Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-07-10

say now that the surviving Union veter
ans Of this country do not ask 20 be sup
ported at public expense when they are
able TO support themselves by honorable
l labor and do not want, where they are
thus able 20 support themselves, 10 have
other people taxed in order 20 I'LL their
pockets II is the feeling Of the great ma
iority Of these veterans that il would hum
I iljatc them and place them in the attitude
| Of mendicents if they were further TO
| countenance any measure urged by pension
attorneys and lobbyists.
The Tribune thinks il time to say that
/ this is going too far The measure of prop
| er expenditure for this purpose has been
reached. If indeed IL has not been passed
already There is no active demand on the
part Of the veterans of the Union for sums
exceeding those already appropriated, and
those veterans are sensible enough TO know
that appropriations exceeding half the en-
tire revenue of the government, TO the ben
eft of a small fraction of the people, might
quickly cause the collapse of the whole
system for lack of popular approval and
support. But the people Will certainly stop
somewhere, and then if appropriations for
l this object seem TO them excessive or frauds
/ too numerous. there may be fiat refusal TO
continue the appropriations already made.
Further appropriations for pensions cannot
| be asked without lmperilling the continu-
ancc Of all grants for that object.
This protest cannot be met, as the
protests Of Democratic newspapers have
been. with the snceriug t2unts Of coop
perhead, rebel, soldier hater, etc.
1t is the protest Of an intensely partisan
Republican organ. which has heretofore
never failed to stomach the corruption
OF It's party. 1t sees where the extraya-
gaucc of It's leaders, drunk with power,
is leading the party. 1t sounds the very
note of warning, for uttcring which
GROVER CLEVELAND was blackguarded
by Republican organs, the Tribune at
their head. from one end of the country
to the other. namely that the abuse
and extravaganza prevalent in the PEN
sion Office must endanger the continu-
ance of the most worthy grants.
But the Tribune should not stop at
generalization in lis arraignment Of this
gigantic fraud on the American people.
II should De specific. 1t is folly to sup
pose that the pension sharks will be sat
isfed with their present spoils The
Tribune should point them out, high
though they are in the Republican
party. Ii should call attention
to the fact that the pension COM
missioner has an annex to- his
Office by means Of which he and his
son are reaping enormous fortunes OF
OF the system. Another, and one Of
the most influential of Republican
leaders. DUDLEY, is rapidly amaSsing
enormous wealth by the same means.
LEMON is another Republican leader
and liberal contributor to the Republic
can corruption fund, who wholly and
solely through this pension fraud now
ranks as one of WaShington'S million
aires. not a cent Of his wealth having
been acquired in any other way. TAN
MIR. whose administration of the pen
sion office was 50 rotten that the adj
miuistratiou was forced To let him 60
finds abundant solace for his dismissal
| i'm the rapid fattening Of his bank ac-
count at public cXpence.
These are some of the pension sharks
whom the Tribune should mention by
name and publicly condemn. They
are not through yet, and a.
mere general condemnation of
them will bee OF but little
avail i'm checking their rapacity. "Only
the other day" says an exchange, lin
mediatcly after the passage of the de-
pendent bin (which doubled the fees of
the claim agents.. the Republican State
convention at Harrisburg demanded in
addition the service pension law, which
the adiutant general of the army esti-
mates will cost Sl,333, lO9,S The
lclaim agents lobby have already, hav-
ing secured the dependant bill. COM
mcnced an agitation for this service
lbill. as well as bill for the equalization
NJ bountics. estimated by paymaSter
General ArvoEp at slGl, 10000 pris-
oner of war bin calling 70. Sll.3oo.o)o;
and a bin TO repeal the arrears limita-
tiop calling ON the estimate OF Com
missioner RAUM for Si7l, 100000. Here
we have in these four bills demand
for II oG6. 900. OOO-all in addition to eN-
isting laws which call for SlG5, OOo, 600
vear-as matters stand with the maxi
mum not reached
The New York Tribune estimates the
number Of pensioners under existing
laws at $50. geo, or about 1 person in
- of the population receives pension
and the average amount appropriated
Is about Sasi for every person on the
rolls this year" 1t adds;
Ont of all the money raised by customs,
internal taxes, and miscellaneous receipts
for the benefit of all the people, nearly nall
h Maid over 10 One-eighty-eighth OF the PEG
Mo and little more than One-hat IS eN-
nonded for all other national purposes
Vet there are further bills proposed, ana
lclamorouslv urged by pension agents,
which would take out Of the treasury about
:. 900. 600, 90 more.
The Tribune then utters this warn
ing;
The Youngest of those who served in the
Union army must today be about - years
Iofaee. Only one-eighth of those living AZ
ANY time exceed that age so that OF the
: 900 600 male adults who were living wheh
the war closed not more than 9OOOOo are
living now. and over a third of these are
lSoutherners 4 voting population OF T.
lnnO 900 will not long consent 10 pay more
than half the entire revenues OF the gov
ernmeut to a twentieth of their NUMBER
This is the condition which causes
even the New York Tribune to throw mp
its hands and call a halt on the fright
full extravaganza and corruption OF ITS
party leaders.
9wIFTs SPECIFIC.
Troublesome skin disease