The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-25
Filing Up the Pensions.

I AAc pcuS4Su ~ L5iu. hlA C4J'ai9 4I9I-AAc-oS
the civil pension list OF European mon
arches. Since its introduction. afew years
ago, it has grown rapidly. It dates from
the death of Gen. Grant, when Mrs. Grant
received an annual allowance Of
5000 from Congress. That gratuity was
granted as a sort Of sentimental token Of
appreciation of the eminent services Of her
husband in e highest military as well as
the highest civil Office under our form Of
| government Former ex-Presidents and
also former commanding generals Of the
army had died without like claim being
recognized. Yet popular sentiment under
the circumstance favored the award Of that
| pension as an exceptional case, and, in fact,
apart from the very reas rs urged in con-
gEess. That's TO say, the desire appeared to be
TO create the pension, not because Of the char
acter Of the Offices which Gen Grant had
| filed, but because Of his having success
fully commanded the armies OF the United
! States in the war for the union.
What might have been expected, though
not " hat was intended, has been the result.
That case was promptly transposed from an
exception into precedent, which was SO
duplicated as to apply 20 both its civil aud
military sides. As a starter two other
widows Of Presidents were placed upon the
retired list because they stood in the same
relation to the country in that respect as
Gen. Grant. so that our list Of civil pen
sions starts off, in its first class, with Mrs
Polk, Mrs. Garfield and Mrs Grant, at
IS, 600 year each.
That much accomplished. the next step
was TO argue that the pension given to Gen.
Grants widow was, obviously, not because
of the political, but the military services of
her husband. Accordingly, why should
not the widows Of other officers who had
rendered distinguished military services re-
ceive pensions! That was another decided
departure from the policy of the govern
ment pursued from its foundation. But
just as in the case of Gen. Grant, it derived
Its support from one or two individual
cases, and these created precedent for
others. Now we find that, including the
additions made to the list at the last session,
these pensioners comprise Mrs. p. H Sheri-
dan, Mrs. j. A Logan, Mrs. f. P. Blair,
Mrs. 6. II. Thomas, Mrs. W. s. Hancock,
Mrs 6. b. Mcclellan, Mrs George Crook
and Mrs. j. c. Fremont, who receive each
$4,000 year. 1t also includes Mrs. G. K.
Warren, Mrs. James Shields, Mrs. s.
Heintzleman, Mrs. Robert Anderson, Mrs.
G. j. Stannard Mrs. Z. o. c. Ord, Mrs. ].
b. Ricketts,, Mrs. J. F. Hartranft, Mrs. L.
II. Rousseau, Mrs. G. r. Paul, Mrs. Roger
Jones, Mrs. David McDougal and Mrs. J.
w. A. Nicholson, who get $1,000 year
each. Two of these, the last named, are
widows of naval officers.
Between the cases named and those of
other persons on the pension list is the fund
amental difference that the former do not
come under the general pension laws which
assign specific amount per month for per-
sons having specific claims. But the names
| just mentioned are those of widows of Of
| ticers who we're either in civil life at the
time Of death, or in active military service,
and not invaded, or had been placed upon
| the retired list, for age or wounds upon in
| comes exceeding those which could be got
by pensions, yet with the limitation that
retired pay lapses at death. 1t must, there
fore, be obvious that while the list now
spoken of is founded upon military SER
vices, it is yet SO far as the present pension
ers are concerned, strictly a civil list, like
the civil lists of foreign nations, which in
clude the families of deceased persons who
have filed high offices, military or civil, in
the government
This new departure in our democratic
system OF government was begun long after
| the war. OF this we are further reminded
by the fact that congress has lately been
n ha ~
relicts Of officers who died many years ago.
but were never considered as entitled to
become pensioners OF the government t
| until the precedents already spoken of were
| established about twenty years after the
| close of the war. How far this new system
will extend no one can tell At present tn
lowest grade which has been thought to
entitle the widow of an officer TO receive a
| special pension Of 81, 200 or more is that of
| brigadier general, either actual or by brevet.
| But there are hundreds or thousands of
such cases not yet reached; and, as usual in
| all pension legislation which exceeds the
ancient rules, there is no absolute standard
or limit prescribing where the new system
shall stop.
While these pensions were originally
created for persons who were in comfort
| able circumstances or who had relatives or
| friends fully capable of providing for them
| it is but fair to say that the extension of
the precedent has covered some cases of a
| quite different charac Ter, in which the
widows of soldiers who had rendered most
illustrious services had been left practically
with no income. Another point to be
thought of is that inasmuch as these claims
| for pensions on the civil list so largely de-
| pend upon services rendered in the civil
war, this form of pension may eventually
lapse Still, a precedent has been created
| for future wars; and the history of other
nations shows that when once the principle
| is established of pensioniug in this way it
is likely to remain fixture in the financial
| system.
Extension of the special pension list to the
widows of distinguished soldiers of the rev.
dictionary and Mexican wars who received
no physical Injury while in the service, will
also add to the rapidly lengthening list of
gratuities amounting to $1,000 a year and
| upward.
Now the question is, where is the line to
be drawn in this matter? Or are we TO go
| right on granting mansions down RI dietant