The National tribune., 1890-07-24
GoNE ovER NO TnE ENrMY.


The New York Tribune has always been a
very uncertain friend of the soldiers. When
ever ii suited It's purpoSes-business or po-
litical-it has been profuse in its protesta-
tons of friendly zeal for their interests
When it's interests demanded indifference,
lukewarmness, or absolute opposition, ii has
not hesitated TO adopt that policy, and the
comrades can recall many instances in the
past few years when it was either actively
or positively hostile at very critical periods.
But even those who best remember its
course were hardly prepared for the sud-
den bolt into the ranks Of the enemy
which it has recently made, starting with an
editorial headed Time to Haiti After
long blast Of its own trumpet as to its own
merits, and quotation from Col. Hender-
sons speeches as to the amount appropriated
for pensions, the Tribune proceeds to say
The number Of pensioners on the rolls Is about
half million. IL will be increased TO $50 900 by
tie bills recently passed. If the entire population
b. 100000 about one person in IS Of the popula.
ton receives pension. and The amount SO nppro-
priated is about S22I for every person on the rolls
this year.
Note the disingenuousuess of the last
clause. IT has the sly perversion of the truth
Of a rebel statement Of numbers upon the
battlefield. What has the ratio OF the entire
appropriation TO the numbers now on the
pension roll to do with the case? Nothing
at all The increased appropriation is for
vastly increased number Of pensioners. and
when these are placed on the roll the average
pension to each will probably not be much
over half what the Tribune wrongly states
The report of the Commissioner of Pensions
for 1889 placed The average annual value Of
each pension at sl31,18 This included all
the large pensions, very many Of which run
from $40 to $4,000 year The new bill
viii not raise the average value much. if
any. 1t will put several hundred thousand
people on the rolls at from So 90 SID a
year, but until it gets fairly TO work it will
be impossible TO say whether it will raise
the average above or put il below last years
average Of S13I18. We only wish the
7ribnnes statement were correct, and that
every pensioner on The rolls would yet an
average of $225 That would give some
assurance of tolerable comfort for their de-
Ginning years.
The Tribune goes on 10 say:
Out Of all the money raised by customs internal
taxes and miscellaneous receipts for the benefit of
ali the people, nearly half Is paid over 10 one
eighty,eiGhth Of the people, and little more than
ons-liah Is expended for all other National pur-
poses. Yet there further bills pToposed and
eianoronsly urged by pension agents v hioh would
lake out Of the Treasury about & coo 900 900 more
According 10 Col. Hendersons figures
which the Tribune bases its remarks on. the
receipts Of the Government this year will be
S3s5,O0O,OOO, and the expenditures for pen
sions $40, s24,739. Now the latter sum is
about $25,OOO,OOO year less than half the
| former.
1
the total expenditure for pensions this year
fully $39000,O0O was properly chargeable to
other years. since il was for arrears which
had been accnmulating for from five to q
years. The Commissioner of Pensions re-
| ported the annual value of the roll last year
to be sG4.246552 The difference between
that and SlO3OOO,00O, which was appro-
priated, is about $39,OOOYOOO, which goes to
meet obligations, which have been pending,
unsettled through all the years from 1862
10 date.
The Tribune felt no anguish when, after
the close of the war the men who are now
getting portion of their long withheld
dues, were periodically bearing a staggering
load Of taxation, in order TO pay principal