The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-08-28
OUR ARMY OF PENSIONERS.
Re-enforcelnents Three Hundred Thousand
Strong On the Way to Join It.

OUR ARMY OF PENSIONERS.
Re-enforcements Three Hundred Thousand
Strong On the Way to Join It.
WASHINGTON, August 15.-The most
remarkable passage in the address OF
Gen. Alger to the Grand Army veter-
ans at Boston was that which declared
that "more than 100000 applications
have been made to the Commissioner
of Pensions under the new Disability
law, and he informs me that applica-
tions are coming in at the rate of about
10000 per day."
Where do We all come from? 1t is
evident, to begin with, that the num-
Der is outrunning what had been ex-
pected, or at least intimated, in the
discussion of the measure by Congress.
It was then estimated that the number
of applicants during the first year
would be about 100000. And yet with
in the first three months Of that year the
number is officially declared to have
exceeded 100000. and to be going on at
the prodigious rate of 10000 per day.
In this respect the experience of the
Disability law recalls that Of the Ar
rears Repeal law, which cost about ten
times as much as some of its advocates
estimated, and also that of the act of
1878 for dependent Revolutionary pen
sioners, under which the number of
benefciaries was estimated to be 374,
and turned out to be 22,297. Congress,
in those early days Of the country was
dealing with soldiers numbered by
thousands, but in ours it is dealing
with hundreds of thousands then it
was startled to find that it had in
CURED extra obligations of more than
million year, but the new Disability
bill is involving scores of millions.
The question recurs, however, where
all these new candidates for pensions
can possibly be recruited. Gen. Alger
is reported to have said that even>the
Grand Army could not tell within 250,-
600 how many soldiers Of the civil war
were still surviving. That would give
an enormous margin for uncertainty;
but he made the statement prior to the
passage Of the Disability bill in order
to show that it was better not to try to
estimate its cost beforehand, but to 60
ahead and pass it any way.
Commissioner Dudley, about eight
years ago, estimated the total number
Of enlistments in the civil war at $780,
IFS. Deducting from these the re-enlist-
ments, he got balance of 2,063, ,291 &C
tual individual enlistments. Of those
living at that time who had not ap-
piled for pensions there were 1,0O9, ,469,
while those who had so applied num-
bered 45s, ,553.
Last spring Commissioner Raum
revised these estimates and put the
total number of Union soldiers, exclud-
ing re-enlistments, at 2,2l3,365. From
this number the deduction of the de-
sertions and the deaths in battle or by
disease or other cause left l, 702, ,069 alive
at the close of the war. Then, calculat-
ing, on the usual mortality rates, he
found that the probable number of sur
vivors for January l, 1890, was 1885,
OS9. Ofthese, 373,lO2 were already then
on the rolls so that the remainder num-
bered but S72,9S7 We further find that
at that at that date the number of in
valid claims pending was 1872, 1855, which
will give balance, in round numbers,
of 100000 survivors not included in
these classes.
And now, it appears, more than 300,-
600 applications are already made for
pensions under the Disability bill, while
the torrent has still head enough to
produce 10000 day, which, continued
even for only a month, would obvious
ly make another 100000. 1t must ac-
cordingly, in view of the figures al
ready given, be.a matter of some as
tonishment where the applicants come
from, and also how many survivors Of
the war there can be who are in ordi-
nary health and strength. For although,
as Gen. Alger complacently remarked,
the Disability bill gives q pension to
any soldier or sailor who was honora-
bly, discharged, after a service of ninety
days or more, :'no matter what his
financial condition may be-" yet at
least ne must be suffering from NEIL
tai Or raysical disability of q perma-
nent character, not the result of his
own vicious habits, which incapaci-
tates him from the performance of man
ual labor in such degree as to render
him unable to earn 3 support" If,
therefore, out Of the number of suryiy-