Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1888-08-23
THE VETERANS FRIENDS.

Indianapolis SsntineL.
THE VETERANS FRIENDS.
Interesting Facts Cleaned from the Latest
Pension Bureau Reports.
1t used to be the charge of Repub-
Gcan oracles and stump speakers for
many years previous to the accession
of the Democratic party to power that
whenever the Republicans were driven
from National control the soldiers
who fought to preserve the Union
would fare badly at the hands of the
opposition, and that there would be
great danger in that case of pensions
being entirely done away with. Tie
Republican party cry has always betn:
''Take care of the soldier but when
1t came to pensioning, the deserving
cases were left many PAGES to the rear.
The records are exceedingly interest
ing in this regard. The Democratic
party has been in power a period CIV
ering more than three years. Dus>:ng
that time the Nation has prospered.
Its industries have not Jagged and the
civil service has been vastly improved
in character. Now, as to the PENSIONS
to soldiers, their widows, orphans and
relatives, the reports of the Pen sion
Bureau for the fiscal years of 1888. "a
and 'S5 show that during this period
1885, original, 1925 increase, and
1852 miscellaneous certificates were
issued. Total claims admitted, 191,-
POI. That was during the last three
years of Republican rule. The three
years of Democratic rule show that a
total of 156, 1926 original, 181, 173 in
crease. and 22,055 miscellaneous GER
tificates were issued, making total of
S59, 452. The reports for 1886 and
1887 of Commissioner Black are out,
but that for 1888 has not yet been
issued. Thus it will be seen that dur
ing three years of Democratic rule
16S,231 more certificates for pensions
were issued than in the three preced-
ing years, which were of Rep lblican
rule. The net increase on the pension
rolls during the Republican gears of
1888, 1884 and 1885 was 80, 42S; the net
increase during the Democratic years
of 1886, 1887 and 1888 was 104,B75; ex-
cess over Republican in increase dur
ing three years. 40, AL.
Coming to the amount of money dis
tributed as pensions, the records show
that during the fiscal years of 1883,
1884 and 1885, 1888, 800, 216.31 was dis
bursed. This was under Republican
rule. During the fiscal years 1886,
1887 and 1888, $217, 800, 1870 was dis
tributed on account of pensions. Thus
three years of Democratic rule gave to
disabled soldiers, the widows, orphans
and relatives of soldiers, 1874, 900, 541. OF
more than was given during the last
three years of Republican rule, when
great friendliness to the soldier was
almost the entire stock in trade of tho
G. o. P.
The number of new names added to
the pension rolls during the fiscal years
1888, 1884 and 1885 was 108, 121. These
include, however, 1905 new names
added to the rolls by General Black
from March II, 1885, the day on which
he assumed charge of the Pension
Bureau, to June 80, 1885. During the
fiscal years 1886, 1887 and 1888, 1885,
226 new names were added to the pen
sion rolls. If there should be added 90
! this 1856, 226, the names of the 1906
new pensioners added to the rolls by
General Black during the last three
months and half OF the year 1885, II
makes Il total of 1912 new names
added to the pension rolls since Gener-
al Black assumed charge of the PEN
sion Bureau. Giving the Republican
Administration the benefit of the 15,.
600 new names added to the rolls dur.
ing the last three and a half months Of
the fiscal year 1885, during which time
/ the Pension Bureau was under Demo
cratic control, it will be found that the
/ excess of new names added to the rolls
by the Democratic administration dur
ing its first three years exceeds those
! added to the rolls during the last three
years of Republican administration b,
4SS, 105.
AS to the general pension acts. tn.
| official records show what has beer
/ done by President Cleveland in hi
official capacity for ex-Union soldiers
their widows. orphans and dependen
| relatives since his Inauguration on TIL
4th of March, 1885. He approved tn,
act of March 10. 1886, which has in