The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1885-12-05
The Pension List.
nm tbe Ncyc yOrh; Sun.

From the Ne,c York Sun.
Twenty years have passed since the civil
war ended yet to-day the list of pensioners is
not only greater than ever before, but grow
ing enormously. Ten years after the close of
the war it had begun to dwindle, as it natur-
;lly would on account of the deaths of veter-
ans, the marriages of soldiers widows, and
the coming of age of their children. Then
the legislation Of Congress made change.
The arrears act alone added an ultimate la
bility variously estimated in official documents
at between S254, 10000 and SOL ,oOo,ooo,
and not yet determined
As years roll on, the fruits of this iegisla-
ton become apparent. Although the number
of names dropped from the list since 1865,
from death and other causes, must be reck-
oned in hundreds of thousands, the names
added more than counterbalance them. Last
wear. for example, as Gen. Blacks report
shows, Is, 253 names were dropped, but 3d.
768 new ones were added, besides many rein
statements. Looking through successive an
nual reports of the Pension Office, we find
that. while the aggregate roll numbered $685.
$50 pensioners in 1881, 2S5, 695 pensioners IN
1882, 300, 65S pensioners in 1888, and 322, 1856
pensioners in 1884, it had reached 345, l25 for
the year endinguJune so, 1885. This is an ad-
dition of nearly thirty per cent in four years.
~ $1,000 ~
pensions. which was S28, 760, 766 four years
ago, increased year by year until it is now
S38, 900, 9S5. Even this great outlay does not
represent all the country pays, since every
wear it gives many millions for arrears of pen
sions. and the total outlay last year was thus
brought up to nearly sixty-fve millions For
the past two years it has averaged over sixty
millions.
Yet we have not reached the maximum of
annual pension liability. Official calculations
have shown that, even on the basis of present
legislation. the roll of pensioners will be in
creased over all natural dlminutions to be-
tween 425, 900 and 100000, and the annual
cost of pensions, exclusive of outright pay
ments for arrears, to between S44 900, 900 and
$50, OOO, 900. Before the year 1890 the amount
laid out on pensions since 1861 will be more
than a billion dollars.
Nevertheless schemes are rife for enor-
mousy increasing the pension burdens of the
Treasury. Some of them involve amounts so
prodigious that their projectors hardly ven
ture into accurate calculations of what they
will cost The Mexican War Pension bill,
which itself would have entailed vast expen-
ses, was saddled with amendments when dis
cussed in the last Congress, that would have
sails which will again be urged upon Congress
is that of pensioning to an extent depending
on length of service all soldiers who fought
in the Union armies Several bills aim at this
result, one of them giving to any surviving
soldier or sailor, sick or we'll, rich or poor,
So a month for the rest of his life. Another
bill gives in addition, 100 acres of land to
each man. Still another bill gives graded
pensions to all who were captured and con-
fined in Confederate prisons, even where no
disability resulted. Others provide for very
large increases of existing pensions.
With the pension OUTLAWS now amounting
annually to more than sixty millions, and
certain to increase during many years, it is
the part of prudence to reject schemes that
propose to add enormous and indeed unknown
liabilities to the burdens already resting on
the Treasury.