The daily gazette., 1880-12-21
SECOND EDITION
From the Philadelphia Telegraph.
AS TO BOUNTIES.

AS TO BoUNTIES. D |
Ofall the Presidents that the country |
ever had, President Grant, it was
thought by the advocates of the bill
to equalize bounties, which passed |
both houses of Congress during the
last term of his administration, would
be the least likely to veto that or any
other measure intended to benefit the
brave men who conquered rebellion
and restored the Union. II was be-
lieved by them that the most success
full soldier of them all would do as
much, or more, as any others would
do in behalf of the "Boys in Blue. v
He best knew how valiantly they had
fought and how heroically they had
borne all manner of suffering, both in
camp and field. He best Of all knew
that whatever the country they had
saved, taking their lives in their hands
to save it, could do for them, it could
not do too much; and conseQue rtly,
with the easy assurance of statesmen
and patriots who wanted to reward
the savlors of the country and to get
the soldiers vote at the next election,
the statesmen and patriots of the
House and Senate passed the Equali-
zation of Bounties bill; but, greatly to
TO their disgust, and TO the violent In
dignation of the claim a~ents, Presi-
dent Grant vetoed the b.. giving as
q general reason therefor that its pur-
pose was not so much to relieve the
heroes of the war as TO enrich the
claim agents. He did not add, as he
might have done, that its other and
chief purpose was to serve as a bait
for the votes of the heroes. One OF
the manifest and most sensible acts OF
President Grants administration was
that of vetoing the Equalization act;
it required some courage and q good
deal of integrity of character to do it,
but President Grant was quite s4ual
10 it.
That bill is not dead yet, for at every
subsequent session Of Congress since II
was vetoed it has reappesred, and 1t il
unquestIonably the purpose Of those
most interested IN 1t to secure Its pass
age. The claim agents could afford tt
pay literally to secure its success, as 1
is a job that would take two or three
hundreds of millions out of the Treas
ury, the greater part Of which woult
have to pass through, or rather into
their stricky, itching palms. Wha
shameless jobbery there Ii in this pen
sion business was fully disclosed the
other day, when the Pension Appropria
! tion bill came up for consideration il
Congress. Though the sum asked TO
amounted to fifty millions of dollars, th,
House was ready to rush it througl
without any consideration whatever; AM
it would have been 80 rushed through
had not Mr.. Hubbell chosen to eDlivel
the occasion aud enlighten members AM
, the country by the exceedingly perth
ent facts and figures bearing upon th
> subject. 1t is only fifty millions tina
are asked for this year, but Mr.. Hubbel
: demonstrated that, in consequence OF tn
, adoption by Congress Of the act for pay
! ing arrearages of pensions, the amour
must be increased yearly for a lon
time. at the present lime there are o.
} file no less than 281, ,597 claims unde
the Arrearages act, and of these abou
$4,000 are likely to be allowed. ReI
/, resentative Hubbell estimated that eac
: claim allowed would take from tn
/, Treasury about 81, 100, making an ag
D gregate outgo of at least $217;000,000.
r is possible that very much larger sur
! may have to be paid, as 1t is not certai
!, y that he has not largely underestimate
the number of claims to be allowed; TO
1 said Mr.. Hubbell, ''anybody can get
q pension under the Arrearages act who
willing to take false OATH"
1t is satisfactory to us to remembt
that from first to last the Telegraph o.
posed this act, and that it had no suppo
outside of Congress except from thoi
extreme partisan journals that were will
ing the country should pay any price
a secure the soldiers vote. 1t was decla
n ed by.its authors that the extreme e1
y penditures under it would be less tina
n twenty five millions; and though th
10 soldiers vote is so desirable thing fC
e The statesmen and patriots in Congress
Ie have, 1T is extremely doubtful il. f.aimajorit
- of them would have been willing to bu
d 1t at the enormous outlay of from two /
q three hundreds of millions, the amour
T. that, as Mr.. Hubbsll explained, it is no.
certain TO cost. If all this vast sum wer
h into the pockets of the soldiers who ar
v. entitled to it, there would be less Uoccs
h sion to regret the passage OF the act col
- ferring it, but it Is notorious fact thi
" ~ the claim agents rather than the soldier
!, chiefly benefit by the Arrearages law.
- - 1t may be, and we suppose is, imposs
e .s BILE to effect repeal of this act, but IL
- passage and effects of it shoald be ust
= as irresistible arguments against the pr
u posed passage of the Equalization aC
% because it is estimated that the latt
N would,i it became law, take more fro
u the Treasury than The iormer. Congre
N cannot go on buying the soldiers vote
every session. 1t is good thing TO hav
If but, at the price oftwo or three hundre
IN Of millions paid for each new pur cha:
lie it is rather dear. The country in fa
10 cannot afford to secure the reelection
i Congressman and the prosperity Of clai
" agents at any such cost.
Il,