The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-05-26

The Amc rican people are never ulred OF
congra ulating themselves that they are
not burdered with tie maintenance of a
great standing army. The prospect is that
tlev will be granting III the near future
under a burden far greater than they would
have to bear If this country bad the greatest
standing army in world.
The last annual Appropriation for pen
sions $SS,4J0,000. and it is believed tia
al the end Of the next fiscal year there Will
To deficiency. Since close of the civil
war more than 81 600 900, 900 has been paid
in pensio $, and the pension burden is stead
lily iucre sing. 1t would naturally be sup
posed that after quarter Of a ce fury all
G titled to pensions would be on tue pension
rolls Such is not the case. New names are
being added to the rolls by the thousands,
and the prospect now is that before the end
# the present administration there will be
an increa e Of many millions of dollars il
the annual pension appropriation.
The commissioae r of pensions has already
placed CO. siructio MS upon existing laws
that will add many thousands Of names to
the pensi rolls. The Assistant Secretary
OF the Interior isreversing pension decisions
If his republican predecessors, and in that
way openi G wide the door to fraud. Only
a day or twoago be decided that man who
had been hit the back with a whisky jug
y the corporal Of his company. two weeks
after he had received his discharge from the
army, was entitled to a pension. The ella m
Of this man and many o hers like it mad
been rejected oy previous administrations,
both republican and democ attic The fact
that they are granted by this administra-
tion justlfieS the conclusion that the pension
sharks are now ffored every opportunity
t make succes sful raids on the treasury.
Think men al over the couutry are
beginning to view with alarm the rapid in
crease Of the pension charge. With pen
sion commissioner who seems to think that
he has been closen to distribute the treasury
surplus among the ex-unlon soldiers and
sailors, al Assistant Secretary of the
Interior who is a good deal Of a
demag que, and who has no knowl-
edge Of law and no respect for prece-
dents, and congress that believes in win
ming the soldier vote at any cost, there is a
probability hat the treasury will be ba k
rup Cd, notwithstanding lie revenues are
low 81 much in excess Of the needs of the
vernment.
The pension sharks are now sending out
circulars to ex-solders and sailors in every
part of the country, asking them t. file APP
plicatlOns for peuslo S if they have not al
ready done so. In the circular there are state
ments calculated to excite their cuoidity
and induce them to maze state uents whic
are wide of the truth. Taey are told that
the new commits Toner of pensions and the
new Assis ant Secretary Of the Interior are
the friends of the ex-soldiers and sailors,
and that their policy is far more liberia
than any that has ever before prevailed in
the pension bureau. They are also informed
that the present co gress will enact pen
sion laws at will authorize the grant
Of pensions to thousands who have hereto
/, re been barred out, and that the sooner
they file their applications the better it will
be for them.
The south has thus far offered no opposi-
ton to pension legislation. She has taken
the position that those entitled to pensions
should have them, but she has known all
along that the money of the people was
being distributed largely among those who
have no rightful claim to assistance from
the government S g has, however, said
nothing because her position is delicate
one The time has come, however, when
he mus protest ng iinst further increase
Of tie pension burden. She bears part of
his turde and is therefore entitled to
speak with regard to it. She has her own
veterans to care for, AID she cannot afford
to contribute to the support of thousands
and tens of thousands Of able-bodied men,
whose claim for pensions is based upon
neither justice, common sense nor benovo-
lence.