The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1890-05-15
Wonderful Facts About Pensions.

The increase of pension expenditures
8 in recent years is something wonderful.
he proper maximum pension e1pendi-
s. ture on account of the civil war-on the
basis of real disability incurred in mill
tary service-was reached IN 1874, when
THE outgo for pensions was $50, ,593, ,749.
& decreased from that year till 1878,
when it was $26, ,844,415. The pension
!: attorney, however, about that time cap
Estured the demagogue, with the result
that new legislation was devised to show
public money upon persons not
deemed worthy of pensions.
heir objects have been greatly favored
sby the protectionists, whose interest it is
TO keep tariff taxes at the highest notch.
The consequence is seen in pension ex-
penditure in 1889 of s95, ,624,779. In the
present fiscal year the expenditure is to
sbe from: $105,000,000 to $125, 900, 600:
text year, if the service pension bill
ssiinst; passed by the House becomes law,
ssthe annual expenditure will be from
ss150,OOO,OOO to 100000, 900. If the
prisoners bill' also becomes law
sgoodly number of millions will be added
Ito this figure. The amount disbursed on
[ss account Of pensions since 1861 has been
SSI, I,150,21S,413, exclusive of the $780,
loot, 900 given in bounties to volunteers.
is q curious relation between
the decrease of the interest on the public
Essdebt and the increase of pensions, which
indicates tendency of the war burden
become perpetual. On August 81,
1868, when the debt was largest, the
principal of:the debt vas S2,3Sl $50, ,194
and. the interest charge $3.50, 81, ,697. At
81 present the interest bearing debt is about
81 $3.50, 100000, and the interest charge
ID about S35 ,OO0, 600. The saving in interest
from debt paid goes, it is evident, into
pensions, so that there is to be no relish
81 E from war burdens. If any one cherish
ses the belief that the new pension laws
are of trIhing Importance for the reason
q that the large expenditure they author.
ize is to last only few years, he will
change his mind when he learns
from the report of the Commissioner of
Pensions that there are still 81 persons
s drawing pensions on account Of the
& Revolutionary War, which ended nearly
10 years ago, and that there are II ,593
pensioners of the war of 1872. If our
past existence teaches anything, we shall
s. be paying millions for pensions in far off
1975. There is something very magni.
Esfcent, doubtless, in the amount we are
esgiYing the survivors Of the 100000
patriots who, after four years Of desper.
ESate fighting, overcame the 100000 Con-
4 fsderates. This bounteous streams of
b Federal gratuity brings cheer and ease to
countless happy homes. In 1883 the
sserage value of each pension was
|as131 .lS-an amount of cash sufficient to
relieve the average recipient from the
ksneed of working for a living. All
B 5 through the North, West and Northwest
B this money comes in s. bounteous and
gladdening stream, winning votes and
support for the party that opens the
I. treasury gates for its outflow. But are
EStfle other homes mads happy by it !?
EsyAre the taxpayers of the country pros
pering in spite>of the drain upon their
resources caused by our pension gener-
Esosity? 1t is a matter worth considering.
There are signs that some of them are
being ruined by it. Although the West
sand Northwest receive the greater part
Ea-iof rcsof the golden streams, it is among the
& g farmers of those very sections Of the
country that the cry of distress is loudest.
So Baltimore Sun.