Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 June 1893 — PURGE THE ROLLS. [ARTICLE]

PURGE THE ROLLS.

The Grand Army Gazettt is pouring hot shot into the ranks of the pension agents, and has frequently published vigorous editorials denouncing pension frauds and dtmanding that the pension rolls be purged: In a recent num>. ber the Gazette says on this point: “With a pension roll greater than the number of men in the field at the close of the war of the rebellion—and most of those lie in honored graves—and with an expenditure of over $160,000,000 a year for that one lt .m, it behooves those interested in the real veterans and the tried and true veterans themselves, to be up and doing. There will be same startling revelations in the next two or three yeais, we are convinced. We have some evidence already which will be prepared for the new commissioner of pensioners. If fraud cannot be proven, then the pension will still be paid. If fraud can be proven it cannot be too quickly proven, and the pension should cease. Every dollar Laid in fraud is wickedly stolen, not alone from the patient tax-payer 6, but from the deserving veterans. Strike, comrad, whi'e the iron is Dot, and if it should sear some bogus claimants so as to leave a mark by which they may be known of all men, there will be no cause for regret.

In this connection we wish to call attention to the frantic efforts made by one Gs-orge E. Lemon, in his claim agents’ organ, to befog and mislead the people and the comrades who support his paper and have made him rich, by publishing huge cartoons of one-leg-ged and otherwise maimed veterans, and claiming that when honest men and honorable editors clamor for the weeding out of f; auds they are injuring these maimed heroes. Lemon knows better than that. There neyer was a worse or more vicious mi representation made by him and the claim agents’ ring.— The gist of what we have all along claimed is given above. We have added nothing to and taken nothing away from our demand, and readers of the Gazette will bear us out in what we say. We ask only this: Let the pension list be overhauled. If a uime is sent in as that of a person believe:! to 1 a a bogus or unworthy recipient let the facts be iuve tigated. If the person is unworthy strike the . ame from the roll of honor. Th.it is all. No more, no less. Can the Grand Army mountebanks or Mr. Lemon object to this? Is it striking down honorably wounded or disabled soldiers'*

/udge Lochren, the new commissioner of pensions, said in reply to a question as to what attitude the pension department wo’d assume towards the G. A. R.: “We have, of course, no prejudice against the G. A. li. Quite the reverse, in fact. It is a great organization. lam a member mvself, re I think all old Union soldier 6 should be.” As to the geno eral policy of |the pension office tlie commissioner says:

1 have one policy: The equal, eiergetic and exactly just administration of pension laws as thev are found upon the statute books. If a man is entitled to a pension he ought to have it, and if he is not entitled to it he should not apply. The department is really a court of claims, and it is the business duty of its officials to enter upon examination of the papers submitted n each case with patience, and without bias for or against. So far as lies within my power this will bn done. If from examination of the rolls it appears that the government is being robbed, the payment ot money to the unworthy will|be d’seontinued. I am certa in that genuine veterans verywhere ask only fair dealing. When rich men like McKinley and Foster, of Ohio, fail, the world says they have been unfortunate and kind friends rally to their assistance, When a poor man has bad luck, meets with misfortune and fairs—say to pay a small grocery bill, his name goes on the ! black list.

Rev. E. Bnech, who has received and aacepted a call to the Pres byterian church, Rensselaer, wil conduct the servioes next Sunday, morning and evening. Installation services will be held June 13th.— All invited. Dr. I. B. Washburn, handles the celebrated Tolley’s Kochinoor eye glasses, the best made. We invite attention to the ‘ad’ “lee Again as in Youth,” in another column.