Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1859-04-30


gratitude, but because they were unwilling to die.
eliminate between those who served in the var With
Great Britain and those Who served in the war with
Mexico; and becanss furthermore, the country l.
not able, without burthening itself with heavy ma.
tional debt and largely increasing the tar.axe to
make the appropriation required. The black Re.
publicans, representing the manufacturing States
and some few Democrats representing the same
States are anxious by any and all feasible means to
increase the public debt so as to pave the way for
protective tariffs while Southern Know Nothiurs
cooperate with them with the view Of iniurinr the
Democratic party by dcnunciations Of Democratic
extravasance and Of national debts, contracted un.
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 Lctchcr the
Democratic candidate for Governor Of viryinia Dc.
hvered in Petersburg, on the 18th instant:
Under the Pension laws, provision was made for
the soldiers who had fought in the war Of the Rcyo.
luton 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 bin 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 tire Revolution
had been paid in Continental scrip. which had great
ly deprecated by the exigcncics Of III. times.
Then. there was another c!ass-thc invali,)c.l sol
ders-those wounded in battle, or disabled BIZ dis.
ease 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 fnI,v rr
cognzed without regard to the particular war out 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 $50. OoO, 600 The sys
tenn to which the gentleman refers was proposed Tor
the soldiers Of the war Of 1912 alone; first for
those who had served twelve months and upwaris
it provided $96 year; for those who had served
served six days Sos, and all others who had served
at all were to receive the highest amount mentioned
800.
This bill was to 60 back to the Is, September.
1897, and would have required an appropriation OF
coo for this year, and in the course Of ten
years would have absorbed the sum Of Slaa, 600
was right for refusing to put such burden up.
toll should have to pay such an amount to the sol.
ders, nine-tenths Of whom more able to 10 with.
out it than mary Of those who would have TO paw 4,
at last But how i:,any Of them do You suppose
have derived benefit from the acts Of 1850 AMI iSss
Nearly five hundred thousand II the pension Is
proper for them, is it not proEcr for the soldiers
OF the Mexican war: They stand urSn exactly the
foreign land, while the other rendered il on t.c soil
OF their country. Both have received their nav. in.
GLIDING rations. clothing and everything the Law a.
lows, and in addition to that each was given ls0
acres Of land. Now, ask why not pension the sol.
diers Of the Mexican war as we'll as the soldiers Of
the war of 1912: II the pension he paid at all !, is
for meritorious service. Will YOU, therefore. dis
crminate in favor Of one and against another. Why
not pension the soldiers in the Florida war in the
Creek and the Black Hawk wars and all other wars
in which the country has been engaged in the lie.
fence Of its rights: II all these arc to be pension.
ed, what Government on the facc'of the Garth could
bear the burden: And it is little remarkable. in
this connection, that my competitor should arraisn
me for cxtrsvagance in the expenditure Of the public
moneys, and then, in the next breath. condemn nc
because would not burden the Government with IN
immense debt! (Applausc.r
And now We present some official information on
this subject, showing the amour, 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 a
letter addressed to the Secretary Of the Interior says
From these data AMI hypothesis We conclude
that there are 1869 surviving soldiers and a36
widows, in all 2S62S persons who would be entitled
to pensions Of 500 per annum. making Ss,,is:S IS;
24,S71 soldiers and 8. lSl widows maxim. 80, ESQ
persons at SO per annun. making 81 o5s. 300; c..
100 soldiers and Is O79 widows in all as SIS persons
at $50 per annum, amounting to a. 1872 900; max.
ing the annual amount which will be required TO
pay these three Of the four classes Of pensions pro
vilcd for by the BILL 795oss. 1.-THE prcscn, ages
Of all these persons average sixtycight years their
mean length Of al their lives, is ten years. The
sum involved in the bill from the present time Is
therefore $s7, $780, $50. But the pensions arc to
commence from the 18th Of March, 1857 and We must
to this sum add the amount that would accrue from
that period to the present. viz: els, 39I. 40a max.
ing in all about $103, 342 2s4; about Se9. 3l6. 9G0
of which would be expended prior to the close Of
the ensuing fiscal year, and which would now have
to be provided for, in addition to the expenses Incl
dent to the vast machinery necessary in the cxccu
| ton Of SO comprehensive law.
The fourth class Of bcnefciarics consists Of those
who were engaged in battle; but 1t is utterly i'm
possible to form any satisfactory estimate Of their
number. So far IS those known or supposed to
have served twelve months are concerned, Il il i'm.
moteT1A Wnetner tney WeIc III Oattic OF NOT because
they would only be entitled to the same amount oi
pension; but there are 30,052 whose pensions arr
calculated in the foregoing estimate at $75 each and
"a, $50 whose pensions arc calculated ut $50 each
and Just so many as were engaged in battle will
be entitled to ssl and &c more.
There were also 23O.73s not embraced in the
foregoing estimate at ALL because the duration "a
their service supposed to have been less than sixty
days. but who If engaged in battle will each be en-
titled to pensions for life, at tho rate Of 500 pei
annum.
It is believed that large number Of the militia
and volunteers who participated in the numcrou,
1919. were called into service on the sudden cmcr
eency of the occasion. and left Il soon after and
consequently, that this fourth class ofpcnsioncrs
who would not otherwise come within the provisions
of the bill, viii be quite nuneroas, and that ths