The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-10-09
"HAnPER.s WEEKLY" ON PENSIONS.

1t will be difficult to find anywhere more
absolute misstatements of fact than in the
following editorial on the National Encamp-
ment in Boston, which appeared in Hd'per's
Heekly:
PENSIONS AND THE GRAND ARMY.
No people has ever manifested it's gratitude and
honor for the soldiers of National contest more
amply than the people Of the United States. Their
generosity has been fabulous md reckless. Their
pension tax Is $4,000 600 sum unprecedented in
history. II Is than all the pension lists OF all
other countries combined and very much moro
than the cost of maintaining enormous standing
armies This immense sum is taken from the
poorest we'll as the richest citizens. Not hard
working man in the country but contributes, d.
rectly or indirectly. his share. The annual pay
ment Of Il sum vast is the evidence not only OF
abiding Of justice. but of lavish profuson,
which brings justice and gratitude into question.
The attitude of the people OF this country toward
the Union soldiers is unstintedly liberal that II
was painful and startling 10 note that the CHIEF
action at the Boston meeting was neither recalling
the glorious patriotic conservation of feeling which
assured the Union victory, nor the honorable and
ample acknowledgment of service made by the
country, but practical reproaeh Of the country as
niggardly, and a demand for greater outlay for
made n majority report which should have been
frank aud strong and full acknowledgment Of the
generosity Of the country toward the soldiers and
equally strong aud pointed rebmNe OF the
attempt in some quarters TO make merchandise OF
patriotism. But the tone OF the report was umid,
hesitating, apologize and deprecatory. II evil
IDENTIFY wished TO restrain the demand for service
pension but ms evidently doubted whether IL could
do IL. II said, however. the present pension law,
81, hasa elrnH
is " the most liberal pension measure ever passed
by any legislative body in the world, and tDn place
upon the rolls all The survivors Of The SUlOse con-
diiions Of health not practically perfect"
Is it conceivable that American survivors ola war
wagcd TO defend the National existence could ask
more than thisH
Let us take first the statement that the
Nations generosity has been fabulous and
reckless" The best reply to this is the last
report of the Commissioner of Pensions
that for 1SS9-which shows that there were
356,031 invalid pensioners on the rolls. OF
these
26,9lO received s. or less month, or Z cents a
day.
1873 received IS month. or 10 cents a day.
35l received 1915 a month, or I2lS cents day.
69.0Is received 81 a month. or IS cents "A day.
I4ls received S. or less a month, or 1874 cents
day.
5O.5l0 received SC a month or less or 20 cents a
day.
20 received S. month OF less, or q cents day
22O,2is total.
That is, of the whole number who were
receiving this " fabulous and reckless gen.
erosity," 1864, or more than one-fourth,
were put of with beggarly stipend, ranging
from Is cents day down TO cents; 49, 500,
OF very much more than one-half, received
all the way from 20 cents day down to Z
cents; and 100000 or nearly two-thirds the
entire number, received from q cents day
down to z cents This is what the sleek,
luxurious Mugwump who edits Hdrper's
Weekly calls q fabulous and reckless gener-
osity" 10 men who left their homes and occu-
pations to 90 to the front and fight, TO pro-
tect him and others in their pleasant and
gsinful pursuits! Probably the editor of
Harper's Weekly did not suffer 80 much per-
sonaI hardship during the war as the loss Of
a nights sleep-unless it was from appre-
hension that the rebels would succeed, and
destroy lis property, and yet he gets for one
weeks writing of such filings as these against
the Nations saviors, more than the Gov
eminent allowed 300 of the above pension
ers to support themselves upon for the same
length Of time!
Referring again to the report Of the Com
missioner Of Pensions for 1889, We find that
there were 35999 pension claims allowed
that year. OF these
10 had been pending since 1867. or q years.
igl had been pending since 1888. or 26 years.
l42 had been pending since 1854, or % years.
rs lad been pending since 1866. or "a years.
l5o had been pending slnct 1896. or p years.
I07 had been pending since 1867. or - years.
o. lad been pending since 1863, or q years.
81 had been pending since 1853, - years.
l5s had been pending since 1870, or 10 yeara.
lie had been pending since 1s7l, or Is years.
JIG had been pending since 1872, II years.
I5s had been pending since 1873. or l6 years.
3l6 had been pending since 1874, or Is yeara.
81 had been pending since 1875, or Il years.
SO liad been pending since leI0, or Is years.
SO had been pending since 1877. or u years.
| Ssg5 lad been pending since 1873. or II years.
800 lad been pending since 1879, 10 years.
| I,5l2 lad been pending since 1850. or Q years.
| 200 had been pending since 1851, OF years.
| 1884 had been pending since 1882 or years.
| ZOOS had been pending since 1888. car years
| s.sfJ had been pending since 1851, or years
| 6.3E had been pending since lSe5. or years.
22,7zs
That ia, nearly two-thirds of the entire
number allowed had been pending from four
to q years! What sort Of reckless and
fabulous generosity" we ask our Mugwump
editor, is this which keeps disabled veterans
out Of their little dole of pension for half
lifetimeY
Next, IL is not even approximately true
that S150,000,O00 a year-a figure, by the
way, which is merely estimate, az no man
can tell with any certainty what the Dis.
ability bill will cost" is more than all the
pension-lists of all the other countries COM
| biued Great Britain aIone-yybo b.a M,