The National tribune., 1882-12-28
Truth Must Prevail.
papers.


Truth Must Prevail.
Elsewhere in our columns, this week, will
be found the full text of Commissioner
Dudley's reply to the resolution of Senator
Platt calling, among other things, for infer
nation as to past and prospective disburse-
mcntsunder thearrears act, and an estimate of
the amount which the passage of the pending
$40 pension bill would add to the annual
cost Of pensions. We commend the state
merits embraced in this reply to the careful
consideration not simply of our ex-sOldiers,
but of their detamers also, for they furnish
4 complete refutatiOn of the ISLANDERS that
have been circulated by the daily press
as to the present and future expenditures
of the Government on account OF pensions.
Up to December 1st the total disbursements
under the arrears act amounted to but S97,-
e9f sos 0S, and if all the eases now pending
and entitled to its benefts-in all 2O2919-
were simultaneously placed on the roll, the
aggregate cost would be but $204 795, 900,
and the annual value of the pension roll
would still be only $50000000. Yet news
papers of such standing as the New York
Herald Sun, and Tribune, in their oracular
way have repeatedly declared that the arrears
act meant an annual expenditure of from
S100OO0,0OO to $15O,0O0,00O for an indefinite
period; and other journals, of still less re-
sponsibility, have even ventured to put the
cost at 81 900, ,0O0,000. Nor is this all. The
authors of these absurd, yet mischievOus
falshO0ds, leave out of consideration entirely
the annual loss to the pension roll by reason
of death or other causes although in all
pension, as in insurance calculations the
expectation of life at different ages-ascer-
tainable at any time by reference to the un-
derwriterS tables-is a most essential iactcr,
and nothing is more certain than that from
the possible maximum yearly value of $780,
O0O,0OO the annual cost of pensions will de-
cline in a rapidly increasing ratio.
1t is to be expected that newspapers which
affect to regard the whole pension system as
a swindle, and are anxious to see it abol-
ished, should resort to misrepresentation of
the vilest sort, but we are at loss to under
stand how journal with any pretentions
to respectability can afford to pursue such
tactics, when the Commissioners statements
so directly give the lie to their assertions.
No one denies that the expenditures of the
Government on account of pensions have
been and are still heavy, but they are
trifing, compared with those on account of
its other debts, as the following table shows
Total public debt August 81, isG5,
less cash in Treasury ............ S2,756 i35T &
Total public debt July l. lN~2......-. ,o75 OPS III -
Paid to huudholdcrs to July l. lsS2,
on account redemption OF bonds l,0Sl ,40S 100 IS
Paid to bondhOdcrs on account
interest debt TO July lSS2... 2rlS2 6i35 5SS s.
Paid to buudhOldcTs on account of
debt and interest to July l. lSS2.. 3,26i O5l 6SS 80
Total amount paid for pensions
since the commencement OF the
Excess of amount paid to bond
holders on account of public debt
and interest over amount paid on
account OF pensons.............. 26f6,623,044 O7
In other words, the bOndholder, who stipu-
lated for his full pound o! flesh, has received
five dollars for every one paid to the soldier,
who exacted no bond whatever from the
Government.
1t is to be expected, as we have said, that
newspapers whose opposition to pensions
springs from their natural hatred of the
Union soldier, should descend to all sorts of
abuse, and the more pains THE TRIBUNE is
at to expose their misrepresentation, the
more vindictive, we dare say, they will be-
come But that does not disturb us in the
least
Truth crushed TO earth will rise again.
The eternal years of God are hers;
While Error, wounded, wrthcs in pain.
And dies among her worshipcrs.