The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1879-02-21
ONE HUNDRED MILLIONS
Tile True Aapareiness c/' tie Pension
41Irears Blu
WASHINGTON, d. c., Feb, 3, 1879.

VI oahuary, hr. Hayes ap-
proved the Arrears of Pension Bill" thus
ihakinS 1t the law. Every mail since has
Drought me one or more letters from friends
III oouth Carolina expressing qualification
at this fact, and iuquiring how the writer
y'T sS phH5nsr hf b bssh
in the Seminole, Black Hawk, Mexican or
some other war, with which the "Arrear
bilr' had nothing to do. Before this reach
os you their hopes will have been blasted;
but it may not be amiss to publish few
thoughts upon the subject Of pensions, as
our people ut the South are morbidly san
guine that the present Congress will give
many of them material relief by passing
pension laws, which will apply to Southern
as well as Northern soldiers who were in
wars anterior to 1861.
In 1878 ([ Think pension law was en-
acted granting pension to every soldier
who had been disabled, Cor his representa-
tive if he had been killed. in the ''war
wagcd for the suppression Of the rebellion"
or course this meant only Federal soldiers.
The day Of payment of the pension was to
date from the passage oftho law, anG all
soldiers who did not within five years from
that date apply for pension were to be
dcbarrcd.
The "Arrcars Of Pension Bill" amends
that law SO us to date the day Of payment
back to the day Of the death or wounding
Of the soldier, and removes the five years
restriction. So, if soldier was wounded
at the first battle Of Manassas and is draw
ing but SS g month, this bill gives him ad.
ditional pay of nearly 81 900 in the aggrc-
gate. There are over 300,0 900 of these
pensioners. and their number will now be
greatly increased by the removal Of the five
years restriction and this Jumping off to
them OF ten years pay ut one payment
No one estimates that it will require less
than $50 ,OOO, 600 to pay these arrearagcs,
and some say it will require all Of 500 OU0,-
900. The only obstruction now in the way,
is the passage OF Il bill to appropriate money
to meet the demands of this arrears BILL
Whether this will dc an impediment Of
any consequence, you may judge when
tell you woodcn-lcggcd Federal general
framed and introduced the bill in Demo
cratic House which passed it it then
passed Republican Senate, and was
approved by Republican President who,
convinced at least Of its impropricty, hest
tatcd several days before he would sign it
but had not the nerve to veto it,
The appropriations committee will doubt
less rccon:E@na the necessary appropriation,
the Southern members will not oppose it,
from that delicate sense Of honor peculiar
to them, the two parties, North and South,
will vic with each other in approving the
appropriation, the money will be required
to come forth, and the man who chcws to-
bacco or takes an occasional & lass OF grog
will have to pay that much more for his
qud and his toddy.
The surviving volunteer soldiers Of the
war are really power i'll the land, and the
two parties North are vicing with each
other to secure their votes, SO that this ar
rears pension matter is not, and cannot be
considered, just claim upon the treasury
of the United States, but is virtually if not
really, a political measure, advocated by
either party to defeat the other Neither
will gain or deserve special credit, aud 50
honors will be easy"
A few more words upon the general
question of pensions: On the 9th March
IA law was enacted to pension the sur
viying soldiers, or widows Of soldiers
of the war of 1872. Would you believe
it, there arc on file now in the pen
sion Office more than 2G 900 applications
for pensions under that bill? L did not
think this could possibly be the case, but
so it is Human longevity has been admra-
bly, illustrated since the passage Of that bill
AS have received what appeared to me
to be fair proportion Of these pension
claims from the veterans Of the war of lS12,
l have multiplied that number by 202, the
number of representatives upon the floor
of the House, and find that the product
is a little more than one third the reported
number Of applicants. L have wondered
where these 10000 veterans or surviving
widows came from.
The effect Of this unanticipatcd number,
I fear, has killed the possibility Of the pas
sage Of law pcnsloning the surviving
soldiers Of the Seminole or Mexican wars.
These wars were fought principally by
Southern soldiers, and this will be another
reason why pensions will never be paid to
their veterans. When the pension bill re.
lating to these wars was recently under con-
sidcration in the House, some one moved
to amend by adding a clause granting a
prnsiou to every yoluntncr SOllicr who was