The Grenada sentinel., 1888-09-08
THE SOLDIERS FRIENDS.
Interesting Facts Cleaned from the --latest
Pension Bureau Reports.

Interesting Facts Cleaned from the Latest
Pension Bureau Reports.
1t used to be the charge of Repub-
lican 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 % pensions
being entirely done away with. The
Republican party cry has always been:
"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 period COW
ering more than three years. During
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 Pension
Bureau for the fiscal years of 1883, '84
and IS show that during this period
10S,l l2l original, 79,24S 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 l56,226 original, 181, 173 in
crease and 22,055 miscellaneous GER
tifcates 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 1t will be seen that dur
ing three years of Democratic rule
I6S, 23l more certificates for pensions
were issued than in the three preced-
ing years, which were Of Republican
rule. The net increase on the pension
rolls during the Republican years Of
1888, 1884 and 1885 was SO, 42S; the net
increase during the Democratic years
of 1886, 1887 and 1888 was 104, 875; ex-
cess over Republican in increase dur
ing three years, 45,447.
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, 2l6.31 was dis
bursed. This was under Republican
rule During the fiscal years 1886,
1887 and 1888, $2l7, 800, 757. 80 was dis
tributed on account Of pensions. Thus
three years of Democratic rule gave to
disabled soldiers, the widows, orphans
and relatives of soldiers, $34, 900, ,541.O1
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 the
G. o. P.
The number of new names added to
the pension rolls during the fiscal years
1888, 1884 and 1885 was 109, 121. These
include, however, a15, ,906 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 TO
this 1876, 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, it
makes total of 172, 1872 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 49,
oO6 new names added to the rolls dur
ing the last three and half months Of
the fiscal year 1885, during which time
the Pension Bureau was under Demo-