Pensions

It lias come to be generally considera! tl.at our pension lists vvhich are inereasingin amount at an ilarming rale are beiiiffenlurst'dconsiderably by fraudulent claims. To prove this however is a difflcult matter owing to the secresy of the work of the pension claim agents. A method to obvíate this suspicion.to say the least, is being discussed not a little by the press of the country and the N. Y. Trïbuoe thus voices the idea: "There is a widespread belief- wliether well nr ill-foiiuiled- tlmt a considerable pioportion of our great pension list Is fntndulenti thatnümt-g have boen added to ït by tboofuitb in conseqiience of the rnergKi.; cnurse of agents, whose fees stinml.iti-d their eflbrts. To d.tcrmine the truth or faWty oí thcne repented charfret, might it not be well to author ¦ aanimlly or scmi-annually the public xlilbition of the list of pgnsioners or ¦ . .lis of each ngency- the nauies to Dec p iouously postedin thecountiesand ln . hcre the pensioners reside? To le' te and honorable pensionen this will i.ig relief. They will take pride in seein.' ilieir names published aniong their frleiiilsand n.ighbors, whereas thoscsame fjleuda and neighbors willquickly disceru if tüere bc Irauduient or umvorthy names .... i.ic utu vtien yon come down to cach tovvn or village, you fret a great cloud ol witnessesastotlieintegrity and worthiness of cvery pensloner, and you will lind a hearty readiness to expose a'ncl denounce tlie iraudulent names If tlierc be any riie plan would cost little to each agency Is it not worth trylng?" We do not see how the proposed scheme could injure any honcst pensioner, but on the other hand we can see how it would annually save a great amount to the Government by cuttinr off all false claims. It is generally believed that a large part of the moncy annually paid from the United States Treasury on the pension account goes to the claim agents. They are conünually on the alert for soldiers vvho have been In the war, and if they can find one who was ever sick wliile on duty they immediately urge bina to apply for a pension, prornising to get it for him for, say $10.00. Ifhepays this, matten are unneceBearily delayed until the expectant would-be-pensioner is willing to be bied from $35.00 to $100. Upon the reception of this money the papers are pushed through, not alwayswe are afraid without the con ni vanee even of govern mental officials who are to receive a división of the spoila. Cases have been known where in times dull to the claim agents, they have, on the promise of a share, flxed up claims for those who were never in the war, and without any just duim for inoney from the Government. Great frauda have grown up around this semi-secret system and none havo dared to opposo it, either In Congress or on a party platform for the Fear of being accused either of a lack of patriotism, an unfriendly feeling aeainst the soldier, or of having a niggardly spirit. Only by this raethod of publishing the names of those who draw pensions can fraudulent clairaants be rooted out.