Los Angeles herald., 1890-08-07
THE PENSION OCTOPUS.
The New York Tribune" Says it is
Time to Call a Halt.

The New York "Tribune" Says it is
Time to Call a Halt.
In its issue of July 7th the New York
Tribune published the following edi
torial:
The Tribune has done it's fair share for
many years in securing justice for the
veterans of the Union. AS long as there
was reason to believe that any of those
to whom the nation owed its life were
in want or suffering it appealed con-
stantly and earnestly to the people on
behalf Of that body of citizens to whom
the debt of the nation can never be Who'll
ly paid. 1t has earned the right tossay
now that the surviving union veterans
of this country do not ask to be sup
ported at public expense when they are
able to support themselves by honorable
labor, and do not want, where they are
thus able to support themselves, to have
other people taxed in order to fill their
pockets. 1t is the feeling of the great
majority of these veterans that it would
humiliate them and place them in the
attitude of mendicants if they were
further to countenance any measure
urged by pension attorneys and lobby
lists.
Mr.. Henderson, of Iowa, who entered
the service as q private at the age OF p,
lost leg in the service and still COM
manded the Forty-sixth Iowa as colonel
at the close of the war, is staunch
Republican and has been four times
elected to congress from the same dis
trict. This Unionv eteran, in advocating
a pension deficiency bill in the house
July 18th, made the following state
ment as to pensions voted for the current
year:
We have appropriated by our legisla-
ton, including what is covered in the
sundry civil bill now pending in the
house, the sum of $164, lis, ,894.S9. Then
add the amount carried by the pending
bill, and we have grand total OF $167,-
824 733. "a. More than one
third of the entire receipts of the gov
ernment, as provided for in the congress,
60 for the benefit of the soldiers of the
Union. The estimated revenues
for next year are $3.50, All 1897 .S4, in
Guiding receipts from the postal
service. The amount from the
latter service for this year is
estimated at $65, Ala 1897 "a, leaving all
our federal income from import duties
and internal revenue and miscellaneous
items amounting to 1886, 5,006,0 900. OF
this sum, as have shown, we have ap
propriated this year, and gladly, the
sum of $177 1924 1924 for the benefit o.
old soldiers, their widows, children anc
helpless parents. Almost one half O.
the revenues of the government goes tc
this sacred use, and it is proper that the
soldiers should know these facts.
Mr.. Henderson does not say, but he
seems to have implied belief that nc
larger share of the public revenues
should be appropriated for this pur.
pose. The number of pensioners on the
rolls is about half a million. 1t will be
increased to 10000 by the bill recently
passed. If the entire population is Co.
900, 900, about one person in eighty
eight of the population receives pen
sion, and the amount so appropriated is
about 1924 for every person on the rolls
tdis year. Out of all the money raised
by customs, internal taxes and miscella-
neous receipts for the benefit OF all the
people, nearly half is paid over to one
eighty-eighth of the people, and little
more than one-half is expended for all
other national purposes. Yet there are
further bills proposed and clamorously
urged by pension agents which would
take out of the treasury about $2,000,-
600, 900 more.