled


Now it will not do for him say that these state
ments not official, for they were so made by him
as groundwork for Congressional action
4 On the 4th day of February, 1879, the Commits
sioner wrote letter known as Ex Doe No rs, H. of
Reps. of this session.


i On page of that document these words occur:


st estimated by those informed that there have
been not less than 81 paid out annually for fraud
uent pensions. In my Judgment the estimate is below
| rather than above, the actual amount


4 Of course it would have been very much more
consistent if Mr. Bentley. in this official letter had
adhered to the statement made to the Committee on
Appropriations and to the chairman of the Commit
/ tee ON Pensions


To the common mind there is wide dife renee
between taeo millions and sac millions-betwe cen
STA and halt per cent and teeaty per cent--and
yet when writing this last letter-when tempted 80
magnify these frauds much as be dared in the
"keen sunlight of publicity in order to press on
the attention of Congress his fayorte Sixty-Sur-
geon Bill y he could not screw his courage higher.
than the conclusion given above
That there some fraudulent pensioners is un-
doubedly true If there exists ANYTHING like the tre-