The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1883-01-19
Fhe Gratitude of Republics.

Congress seems bent Oh securing with pen
sion the favor of every person that can be found
alive who ever shouldcred musket in any war
ciyil domestic or foreign. The last warriors
upon whom the benevolent eyes of our law
makers have been fixed are those OF the Semi
mole and Black Hawk wars. The commtte in
charge of the subject has gone so far a. to de-
eide that a service Of thirty days in either of
these wars is q sufficient qualification to enti-
tie the survivor to a pension of IS per month.
The surviving widows are also to be taken care
time, but not one of them ever bestowed a
thought on thess old veterans
If the scheme, however, is'carried the line
cam OF be drawn at the Black Hawk war. The
pension vista, which is thus opened up, seems
to be well nigh ntermina5le. What about the
Sioux wars the campaign against Sitting Bull;
the Apache uprisings; the Pluto cmeutes tho
Modoc deyiltry2 The Commissioner
of Pensions estimates that for the Semi
mole and Black Hawk wars alone S2S, POI $50
will be required. When all the other Indian
wars are added. some idca but no adequate
one, Ofthe amount that will have 10 be shov-
| elcd out OF the Treasury, eau be formed. But
the pension business docs not end here. The
proposition is also to place the We, Grams Of tina
Mexican war on the same footing. Ind ed, it
is not seen how they could, with any reason,
be excluded. 1t has been decided that sixty
days service and an honorable discharge will
suffice for pension in that war. For this
item the Commissioner of Pensions estimates
that 4,344, sos will be required. For the pen
sioners already on the list it is not determined
whether 100000 or Sl50,0G00, will be nee
essary during the present fiscal year.
| In the light Of these facts there can be moth
ing said about the ingratitude of republics.
But there are some curious comparisons CON
nccted with it. France has to- day an Al my OF
470,Ot0 men, but it costs considerably less than
we pay our pensioners to keep it up, viz, 500.
O0z623. Germany, still more thrifty, has an
army Of 4l9, $50; of all arms thoroughly equip
ped. But only S92. 57S, 4O3 is annually paid out
for its support. Soldiers are more expensive
in Great Britain than on the Continent But
there are 1872, 720 of them in England aud Ire
land, and t.ey cost only SOS, l6l ,0l5. The
American people. with Characteristic grnerosi-
ty, have so far borne uncohplainingly the heavy
drain upon them. But an idea is beginning 10
gain circulation that the thing is being driven
in the ground. To give "a man pension for
life who served thirty days in an Indian war Is
no doubt grond conception. But there is
question of greater importance behind it
that is to say, can the country stand it? Is it
possible that third of the adult male popnla
ton, when civil servants, soldiers. sailors and
pensioners are ad 'ed together, can be placed
asiide ofthe necks ofthe remaining two-thirds?
The effort to buy up the country is grand
onc. There are some instances of Il like kind in
the history of other nations. Julius Caesar left
a legacy to. every Roman citizen. But those
who bought whole communities did it with
alton is not parallel. No doubt votes can be
secured by the process stated. But for every
one gained there will be certain to be three
lost. If the Organization engaged in the work
cannot put all males, or at least a majority of
them, on the pay roll, it is doomed TO defeat
beyond the possibility of doubt. The sup.
port secured by the pension bill is more than
ncutralzlcd by the jealousy OF those who are
allowed no chance at the public funds. At the
end the anger ofthc mass which has to bear
the burden and heat of the day will have TO be
There is no doubt that the peg
leg advance on the Treasury is the most sur
prising that has ever taken place. Perhaps it
could be borne with equanimity if it was COM
posed exclusively OF real veteclns. But it is
feared that many-too many-are mere preten- |
iers, and that deserters and bounty jumpers
n large numbers are enjoying the fvors of a
but purblind Government