The sun., 1890-07-20
4 EACHER ON PENSIONS.
Are the Veterans Losing the Patriotic
Spirit that Carried Them 10 the wnrt


Are the Veterans Losing the Patriotic
Spirit that Carried Them 10 the wnrt
A sermon on the pension legislation OF Con-
| gress is somewhat Of novelty, especially whom
| II comes as a regular sunday discourse. Such
| n sermon was delivered a few weeks ago by the
| Rev. Edward II. Hal. I'm tho First Parish
| Church, Cambridge" and Is now published as
pamphlet from the University Press with q
statistical appendix.
The ground taken by Mr.. Hall is that, in the
| way pensions have come to be discussed and
| awarded. "A Rros~ indiRnity has been put upon
our departed heroes, and as corrurtinR an In
| fuence introduced into our political life ne the
history OF our country affords" Mr.. Hall esti-
mates that thu legislation thus far accom-
plished will insu an annual pension ex-
penditure OF Sl50000,O00 year, and an in-
crease in the number OF benelciaries to 950,-
600. The last report of the Commissioner OF
Pensions showed the aggregate disbursements
since 1861 to DO $l.O5l,2lS,4l3. Doducting the
amount paid on account OF the war OF 1872
and the Mexican war; the balance ls Sl0O9 .466,-
$50 Mr.. Hall finds from thai official re ort
that here az 47S.C0S applications for pensions
pe ding and that an aver ge of more than
three In five OF such applications are success
full. Accordingly. he looks for an addition OF
2SG.O00 new names to tho pensi rolls. Tho
SO tement OF hese claims yill increase the
cost ol pens ons by 500 ,0,O0l year. II n
service pension, is adhei there viii be an
emo nous addi iun: and In sHOjt, he is In.
clined To- eiie O. wi h ,unRre smun Tatsn"y OF
Missouri that i've yenrs heuce unless public
payi & $500 0l0 o. annually for pension g.
But It Is not thY eAp.nnSe alone hat troubles
Whether our Treasury can boar thi sturon.
dou, and increasing drain: II is whether OR
national chaIaeter can ear his constant as:
sad spectacle. lie think- l. tho cuauged Htti-
tudo and tone Q! the vetera ~. lhrouIhout
sion schemes. mud 10 demands. AMI had to
be ought out and urged to accept the public
eSnts n Was le or m ed to we
!. was th"n bdS ed that it was much iS
legislative rrnvisi ms INDICATED
Ihs dieniled and seller sporting deport-
ment co"tnurd Il years; AMI Mr.. Hail is in
years of the Hayes Administration. when the
arrears bil was passed. tunidiy was then
Cong, ess showed itself wi ling TO ole away in
lump. aud by the th"usan'is Of dollai 8 viii h
Sa could g. Etc to tie shnpe f OF ,,id one soldier The
Mr.. Hall thinks. to make demands more and
mo imperative. and to threaten Congress-
men with wi,hdra" al OF the soldier vote un-
less these demands were met:
within s A' weo the emHx Of IBIS sort Of
passed BY Western encampnont OF the order to
n ed eEHe. on pension f o, S
man man in thg service npro an and fime %h% could rec
NS YETI e me d iG n "yH can OF wondeP ono h.
these thing are said aud done, ,ta he youth Of 10
ion In which hitherto our citizen so ders have been
To. s "Ps". o, the sS.' Enow on whTh wish s'
yi,o Tor te most nnr. st re cannot bear 10 see
;gHgsa EE er ast nomorA5 ON Tsprss.nt.t!yes Y.!
Se t 70 s end toa ~ g. G PS
oi ct who tni H. mselves good aud hai i'd nd
FOR nr % spnof, We are H ali yns ii ID p%O H"H way
ana fG saah Sf the Il 9s
Isfs%n H Sc rssisss , n and Ba,
lalpyrs IN every community whom enorrs cannot
6roHsts ali our Giles /" Substitute sef.uppo:t for
bssEary VIII 10 iSs s%t"nns back me waves Of the
hungry mendcAnts at !hs pubic tans IN ,he name OF
iee rGiS5 So t. Sa:s & na %t iS 1@ " whole
.rci am nmGn, ssT' a M m am sHndHy 90
duty, however remote the to.c may ue from usual
Those who volunteered for the defence
part Hs S the dd SCI for tie me eITSt nnr
yeaIs M Ism may ny men we're drafted many ~ Others nrs
went rs substitutes tor drafted men up the
os oss % "se sH% S S Re Ssyy y Saupss f
Of men who enlisted from various motives;
eysn i il per esT@as,s 1, re%S; Eaby few from tie -
o men. so. too. as time wore away nd the
finer ent usa- IN which ha rallied patriotic
men to the defence of the ag sub>ided. drr bt-
less some who would once have resented
measuring in money the sacrifices tn made
concluded 10 take wha over onGress chose to
vote them. \ great many others. from the
feeling OF comradeshp wero willing to sup
port. for the sake OF Fellow soldiers. not for
their own. pension resolutions uf an extreme
offered in organizations ol veterans.
A buve all, the enormous and ofltable indus
try Great for peDsior claim agents made 1t
{ @ Interest OF large body }, men to procure
m re ani more legislation from congress by
which th ir tees m ght be in reased.
All th-se IN ,luence| have confined TO rro-
duce an apparent change OF attitude among
the veterans. heNert heless the Q is no deny
ing h. tact that VI der n comb Dn;lon OF in
fluenres a monstrously lavish system OF pen
sion expenditures has been established. and. 1
being aSed on NJ sound theory, il Is going to ,
lengths that no man can ioretel.