New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-02-28
AN EXTRAORDINARY PENSION BILL.
PENSIONS TO EX-CONFEDERArEs AT A TINE WHEN
NORTHERN sOLDTrEs ARE KEPT WAITING AND
THE REVENUES ARE DEFICIENT.

PENSIONS TO EX-CONFEDERArEs AT A TINE WHEN
NORTHERN sOLDEI:s ARE KEPT WAITING AND
THE REVENUES ARE DEFICIENT.
IBY TELEGRAPH THg rgiBUsEI
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27-1he House of Rcpresen-
tatiyes is still engaged upon the bin to pension all
the surviving soldiers Of the war with Mexico and
of certain Indian wars which took place prior to
1910.
While large majority of the bcnofriaries OF this
bill if il should pass are Southern men, and many
of them were engaged in the rebellion, and this
fact gives it much OF the strength it ha. developed
in the House. this is not the reason why the Rcpub-
licans almost unanimously oppose IT, That the
Republicans are ready to do ample justice 10 disa-
bled soldiers who have served the country in the
Mexican or any other war, has been proved by the
readiness they have shown to restore to the pension
rolls the names Of soldiers OF the War Of 1872 and
of that with Mexico whose names were dropped
during the rebellion. But the bill under consdcra-
ton proposes to 20 further than THIS. 1t places
upon the pension rolls the name of every
survivor of the Mexican and OF the In
dian wars enumerated without regard to his present
condition. The number of men who woulG be en-
titled to draw from the United States Treasury 500
a wear each should the present bill become law, IS
about IS, 900, many Of whom are still III the prime
Of life and do not need the Government bounty. A
or from other causes in INDECENT circumstances
would meet with far less objection.
But the strongest argument against the passage
of the bin in question is that the Government can
not at this time afford II. The annual charge upon
,c Treasury of the United States for the pensions
nroposed would he more than $7,000000 This is
n pratuity, and not an obligation OF
tie United States to the men whom IT
u propc ed to benefit. Now, everybody knows
that for the first time i'll many years
a probable deficit Of about $4,000, 900 III the reVe-
nues of the Government for the next fiscal year
stares Congress and the country IN the Lee. In
order TO make both ends meet, the necessary eA-
penses of tie Government must be cut down by that
amount. taxes must he levied. The latter
expcdent is not to be thought Of. Indeed, n large
patty in Congress has been demanding reduction OF
the rates Of wtiskcy aud tobacco and another
class talks of reducing the rates of duty to such IN
extent that the income OF the Government from tine
tariff will be from ten 10 twenty per cent less than
ituowIs Yet in the face of this condition of
affair. il is proposed to give away seven millions
. VAR tn a class of men who, however deserving,
have no legal claim on the Government, and without
any regard to their present circumstances
Jftbe most of these $4,000 mon lived IN the North
thcre is grave doubt if the Democratic party
woud be so nearly unanimous to vote money to
them justat this time
Another consideration The XLlVth Congress was
the most economical, not to say parsimohous' that
has assembled in Washington stree the war, ana the
prescnt is following in its footsteps. Inc cicrlc
force in every Department an d Bureau OF the Gov
eminent was reduced by the &LlNth Congress 10
the lowest possible standard and even IN cases
where it was c0nclusiyely shown that unless The
force allowed increased the pubic
business could not be transacted. no III
crease was allowed. Every member Of Congress
knows that there are now 10000 applications
from soldiers who served in the Union Army during
the late war and who are now asking to be placed
on the pension rolls, whose cases have not been
acted upon because the clerical force in the
The current work Until Congress is ready to 20
ustce to the disabled soldiers OF the war fer the
Union who have legal claim upon the Goyarnment.
applications can be examined 1t is not called upon