The National tribune., 1882-02-25
Will it Pay?

The argument upon which the opponents of
pension legislation invariably fall back when
hard pressed, is simply that it will "cost too
much" They profess to think that it would be
an outrage upon the taxpayers" to take from
the Treasury the millions which will be required,
under existing and prospective acts of Congress,
to pay the Nations pensioners Some of them
do not even hesitate to call it a swindIe, and a
few have ventured to stigmatize the pensioners
themselves as swindlers. We can afford to pass
that insult by.
This question OF cost, however is worth while
considering Leaving sentiment out of the Ques-
ton altogether, let us look at this matter in the
light of pure business transaction. The prop
ositon then resolves itself simply into this: Are
the taxpayers paying too dearly for the preser-
walton of the Union? Let us see first what they
standard to measure the gain by: In 1860 our
total exports and imports were but 1852 2SS $50
while in 1880 they were 81, $50 472O93, or an in
crease of nearly one billion dollars! Had the
live that we should have had any surplus to send
abroad?
Again: Confederate notes to-day are not worth
the paper they are printed On, while the green
back is worth its. face in gold Suppose the
issue of the war had been the reverse of what it
was, how could the North have escaped bank
ruptcy? Compare the condition of the South
to-day with that of the North Although more
than sixteen years have rolled away since the
surrender of Lee, it is still impoverished and the
partial failure Of its single staple is sufficient as
we have lately seen to paralyze it's business, and
compel some of its leading mercantile houses to
close their doors. At the North, on the other
hand, everything prospers. Capital accumulates
so rapidly that it with difficulty finds investment
is sending us yearly half million of immigrants
to build up our undeveloped territory in the
great northwest
The Government shares the general prosperity.
In spite of the heavy interest-charge which the
Treasury is compelled to meet, the cost of the
various Departments-yes, and its expenditures
in the shape of pensions-it has an annual sur
plus of S15OOOO,OOO.
Now, such was the patriotic feeling of the
Northern people at the outbreak of the war,
that had the question been put to them in cold
blood Will it pay to pledge the revenues of
the Government for half a century for the pay
ment of pensions to the surviving soldiers of the
war, as well as the widows and orphans of those
who may fall in battle, and without regard to
whether they come back unnjured or dis
abled," we venture to say that they would
have enthusiastically answered Eyes" Yet, at
that time, no one could foresee the splendid
future that was in store for the Republic. No
imagination, however brilliant, could conceive
of the great blessings that were to grow out of
that bitter struggle.
VIII it pay? The Nation answered that
question more than twenty years ago, when it
accepted the wager of battle, and offered I'D its
own flesh and blood on the altar of PATRIOTISM
1t is too late to raise the issue now, when all
physical traces of the struggle have passed away
and even the graves of our heroes can no longer
be distinguished by the swelling sod
VIII it pay? 1t has paid doubly-in money