Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1890-08-10
CONCERNING PENSIONS

CONCERNING PENSIONS
Pensions should not be given 10 the
past bellum wives Of cx-soldiel, and I'm
many otherways the pension laws are TOO
sweeping while Ia many other ways they
do not reach far enough For Instance:
Ia justice bountles should DE equalized
by the removal Of the restrictions OF the
law which required The pensloner TO APP
Ply before certain time or else lose his
back pension. In the first place many
manned soldiers did not know Of the ex-
istence Of such law They felt then a.
II they could get along without pension.
and periodically aud independently had
determined that they never would make
an application for government assistance
But their wounds or their disabilities
grew more painful and enieehling aud
they secured pensions, but only from the
date Of application. while comrades who
had been wounded on the same field and
perhaps not 30 severely a. those who APP
piled too late TO get the back pension. re-
ceived pensions from the date Of the in
longer than the others. II one Of these
men i entitled to pension from the date
Of his injury 80 j. the other. II any man
j. entitled 10 a pension at all he i eniit-
led to II from the dag he was hurt. In
some Instances the veterans who applied
for pen-iun,if il was even before the day
the arrearages law went into effect. re-
ceived sufficient arrearages to sci him up
IN some little business. on 10 secure for
him better home In which 10 end his
days. while the more deserving veteran
who applied an hour aiterward. perhap,
by no fault Of hls own. has to worry along
with his iniiniiesimal Two or four or siX
or eight dollars per month-in many in
stances not sufficient 10 keep him in bread
Tor week. not to speak of other food aud
other actual necessities OF life.
There are those who will say the
greatest objection to the abrogation
OF the arrearages act, j. that it will cause
too much expense. II the bill giving pen
sions 10 pOst-bellum widows va. abroga,-
ed and the pay 10 Young women. many Of
whom were born after the war. Wa
stopped there would be- plenty Of money
saved To pay the actual-sufierers from
the service, and. moreover. il would stop
such unjust expenditures for the future.
a. in many cases the payment OF such
pensions may last for sixty years vet. or
more.
Aside from the foregoing matter. a
word to those who are chronic kiekers on
soldiers pensions generally: Did any of
them ever stop to think that the men who
went into the war-the enlisted men were
promised "a wages the paltry sum of sl3
a month and that they got, for thequarter
part of the time only third Of that and
for none Of the time the iull amount. be-
cause on an average the dollars they were
paid with were not worth over 335k cents?
And did they ever think that the soldiers
In the field had to pay two, three and
sometimes five and ten prices for the stuff
which they were forced to buy when they
needed any little comfort or luxury which
the suffers kept? DO they remember that
the country said I'VE are not doing for
soldiers now what ought to be done. but
the grateful republic will owe them a debt
which never can be paid?' Probably
many Of the more cold FLOODED do re-
member the last part Of the quoted
sentence and are still Of the opinion that
the debt never can be paid because 50
many are determined that il snail not.
The fact that there are cranks among
the old soldiers EO make fools of them
selves about pension matters. should not
initiate against the modest. reticcnt and
deserving. There are cranks among all
classes OF people and especially among
those who are ~ years old and up TO ~.
Between those ages arc the great mass Of
the eN-suldiers Of the rebellion living to-
day. aud the vast maturity of them are
Door men-some of them very poor, and
thousands OF them at the time of life
when work j. almost cruelty to them.
Many are poor because at the very time
when they should have been acquiring a
good education or an independent cali |
ing-the four best years in which TO pre- |
pare themselves for the battle Of life, they |
were fighting the battles Of their country |
aud making it possible for this generation |
to be prosperous. Yet there are those
who sheer at them today because they |
meta few Of them comparatively-onc
a year to revive the memories of their /
rugged comradship in the field aud for the /
republic.