The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1890-05-14
FrxlNcT RTROEN TIGHTER.
Remarkable Growth and Probably 3ura'
ton OF the T. nsion List.

Grrwth and Probably 3ura
tion OF the T. nsion List.
The increase OF pension eXpenli-
lures in recent years is something
wonderful. The proper maximum
pension expenditure on account Of
the civil war-on the basis OF real
disability incurred in military scr
vice-wae reached III 1874, when the
outgo for pensions was s3O.593, 749.
It decreased from that year until
1878, when it was S26:S44,415. The
pension agent, however, about that
time captured the dclnasogue, with
the result that new legislation was
devised to shower the public money
upon persons not previously deemed !
worthy of pensions, Their objects
have been greatly favored by the
protectionists, whose interest it is
to keep tariff taxes at the highest
notch. The consequence is seen in a
pension expenditure in 1889 OF $685.
624,779. In the present fiscal year
the expenditure is to be from s105,-
100000 to S125,OOO,0O0. Next year
if the service pension bill iust passed
by the House become Il law, the
annual expenditure will be from
S150,000,000 to Sl60,000. Ii the
prisoners bill also becomes law
goodly number OF millions viii be
added to this figure. The amount
disbmsed on account of pensions
since 1861 has been S1,150,31S,423,
exclusive of the SG00,00O,00O given i'll
bounties to volunteers. There is g
curious relation between the de-
| crease of the interest cf the public
debt and the increase OF pensions,
J which indicates tendency OF the
war burden to become perpetual. On
| August 81, 1865, when the debt was
largest, the principal was S2,391, $780,
2O4 and the interest charge S150,977,-
697. At present the intert st bearing
debt is about S75O,0O0,OO0, and the
interest charge about S35.0O0,000.
The saving in interest from debt paid
goes, it is evident, into pensions, so
| that there is to be no relief from war
burdens. If any one cherishes the
belief that the new pension laws are
of trifing Importance for the reason
| that the large expenditure thg au-
thorize is TO last only a few years, he
will perhaps change his mind when
| he learns from the report of the COM
missioner of pensions that there are
| still 81 persons drawing pensions on
account of the Revolutionary war,
which ended nearly 110 years ago
| and that there are 1853 pensioners
of the war of 1912. II our past ex-
| perience teaches anything, we shall
| still be paying millions for pensions
in fan off 1885. There is something
very magnificent, doubtless, in the
amount we are giving the survivors OF
the 2,5OO,O00 patriots who, after four
years of desperate fighting, oyercame
the 100000 Confederates. This
! bounteous stream of federal gratrity
brings cheer and ease to countless
happy homes. In 1883 the average
annual value of each pension was
$131.1s-an amount of cash sufficient
to relieve the average recipient from
the need of working for % living. All
through the North, West and North
west this money comes in bounte,
Gus and gladdening stream, winning
votes and support for the party that
orens the treasury gates for its out
flow. But are the otherhomes made
! happy by it? Are the taxpayers OF
the country prosperins il spite OF the
drain upon their resources caused by
our persion generosity? It IS mat
ter worth considering There arc
signs that some of them are being
ruined by it. Although the West
| and Northwest receive the greater
part of the golden stream, tits among
the farmers Of those very sections OF
the country that the cry Of distress is
loudest.