Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1886-08-18
WAR VETERANS ON PENSIONS.
From the New York sun.

From the New York sun.
The most important act OF the national en-.
cAmpment of the Grand Army OF the repub-
lie, just held at San Francisco, has been Its
disapproval, by the overwhelming vote OF
81 to 80, OF the Lowering pension bill, This
Is the second time we believe, that the meas.
ure has been condemned by this association
Of veterans and the action Just taken is the
more worth noting because Mr.. Lowering has
been In the habit Of presenting In Congress
petitions from the G rand Army which seemed
to show great sentiment In ITS favor. ON one
occasion he offered in the House what pur-
ported to be "the petition OF l,OlI posts III ~
states and territories" and asked consent ~
have all "the names of the posts petitioning
printed In the Record. Hereafter 1t may be
well to inquire whether such petitions are
really the official expressions oil thousanus
OF Grand Army posts, or only OF minority
Of their nembers Al all events, the recent
official action at San Francisco, by vote so
decisive ought to put an end to the move
ment In favor of this measure
The Lowering bill grants a life pension OF
eight dollars month to all honorsoly dis
charged soldiers and sailors of the Union
who served sixty DAYS OF more in the civil
war. 1t is the bill that makes simple service,
instead of disability from wounds or disease,
the ground of pension. Mr.. Lowering esu
mates that his bill would put upon the rolls
6no,OCo more persons, at cost OF SoS,poO,WN,
besides increasing present pensions OF less
amount than eight dollars, at a cost OF eight
millions more The statistics of the pension
office, however, show that the number OF
soldiers now living. exclusive of those who
have already applied for pensions, Is about
l00O,0OO, instead of 900 600, so that the cost OF
pensioning them, at Se6 year, would he
$p6Q00,OO1 Again, there are about 5000
applications of soldiers for pensions which
were not decided upon at the time of these
statistics of the pensionsble population, and
they would add over seven millions to the
annual cost OF the Lowering bill, supposing
them to derive their rights to pensions under
that bill, although, of purse, the greater part
would expect eventually to get them on dis
ability grounds Add the several millions
tor the increase of all pensions under eight
dollars to this amount and it is evident that
the Lowering bill might add nearly Sll0, ooo,-
600 year to the pension burden.
No wonder that the veterans refused to ap-
prove this outrageous scheme for swamping
the treasury yet next winter its advocates
will probably push il again, quite unaoashed.
The claim agents are not going TO throw any
vote OF so to S6 against the bill, or against
any raid ofthis sort upon the peoples money,
and their agitation for il will go on in spite OF
the frowning OF the soldiers who fought for
the Union.
1t must not be imagined that whatever
pension legislation the Grand Army supports
deserves for that reason to be enacted by
Congress On the contrary, this body at
former annual encampments has approved
some schemes that would plunge us deeper
into debt, or else bring back war taxes. 1t
has, for example, urged the removal of the
arrears limit Yet Commissioner Black in
formed the present Congress that up to a
year ago the arrears acts of 1919 had cost, in
round numbers, Sls0, ,000,0 900, and that they
will cost the country, when completely SET
tied, S259, SO, S92. He also reckons that the
new and still pending propositions 10 remove
the limit again will cost SSO2, ,0Oo,OO Yet an
aggregate OF half billion, sheer gratuity,
was approved by the Grand Army as legi-
innate expenditure, as was also the Blair
bill, passed by the Senate, ana to be called
up In its amended form next winter in the
House, which adds unknown millions to the
pension expenses. But the bill for making
mere service for sixty days, without wounds
or sickness, a ground for a life pension, is
too much even tor the Grand Army. YET
sion bill, which has passed both branches o.
Congress, in slightly different forms, anC
which will have It's fate settled in conference
at the next session.
1t may be said that the president woulC
veto the Blair bill, the Mexican pension bill
the arrears bill, or the Lowering bill, If sen
to him. But there is no ground for this as
sumption. Not to speak OF the river an'
harbor bill, the president has already signe'
| bill increasing by fifty per cent as shee
gratuity, the annual amount of pensions psi'
to over 100000 persons now on the lists, an'
| to fully l20, 900 prospective pensioners Thi
increase upon nearly one third Of the entir
| pension list, breaking the old rate of assist
| ance hitherto established, will only cost tn
country S5, zoo, 600 by Official estimates; bu
having once overthrown the long established
standard of rates, everything regarding tn,
cost Of $50, 600 or 400, 600 pensions has becom,
| uncertain, so that increase after increase o
rates, on this precedent, may cost the coun
| try billion dollars. There is prospec
now that the burden of standing armie
| which breaks the back of foreign countrie
| will henceforth take the form in this countr,
| of crushing increase in the rate of pensions
| The current annual appropriations have al
ready reached S76,000,0O0.