South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1889-05-10

.Aeeo ~ uP wisas iu"buty hoping uo
was not too late to miss the supper.
Mrs. Angelica Skittle is thoroughly
Disguised with all sham weddings.
She solemnly declares she will never
have another, unless II be q silver,
twenty .fve," or gold, fifty
TIE PROPOSED Liberal PENSIONS
PoLIcY.-The prodigal pensions
policy promised by Corporal Tanner,
the new commissioner of pensions.
appear to be seriously embar rass.
ing the business of the pension
bureau by stimulating a multitude OF
persons 10 put In fraudulent claims.
AT st. Paul, Minnesota, the number
OF applications has dodbled since the
CorporaPs appointment, the impress
sion being prevalent that under the
new regime it is to be easy for almost
anybody to get on the pension roll.
No particular pains will be taken, it
is believed, to test the validity of
claims. The result is that pension
Offices are crowded with fraudulent
claims which delay action upon valid
clsims. The policy of taking the
pensions question into politics has
been deprecated by tho best friends of
the honest veteran, and the latter will
not relish Dir. Tanners liberal pol.
ICY when he perceives that it inter.
feres with the prompt disposal OF
honest claims. A glance at our
present pension list shows that it is
not necessary to stimulate applica-
tons. During the year ended June
~, 1885, as many as 60,252 new
names were added TO the pension rolls
end increase of pensions we're granted
In 45,7i6 cases. The number OF per.
sons drawing pension at the close of
the fiscal years was 452,557. The
amount expended for pensions was
s72, O3s, 1886. or 81 per cent, Of the
entire outlay of the government.
This amount. it may be added, exceeds
the total CT payments on account of
pensions in all countries OF the world
put together. Since 1861 the claims
Of all Classes allowed number 49,
200 and the amount paid for pen.
sions aggregate S963. 0s6,444. CAL
culations made by the bureau show
that the average age Of pensioners
now on the roll is so years. and the
probable average age of the pension
ers now on the rolls at the time Of
death will b, 67 years. BY the close
Of the present fiscal year the number
OF persons on the pensions rolls will
be about 500,
How long they will continue to alb
serb nearly one-third OF the national
income it is difficult to say, but some
light Is thrown on the subject by the
fact that there still survive 81 PEN
sioners of the revolutionary war, which
ended practically in 1871. These
pensioners of a war which cl sed over
century ago are all widows, the aged
male pensioner having q strong pro-
ciivity for marrying young girls. As
there were 2SS,000 persons. including
militia, in the revolutionary armies,
and 2,6O7. 900 persons Ia the Federal
armies during the civil war, simple
calculation will show that in the year
1872 we shall still be paying pensions
to about $50 persons on account Of
the war that closed In 1865. Indeed,
as people live longer now than for
merly, we shall not err, probably, in
placing the number of widows of the
civil war on the rolls in 1892 at !. 900.
What we have already paid since 1865
amounts, as stated above, TO 1858.
OS6,44i We shall pay in the next
nifty years probably triple that sum
as tn pensions list is still increasing under
existing laws. If Corporal Tanners 'Tibe-
rar' recommendations are acted upon by
Congress the annual expenditure for pen.
sionI would be doubled at once. There are
still j. may, be noted, 1858. pensioners Of
the war OF 1879, Of whom 10, 1871 are wild.
Ows.. The war with Mexico gives ms al ls4
pensioners, Of whom le OGO are survivors
and 5. l04 are widows. OF the Asset pen
sioners on the entire list 4i9. 7e3 hold their
pensions on accounted the civil war, 326, ss5
OF the latter being soldiers and sailors aud
the rest widows and dependents. The pres.
ent expenditure on account Ct pensions is
formidable. No other country in the world
could stand il one year. Large as Il is, IL
will be borne more or less cbeerfully II Il be
all paid TO persons who received while 10 the
service Of the country 10 juries which inca.
pseitated them for earning living. But It
is Corporal Tanners purpose, It is said To
make the pension list both a means OF sus-
tanning the high tariff aud Of securing votes
for his party. A pension list constructed
With these objects 10 view would hardly
command the respect Of the conservative sle-
ment Of the nation.