The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1886-06-17
PENSIONS AND POLITICS.


The Blair pension bill gives Senator
Blair another title TO the name OF the
most reckless pquanderPr OF the public
money. The bill pensions every soldier
who served In the army for three
months, and Wl0 Ia now disabled and
dependent npon his own lsb)r for sup.
port, AZ we'll az the dependent parents
OF soldiers who died In the service from
disability contracted In the service. The
hree months soldier may have emerged
from the service perfectly we'll, and
nave been dis bled since the war by
causes In DO way connected with milf
tary service, But the fact that hlB name
was borne on the rOlla Of the army ior
three months, and that he Ia now unable
10 earn his living, Ia TO secure him
parslon, Having received bounty for
entering the service, he In now TO Te
ceiye bounty for having entered II,
Senator Teller said, frhlkIy: "Th's In u
b unity which we propose 10 & I've 10 show
our appreciation Of their patriotic ser
vice. N0bl Il cOu'd say how much
money the bill would probably taxi
from the Treasury. Sir, Blair seem d u
ne entirely Indifferent 10 that subject
His theory, he said, was that "lhesl
men. to be- provided for by somebody,
should be Ir ylded for by sixty million
people, instead OF by their comparatively
few associates In the communities IN
which they live"
Congress undoubtedly has the p, war
to give penelOn Of 800 q month TO ey-
eryb0dy who served month In the
army. Indeed, a proposition TO pensiOn
everybody who served for certain time
has been already made, although not at
the rate we mention. But should Con
greB8 undertake TO pass such q bill as
we suppose, there would be such an up.
roar Ia the country II would promptly
reccde. Would the uproar mean that the
American people are uDgrateful, and
coldly neglect those citizens who imper.
illed their lives for the UniOnp Let the
existing pension rolls and approprla.
ti0na and the consciousness OF every
honorable veteran answer. What, then
would II meanp II would mean only
that there IN q real enable limit TO the
taxation which ought 10 be laid upon
tho Industry Of the country, for II is In
duatry aud the w0ikingman who pays
tho taxes, and that that reasonable limit
ha b'en reached, More than $65, ,0o0, 900
we're paid for pensions during the las.
year, and since the establishment Of the
Government nearly s0000O0000 have
been paid per SONS. That m )unt In not
a monument OF national ingratitude
or neglect Of the soldiers. AT pres.
ent those who were d 4abled In the ser.
vice are properly pensioned, ami the
fam lea OF those who were klllld The
laws give veterans also q preference In
appointments In the riy,l Service. The
fact or service In the Union Army gives
alSl preference In private emp Oyment.
This Ia crtainly a reasonable limit OF
consideration, To g0fuTtheT is to eater
upon houndless expenditure, II a
soldier who served ttr three months and
received his bounty aud was d scharged
perfectly sound and well, should be sup.
ported by the Treasury because no Is
now, aud perhaps through evil courses,
dlra6lod aud unable TO support himself,
and the rbaaOn Is national gratitude, II
may be argued M i0rcibly tnat II no IL
to DO supported, he should be supported
comic tab,y aud that nlggardly
stipend II unworthy u grateful nation
OF sixty millions OF people,
The truth Is, AZ the soldiers und0nbt.
edly know, that al this increase and tx.
tension OF peasiun beyond fair and
reasonable sup 4 less gratitude than
poll ics, Tnefe IL n great deal OF p0lln
Cal p0sll K az the soldiers friend,
aud the military organizations
are the skeletons Of very
powerful and extensive political
forces II IL " be hoped that the House
Will arrls the Blair peLsiou hill, aud
that " will insist that the tax payers
ehall know what sum II proposes TO add
10 the tNxea. The President ye o re.
mains II the Hluse should fail. The biz
opens the way TO laying intolefable bur.
90 8 upon the country under the plea Of
national gratitude.
The next step would Inevitably fol
low, and Il general penslon bill would
he urged up1n the same grounds M the
Blair bill Those who oppose such eaor.
nous taxation need not be troubled by
the tauut that they arc no friends VI
the soldier They can point 10 the nc.
tual yearly expenditure and 10 the fact
that the pension laws cover all cases for
which just such pensions shout DO paid
Those who oppose subsidies are 70
p'oached with Indifference or hostility
to certain American Interests. IL ~ I'M.
possible 10 oppose any knd Of raid upon
the treasury without n charge Of hos
tllity TO the beneficiary, But that is not
a very. Important confederation, The
duy Of Congress II to see that no Wild
raida are made upon the treasury, and
the duty Of the pres H. TO expose them
plainly 10 public attention Il llarper's