The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-01-20
A THREATENED FLOOD.

A THREATENED FLOOD.
| Carelessness of Two Senators Who De-
| sire to Stand Well with the "soldier
Element.
Nearly all the old pension projects
of the Forty-eightl, Congress have al
ready been introduced into its sue
cessor, while some new ones seem to
Guido in extravaganza anything hith-
erto proposed.
Two Senators were so anxious to
lead in this rivalry that each brought
forward the same measure. 1t grants
| pensions to every soldier and sailor of
the Mexican war, and every soldier
and sailor of the war of the rebellion,
who served even fourteen days in the
army or navy. 1t gives pensions also
!, to the surviving widows of such soldiers
Il and sailors, provided they have not re-
married. Then it raises certain pen.
sions to the maximum of twenty-four
dollars per month, prescribes that
every eight-dollar pension now paid to
widows or minor children shall be
made twelve dollars and dates all the
civil war pensions back to the death or
discharge. u
I During the war there were furnished
to the Union armies, under the various
calls of President Lincoln, 2,772, 4OS
men. Probably 10000 men enlisted in
the regular army besides those who
were credited to the States. The
States, too, with few exceptions, re-
ceived no credit on their quotas for
men furnished for less than ninety
days service Yet there were many sixty
days and thirty days men. In the
summer of 1868 many militia volun-
teered for thirty days, the State Of New
York alone furnishing 1928 officers
and men. According to the. careful es-
innate of Colonel Phisterer, it is per-
fectly. safe to say that the total number
of 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
2,850,000. In Prof. Soley's Blockade
and the Cruisers we find the state
ment that when the war ended there
were 81 500 men in the Naval Service.
Of course there had been many others
who served only part of the war, and
many no doubt were discharged for
disability. In round numbers we NAV
say that about three million men re-
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
enormous number of men. 1t may be
said that those who re-enlisted are count
ed twice in these enumerations That
is true; and it is not possible, without
a degree of labor perhaps never likely
to be undertaken, to know just how
many individual soldiers and sailors
served. But it is worth while observ-
ing that if the aggregate of 2,772, 4O2
men credited to the States and Terri
tories under the various calls is brought
to a three years standard, it still rep
resents 2,32O,272, Thus it will be seen
that the number of short-term troops
was comparatively very small. 1t is
often urged in behalf Of those univer-
sal pension projects which provide
pension at the rate of a 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, 91,8l6 men were furnished
for three months, but 657,S6S 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 fortni ght, do not 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
few weeks, until regular forces could
be supplied, were mustered into the
service. Under such bills as have been
introduced into Congress, even these
soldiers would now be entitled to pen
sions. though never within hundreds of
miles of the actual scene of war.-M.
Y SIM,