The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-01-22

LARGE PENSION SCHEMES.
csrslsssaess a rue ssasssss who ~
.iss % stand well With ths ~ssldiss
Element".
Nearly all the old pension projects
Of the Forty-eighth Congress have a.
ready been introduced into its nc
cessor. while some new ones seem 70
Guido ia ~exsravsgance anything hith-
erto proposed.
Two Senator'S were 90 anxious 20
lead In this rivalry that each brought
forward the same measure. II grants
pensions 10 every soldier and sailor Of
the Mexican war. and every soldier
and sailor II the war Of the rebellion.
who served even fourteen days In the
army or navy. II gives pensions also
to the surviving widows Of such soldiers
and sailors, provided they have no re-
married. Then Il raises certain PEN
sions To the maximum Of twenty-four
dollars per month, prescribes that
every cight-dollar pension now paid 70
widows or minor children shall be
made twelve dollars and dates all the
civil war pensions back to the death or
discharge.
During the war there were furnished
10 the Union armies. under the various
calls Of President Lincoln, 2.772. fOS
men. Probably 10000 men enlisted in
the regular army besides those who
were credited to the States. Tho
States, too. with 4 few exceptions. re-
ceived no credit on their quotas for
men furnished for less than ninety
days service. Yet there We're many sixty
days and thirty days men. In the
summer Of 1868 many militia volnn-
York alone furnishing 1925 d. -
and men. According to the careful es-
innate Of Colonel Phisterer, il Is per-
fectly safe to say that the total number
II men furnished BY the States and
Territories for the armies Of the United
States. after deducting those credited
with service in the navy. will exceed
1850, 900. In Prof. Solry's Blockade
and the Cruisers We lind the state
ment hat when the war ended there
were 81 500 men in the Naval Service.
Of course there had been many others
whc served only part Of the war. and
many no doubt were discharged for
disability. In round numbers we may
say that about three million men ~
sponded to the various calls. on land
and sea, in the regular and volunteer
services.
1t is clear. therefore. that the bills
just spoken OF propose TO pension an
normo number Of men. 1t may be
said that those who re-enlisted are count
cd twice in these enumerations. That
is true; and il il not possible. without
q degree Of labor perhaps never likely
to be undertaken. to know Just how
many individual soldiers and sailors
served. But Ii is worth while observ-
ing that IL the aggregate Of 2,772. 4O2
men credited to the States and Terri
tories under the various calls is brought
70 . three years standard. il still rep
resents 1880. 272, Thus it will be seen
that the number Of short-term troops
was comparatively very small. II is
often urged in behalf Of those univer-
sal pension projects which provide q
pension 1t the rate Of . certain fixed
sum per month. according TO the
amount Of service rendered. that the
great number Of short terms will much
reduce the amount TO Be paid. In re-
atty there were comparatively few who
served less than . year. In 1861. for
example. 1856 men we've furnished
for three months. but 657.868 men for
three years.
Schemes for pensioning everybody.
rich or poor, who ever bore arms dur
ing the Mexican war and the civil war,
even for a fortnight. do moi take proper
account Of the expense which would be
incurred in carrying them into effect.
In fact, they hardly take account Of the
character Of the service performed.
since it Is well known that militia who
performed duty in Northern forts for
3 lew weeks, until regular forces could
be supplied, we're mustered into the
service. Under such bills as have been
introduced into Congress. even these
soldiers would now be entitled 70 pen
sions. though evc within hundreds Of
miles Of the actual cen Of warn.
Y. Sun.