Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1859-05-04
The Pension Bill.

was opposed by the Democrats generally, and sup |
ported by the black Republicans and the Southern |
Know Nothngs 1t was opposed not because those !
who voted against it unfriendly to the soldier
unmindfu Of his claims upon the public respect and
gratitude, but because they were unwilling to dis
crminate between those who served in the war with
Great Britain and those who served in the war with
Mexico; and because Furthermore, the country is !!
not able, without burthenng itself with heavy ma
tional debt and largely increasing the tariff taxes 10
make the appropriation required The black Re
publicans representing the manufacturing States,
and some few Democrats representing the same |
States anxious by any and all feasible means to
increase the public debt to pave the way for
protective tariffs; while Southern Know Nothings
cooperate with them with the view Of injurng the
Democratic party by denuncations of Democratic
extravaganza and Of national debts, contracted I'M
der Democratic administrations. That is the whole
secret of it. These people care precious little for
the old soldier Their whole thought is, not how to
reward Or benefit the old soldier but how to clutch
Office and money for themselves.
We invite attention to the following extract on
this subject from the speech of John Letcher, the
Democratic candidate for Governor of Virginia de-
livered in Petersburg, on the 18th instant:
"Under the Pension laws, provision was made for
the soldiers who had fought in the of the Revo-
iution and in case of their death, for their widows
and orphans.
That is the only bill that covers the wants of the
class Of soldiers engaged in this particular war The
reason assigned for the passage of the bill at that
time was, that the soldiers of the Revolution having
rendered service to the country, without adequate
compensation, some compensation was due from the
Government both in consideration of those services
and of the fact that the soldiers of the Revolution
had been paid in Continental scrip which had great
| " deprecated by the eXisencies of the times
| Then there was another class-the in7alided SOL
ders-those wounded in battle or disabled BY dis
contracted in actual service. For this class of
pensioners, it was the obvious duty of the govern
ment to provide and their claims have been fully re-
cognzed without regard to the particular war cut of
which their disability grew.
| The whole amount of money, &C., applied to the
pay of pensions from the foundation of the Govern
ment to the present time, is Sst,00O0o0. The sys-
tenn to which the gentleman refers proposed for
the soldiers of the war Of 1912 alone; first for
those who had served twelve months and upwards
it provided $?6 a year for those who had served
six months. SIS per year; for those who had only
served six days, $685. and all others who had served
at all were to receive the highest amount mentioned
500.
| This bill was to 60 back to the 1st September
| 1857, and would have required an appropriation of
a27,976,o 900 for this year. and in the course of ten
years would have absorbed the sum of 81 02 Q0 600
| Was l sit fer refusing to put such burden up
on the countiys Is it right that the strong arm of
toll should have to pay such an amount to The sol
dieTs nc-tenths Of whom more able to do with
cut it than mary of those who would have to pay it
at last? But how many of them do you suppose
have derived benefit from the acts of 1850 and 1855
1.~l Al
proper for them is it not proper for the soldiers
Of the Mexican war? They stand upon exactly the
same platform, except that rendered service in
foreign land, while the other rendered it on the soil
of their country. Both have received their pay in
eluding rations clothing and everything the law al
lows and in addition to that, each was given 100
acres of land Now, ask why not pension the SOL
diers of the Mexican war we'll as the soldiers of
The var of 1872? If the pension be paid at all, it is
for meritorious service Will you, therefore, dis
criminata in favor Of one and against another? Why
not pension the soldiers in the Florida war; in the
Greek and the Black Hawk wars, and all other wars
in which the country has been engaged in the de-
fence Of It's rights? II all these are to be pension
ed, what Government the face Of the earth could
bear the burden! AGd it is little remarkable in
this connection that my conipetito: should arraga
for extravaganza in the expenditure CT the public
moneys, and then in the next breath, condemn Inc
because would not burden the Government with an
:, immense debt [Applausen
And now we present some c7iciaz information on
this subject showing the amount of money and the
increased labor which would have been required in
the Penson Office if the bill referred to Lad passed
Mr.. Whiting, the Commissioner Of Pensions, in q
Letter addressed to the Secretary Of the Interior says
"From these data and hypothesis we conclude
that there are 1852 surviving soldiers ard 4 93G
in al hn, lor
to pensions Of $96 per annu1n making 50, rs, ,2SS
. 24S71 soldiers and s. l91 widows, making So 05g
4 persons at $75 per annum, making 81 253, 9O0 g.
99 soldiers and 13 O79 widows in all Is 958 persons
at $50 per annum, amounting to S3, 1872, 900; max
;, ing the annual amount which will be required tc
pay these three of the four classes OF pensions pro
viled for by the BILL S. 795Oss. the present ages
of all these persons everage sixtyeight years, the
q expectation of fe-that is the average duration
mean length of all their lives, is ten years. Tht
suft involved in the bill from the present time ii
Q therefore $s7, $50. But the pensions ts
commence from the 4th of March, 1857, and we mus
to this sum add the amount that would accrue fior
that period to the present viz: $l5, ,59l 404, max
r ing in all about $103 342 2S4; about 500 BIG $50
r of which would be expended prior to the close O
the ensuing fiscal year, and which would now hav,
to be provided for in addition to the expenses Incl
dent to the vast machinery necessary in the
+ ton of so comprehensive o law.
The fourth class of benefciares consists of thos
g who we're engaged in battle; but it is utterly i'm
possible to form any satisfactory estimate Of thei
l. number. So far as those known OF supposed t.
's have served twelve months are concerned it is i'm
material whether they in battle or not, becaus
O they would only be entitled to the amount o
e pension; but there are 3O,052 whose pensions ar
calculated in the foregoing estimate at $75 each
75,S5S whose pensions are calculated at $50 each
+ and Just so many as were engaged in battle vii
;. be entitled to $21 and $46 more.
r There were also 2SO,73s not embraced in tn
q foregoing estimate at ALL because the duration
their service is supposed to have been less than sx
# days, but vho if engaged in battle, will each be en-
Is titled to pensions for fe at the rate Of 500 pc
E. annum.
It is believed that large number of the militi
atod he