Evening journal., 1889-07-06
A Pension Burlesque.


on pensions: The Ohio Republicans in |
their platform have declared in favor of |
granting pension to every honorably
Union soldier or sailor ia the
War of the Rebellion, and this is a part
OF their declaration Of principles, TO
which objection viii probably be made by
many good Republicans. Its meaning is
that every body who served in the Union
ranks, no matter whether he never received
a scratch or a hurt in the war and no mat
ter how little he may need the bounty Of
the government, shall have a pension.
To carry out such proposition as this
would be TO exceed anything in the way
Of giving pensions that has ever been
done or even contemplated by any other
government in the history of the world
1t is well known that the present pen
sion commissioner il in favor Of issuing
a pension TO everybody who has ever had
any connection, however sight, with
the Union army in the war of the Rebel
lion and of raising to the highest figure
possible the pensions of those who are
now on the list. Instead Of making an
attempt to decrease these payments, his
object Is TO make them as large as the
condition OF the Treasury and the gen
erosity OF the people will admit There is
apparently no undertaking, which in the
Judgment OF Commissioner Tanner, is so
lnudable on the part OF government as
the pensioning Of its people, and the
bigger its pension rolls the greater, in
his opinion, are the proofs of its wealth
and goodness of heart. How far Presi-
dent Harrison and the members Of the
Cabinet concur with the commissioner in
these extravagant views is not known, but
the pension plank In the Ohio platform
is an indication that an attempt will be
made TO convert the Republican party rs
whole to the Tanner doctrine on pen
sions
II it should be made, it will encounter
very formidable opposition within the
party and from very many of those who
would be the recipients OF the govern
ment's favor under Tanners broad and
comprehensive policy. The soldiers
themselves will be among the first to
protest against scheme which, granting
| that IL may be honest and patriotic In its
conception, places them In the light of
dependents and would be bound
to produce general Generalization
| The greater number of the
Union soldiers who come out Of
the war without wounds or hurt are TO-
day making their own living or have no
need Of help from the public Treasury
| They ought to, and we believe that they
will, protest against such an extension
OF the list. 1t would be better to double
or treble or otherwise multiply the
amounts of pension money which are
now paid out TO those who really need
this bounty by reason Of sickness or in
6rmities than to create a vast multitude
of pensioners who are abundantly able to
| look out for themselves and to whom the
/ taking of pension would be something
like burlesque.
There is no deserving survivor Of the
Union army who, II he stands in need
/ Of help by reason of the disabilities
which may have contracted in the service
Of his country, will not have the sympa-
| thy Of the Republican party In asking
| for help from the government which he
helped TO save But when we are ser
iously told that this help ought to be ex-
tended to tens of thousands Of men who
are in no need OF support, and who have
never thought Of asking for 1t, It is time
that halt was called on the thought
less zeal Of those who assume TO bs
the friends OF the soldiers. Such 4
policy would mean the expenditure
Of not less than 800, 600, 00(
year in addition TO the disbursements
which the government now makes, and II
would be the fruitful parent Of extrava
gonce and jobbery There is no Just ex
cuse for such proposition. The soldiers
as class are not asking foI ii, and tn,
principles OF the Republican party do moi
encourage the idea. 1t has been contendeC
that no easier method could be devised
of getting rid OF the surplus In the Treas
ury, and this Is doubtless true But
there are more useful If not quite so easy
methods Of relieving ourselves Of thi.
plethora of the national income, and they
are to be found in the construction of
navy and in the fertilization OF our coasts
To squander 1t in pension money simply
for the sake Of getting rid of it is sug
! gestion which is not only unrepublican il
spirit, but unstatesmanlike in practice
On the contrary. the time has come whei
we should begin to think Of drawing th'
line on pensions rather than in extending
them, and this fact win be recognized b,
those soldiers who believe that pension
should be mark of honor, distinction
and reward, and not gift showered in
discriminately upon all persons who eve
wore the Federal uniform.