Morning journal and courier., 1884-05-30
Friday, May 80. 1884.
THE PENSION RUsINEss-

THE PENSION BUsINESs.
 The pension business has been rather over
 done during this session of Congress. Bills
 have already been favorably reported which
 will take $15O, ,o00, 600 out of the treasury in
 addition to the regular pension appropriation including arrears already allowed by law.
 One of these bills proposes to allow arrears
 for all persons whose names have been put
 on the pension rolls by special Act-thst is, those who could not obtain pen sions under the laws and regulations of gem eral application, but who had "inHuencep at
 Washington. Another revives and indefinite ly extends the notorious Arrears of Pension act of January 29, 1879. The latter act ap- piled only to claims filed on OF before June 30, 1880. The pending bill proposes to re- efits of the act to all claims filed since June 80, 1880, and to all claims which may hereafter te presented and allowed. It Is estimated that this bill if passed, will add fifty per cent. to the Arrears bill and call for $6O, ,OO0, ,OO0. The most reckless meas- ure of all, and the most dangerous, because it marks clear departure from all principles governing pension legislation, is bill which provides pensions for all soldiers who were confined in Confederate prisons during the var. whether abolished in any manner or not, and also grants pensions to all soldiers who are now in any way dis- abled or incapacitated for earning livelihood, whether the disability resulted from military service or not.
 debate in the Senate Wednesday on what is known as the Mexican pension bill well illustrated the character of much of the proposed pension legislation. General Lo- gan wanted the Senate committee's amend ment requiring proof of needy circumstances before pension is granted struck out. MT. Beck declared that unless the bill was amended it would give pensions to widows who had married voter ans of the Mexican war, principle to which he was strongly opposed. It was equivalent, he thought, to giving bonus of $96 year to girls of sixteen for marrying veterans. MT. Jackson, who represents many Mexican veterans in Tennessee, sup ported the t'pauper clause and protested against the principle of granting pensions for service only. Such principle, he believed, would lead to national ruin and bankruptcy, for it would create standing army of pen sioners more costly than the vast standin armies of Europe. Mr. Logan again advocated pensioning for service, and succeeded in winning applause from the galleries. MT. Sherman spoke against pensioning young widows of veterans, which would add $2, ,Ooo, ,OoO g year to the $4, ,ooO, 900 required for the veterans. MT. Hoar moved to extend the provisions of the bill to the soldiers of the late var, [ logical result, as he contended, of the principle of the measure. Mir. Logan complained that this proposition seemed designed to kill the bill, and MT. Hoar promptly answered that that was just what hs desired. Mir. Riddle berger suggested that the Confederate vet erans should be included, and Mr Van Wyck added that Mexicans who fought against the United States should come in for pensions.
 Much that is objectionable in the numer ous pension bills that have been presented during this session is due to the desire of politicians to make themselves s'solid" with "the soldier element'' It is, however, much to the credit of the old soldiers that most of them earnestly oppose raids on the treasury in their behalf.