The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-12-13
Millions More for Pensions.


4 Premium 10 Fraud and Perjury.
Washington Correspondence baltimore Sun
There are pending before Congress supple
mentary pension bills, which if passed will add
many more millions to the already almost in
credibly vast sums which have been taken
from the treasury on this account The opin-
ion is becoming very strong in the minds OF
the more judicious members oil Congress that
it is high time to call halt in this business.
Heretofore those who would resist what they
knew to be legislation not only pernicious to
the morals of those to be affected directly by
it, but unfair and unjust in the most extreme
degree to the people at large, upon whom the
burden was to be laid, have been overborne
and overawed by the rant of demagogues and
the fear that such action would be used to
their own political dctrment. 1t IS to be
hoped that no such considerations will III the
future deter them from doing their duty to
the country and to their constituents. No
mercenaries who ever ilocked TO the standard
of robber king or chieftain in ancient or in
modern times received gifts, rewards or plum
der exceeding the rich largess which has been
poured in a continual stream into the laps OF
men connected with the suppression OF the
rebellion, from the great captains down to the
humbest subordinate, not excluding those
who, by the broadest latitude Of construction,
could be brought into seeming relations with
it. Yet the literature of the land is top heavy
with song and story, with poem and Grafton,
holding them all up as patriots tried and true,
inspired only by the love OF country. No
soldiers were ever better fed, better clothed,
better paid than the soldiers of the Union
during their entire term of service. A CRATE
full country, after the war was over, in still
further recognition of their services, provided
pensions for those who, by reason of wounds
or other incapacity acquired in the service,
were unable to maintain themselves or their
families, and for the families of those who
had died from wounds or sickness.
Had it stopped here no voice could be
raised against it, but step by step has the door
been thrown open, until to-day the pension
legislation upon the statute books OF the
United States offers premium to fraud and
perjury. There can be no doubt that untold
millions have been and are now being paid to
men, or to the representatives of men, many
of whom never smelt the smoke of battle;
many of whom, in fact, performed no service,
and many of whom were of that worst class
of deserters-bounty jumpers.
1t is interesting to note the unbeunded
generosity of the government to its soldiers.
In the four years of the war the government
spent for their clothing alone $3.50, 1851, 466. 1t
paid $3.50, $3.50, 1852 for horses for the cavalry
and artillery, and quite 81 SOC, 200, 900 to pay
its men. 1t paid in bounties alone $40, 549,-
335, and it has paid to the different states
$50, 900, 900 more on account of moneys ex-
pended by them for troops, and it has paid
for pensions the colossal sum of S727, 1861 1899.
Last year the payments on account of PEN
sions exceeded by 3,O0O,O 900 the entire ex-
penses of every character of the government
for the year 1860. How the pension list has
grown can be seen by the following, which,
as well as the figures above given, is obtained
from official sources. In 1866 the total ex-
pendtures for pensions was SIS, Cos. 1852.
In 1868, three years after the close of the war,
it was only S23, 782, 1856. In these years recol-
lection of events was fresh, identification was
easy, and fraud and perjury were at dis
count But as the years rolled on, successive
acts opening the doors indscriminately were
passed. Claim agents and lobbyists took
hold, scruples of claimants and of their friends
vanished as chances of detection grew less,
until, as asserted by gallant volunteer officer,
for long time member of the committee on.
military affairs, it is more than probable. that
one third of the money which has been, paid
on account of pensions within the last half
dozen years has gone to persons WHO, even.
under the loosely constructed laws have no,
war, the pension payroll had Increased to
S35, 121 ,4S2. In 1880 it jumped up to $685.
III, ia. In 1888 it was S66,012,573 For
the present year it was purposely kept down
to S55, 429, 22S, but in the year to come it will
go mp again.
OF course the legislation now on the books
must stand, but there should be no contro-
versy as to the issue that the limit has been
reached. There would be none if it was not
for the opportunity which demagogues, time
servers and tricky politicians are always on
the alert to seize. In discussion ON some of
the later propositions extending the provis-
ions of the pension laws, such man as Sena-
tor Sherman, of Ohio, has had the nerve to
speak and to record his vote i'll opposition.
1t is to Republicans like him that the country
must look to put up the bars against further
raids on the treasury on this account In
striking the balance between the government
and those who fought for it and those who
did not, but pretend to, one great item of
credit on its side should also be taken into
consideration. The blue book from 1866
down to the present time shows almost count
less names of soldiers of the war holding
official position. There is not a custom house,
nor postoflice in the big cities, not an internal
revenue Office. not department of the gov
ernment in this city where they are not borne
on the rolls, and a very large proportion of
them receiving pensions at the same time.
Furthermore, not only has the substance come
to them, but also the shadow. In the years
succeeding the war promotion in rank has
been steady and rapid, so that of all the vet
Grams, those who were at the 'front.' those who
were in the quartermaster and commissary
service, those who were in home guard bat
talions, or in whatever bomb proof position,
not one except the irrepressible Dalzel is
known to his friends and neighbors pri
vate. There is mere handful of lieuteEants
and captains, few hundred majors, hundreds
of thousands of colonies, and more than
enough generals to officer the armies of the
world