The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1886-03-05


RAIDS on the vRGAou0vs
- Asssmp& IArosoA r..a1sn D1lAA q
Ospesrs 49, sslalss vooe-~
h figures vhich ars given IN : lss.
~ from Comnisnioncr black 70 Mr..
Randall. chairman o. NE Appropria'
sions committee. relative 10 the cost Of
the schemes now proposed for Con
grcssional action in regari 70 increas'
ing The pension list are simply astound'
ing. They afford : striking exempli6'
cation Of the thoughtlcss way in which
Wild plans gro mooted on sentimental
or other like grounds. without any con-
sidcration Of the enormous expenditure
% b thereby entailcd- Il u fair %
suppose that u the data for the calcu-
lation e. he cost wers within the
knowledge Of the authors Of such
schemes. and were duly considered in
regard 70 their practicabilisY. they
would never b submitted
The inquiry Of the chairman Of the
Appropriations committee lad refer
cnce to two points-irst, - 70 the cost
resulting from the extension of time
for ding applications for pensions un-
der the acts Of January and March.
1879. and second. e TO the probable
cost Of repeating the limitation in re-
gard to fling applications under those
scts- The Commissioners shows that
the cost resulting from the extension
Of time referred 20 In the first branch
Of the inquiry has amounted 90 $685.
67S.972 up 20 July l. 1885, In regard
to the second branch Of the inquiry he
saws that IL the limitation A. to time
imposed BY the acts referred TO Be re-
moved. all pensions will begin At date
Of The soldiers discharge. and that the
result will be an increased charge on
the treasury Of e75.000. 900. to pay pen
sioners now on the roll: and he esti-
mates thar the number who would Be
entitled 10 be entered on the roll would
increase that charge to sS02. $50. 200;
that Is. pension claims would swallow
up. in effect. the whole revenue Of the
Government
This is the gist Of the Commissioner ;
statement 1t i directed with all the
force which . plain statement Of fig-
ures can command against such reck-
less propositions ~ that Of Mr. Browne.
of Indiana who desires 70 remove the
present limitation Of the Arrears-of-
Pensions act to January l. 1886 The
cost Of carrying this scheme into effect
would be something over $500. O00. O00-
II Mr.. Browne had taken the cost into
account il may readily be believed he
would have long hesitated before adj
vancing 30 extravagant = proposition
The truth is-and these figures loud
" emphasize tit i high time to call
halt in regard to further ext<avagant
Legislation for the benefit Of pension
erS- No nation in history has acted 50
literally As ours toward its disabled
soldiers. What was generously given
it does not now begrrdge. but main
tains and pays faithfully Not only
has the vast and expensive machinery
Of great bureau been called into ex-
istcnce for the thorough consideration
Of every case which should be present
cd. but. lest any deserving claimant
should be neglected. the time for
making application to share in the Ma
tons benehccnce mas been amply ex-
tended The money-limit Of generous
and grateful regard has been reached
In the matter Of pen<ioning its dis
abled soldiers or their dependent sur
vivor<. the Nation has done its duty.
Congress has other duties to which it,
attention is invoked BY the most pafri-
otto considerations Il IS not enough
to regard the past It = requisite also
70 secure the present and to provide
for the future.
An evil feature in every new pension
proposal i the demagogic spirit
which it inevitably aw akens Congress-
men vie with each other in PROFOUND
ing absurd plans for increasing pen
sions. which. il they were carried into
effect. would bankrupt the treasury Of
the United States OF course. many Of
them are not even seriously intended.
and their real object i 70 cnsnare and
capture what i known IS the soldier
vote But like AL insincere issues, thew
exercise : delusive effect on the public
mind. and bclittling influence on po-
lisical nethodx
The time has come for answering
with decided negative every PROPOSE
ton 10 increase the pension charges Of
the Government whether the PROPOSE
ton i inspired b. demagogism or cor
ruption- Congress has done its full
duty By the soldier. let it now turn it,
cndeavor 20 doing its full duty to the
people. W1shin1f0n Poet