The National tribune., 1883-03-01

None so Blind rs Those Who Won't see.
Considering what abundant opportunities
are offered for obtaining correct information
concerning the cost of pensions and the laws
which govern the granting of them, the
ignorance displayed by some of the leading
newspapers of the country is certainly as
toEishing Ignorance, however, is not a
crime in itself and we could pardon them
their mistatemeGts were not the malice
which underles them so apparent. Their
misrepresentation is wiIlfuI. They not
only do not know what the truth IS but
they apparently avoid seeking it. The exag-
geratiOns and perversOns of facts of which
they are guilty are obviously made with the
intention to deceive. They seem to be con-
sciOus that their statements will not bear
the test of careful scrutiny, and they, there
fore, have recourse to glittering generalities.
They disdain, as a rule to produce the
official figures, and when they do so, they
take good care to manipulate them so as to
show only one side of the case. Thus the
statement has gone the rounds of the anti
soldier press that the annual cost of pensions
is now upwards of 1O0,000,0O0 whereas the
fact is as even Il casual glance at the Com
missioner's report Will show, that the an
nual cost has never exceeded S30,000,000,
and the maximum annual charge is never
likely to he more than $50,OOO,OOO 1t IS
true that the annual appropriation for pen
sOns for the past two years has been up
wards of S1O0,00OOOO, but the increase has
been due simply to the requirements of the
arrears bill, and the fact that the accumu-
lated claims on the files of the Pension Of
ago, are now being disposed of as rapidly as
possible. 1t is the expectation of Commits
siOner Dudley, we believe, that he viii be
able to settle all pending claims within the
next three years, and when that shall have
tSti bCSbiil tiISiiCN tiiS dIUudl~ value Dl the
pension roll will necessarily decrease from
year to year, owing to the operation of
tude Of pension appropriations at the pres
ent time rs an evidence of the prevalence of
fraud, is, therefore, both illogical and un-
reasonable. As well might the fact that the
Government has paid off its bonded indebt-
Others be offered as proof that the claims
of some of the bOndholders were not valid
The fact is that had the Government done
its full duty by the soldier in the first place,
the majority of the claims for pensions now
pending would have been settled long ago,
and the burden-aS some public Journals
choose to regard it of the Government
payments to the soldier would have been
more evenly distributed over the years that
have elapsed since the war. 1t is not the
fault of those to whom pension is due that
payment has been put off so long and that
the appropriations now required are so large
The principle affirmed by the arrears bill
ought to have been recognized at the very
outset. Nothing can be clearer in equity
or law than that, as Senator Logan expressed
it in an interview with representative of
THE TRIBUNE, some days ago, the soldiers
claim for pension attaches at the time the
disability occurred, and had this principle
been sooner affirmed, thousands of our
veterans who have been compelled to carry
ON, unaided, bitter struggle with pow
erty, pending the payment of their claims,
would have been spared much needless suf-
fering and anxiety. Except on the theory
that the debt of the Government to the sol
dier is not an honest debt and, therefore,
ought not to be paid, the neglect of the Gov
ernment to promptly provide for its dis
charge is inexcusable, and those who are
now inveighing against the present cost of
pensions would do well to remember that
the Government alone is to blame The fact