The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1890-12-18
roR souruERN ooNsuMrrIoN.

been obtained through fraud-that sby perjury and
false representations not needed by those 10
whom il il paid, and the latter not entitled 60
IT, This is a serious charge On the payments
this year the fraud will from SG0000o10 to
Ss00O0C00 making il the biggest steal of any age.
Juarcz Celmau and tho other officials ofthe Argen-
tine Republic who stole SO 100000 ga al in several
years are mere sneak thieves 10y the side Of this
latest gang 81 robbers.
The robbery las seriously affected the financial
status OF the Government. There will be consider
able deficit this year. aud there il every evidence
thmtwill grow larger with each year. There seems
10 he no way Of stopping the robbery. The Re-
publican party now in control Of the Government
has winked at those thcfs for It's interest, and
encouraged the idea that il is right and proper TO
p'under the Government through the Pension
Bureau.
Democratic opinion in Washington seems TO be
orystaizinR la favor Of meeting the pension de-
hci by an income tax, and number 81 bills To
that effect viii be offered at the next session. A
holder policy than this would be lar better Ion the
Government and the people; but, ns we have said,
there Is not sufficient political courage just yet to
meet nis difficulty rs il ought 10 bo met, by oppos-
ing pensions altogether, instead Of raising add-
iOnGl taxes TO pay them. The move for pension
reform must come from the people. Every head
% family is paying SIS year TO support the vet
Grams, and, as the Herald points out nearly half Of
tille goes 10 men who obtained their pensions
irauduieu.ly, who have need FOR the money,
and who are frequently better OF than those Who
arc tius taxed 10 support them.
or course, ialsehoods like this are particu-
larly relished by the Secession element Of
Louisiana, Of which the Times Democrat is
the representative. They are only too will
Ing 10 believe that not merely 40 per cent
Of the Union veterans are peIiurcrs and
thieves, bat that the whole body Of them
are, just as they used to denounce the same
men as "the scum Of Europe" thieves"
murderers,n brigands," robbers" ban
diui," etc.
IT is not for a moment true that the rob
berry otherwise pension disbursements has
seriously affected the financial status of the
Government! On the contrary, the credit
Of the Government was never so high as ii
is to-day. II has the best financial standing
Of any Nation in the whole world. While
England, France and Germany cannot Dor
row money for less than per cent, and
other European Nations have to pay al the
way from that figure up TO 10 and -, the
United States could borrow any number Of
millions at q per cent, or even less.
Nothing has done The country more good
than the disbursements for pensions. They
have poured millions Of dollars directly into
the pockets Of the whole people, and been a
powerful factor in averiing the crisis which
the manipulations and intrigues Of the Wall
Street money bosses have almost precipitat-
ed on the country
The Times Democrat hints at The revival
Of the inoome-tax, but counsels even holder
opposition to pensions. With the imposition
Of the income-tax-pUre and simple-we
have nothing to do. 1t viii be time enough
10 consider that question when 1t comes up.
In the abstract we are in favor Of such a
tax, and just as soon as il becomes a practical
question We shall advocate such a measure Of
general revenue. But any suggestion Of
leyying such a tax 10 meet the require
ments Of pension expenditures emanates
solely from pension-haters il is a cunning
device 70 array against the veterans all those
who fear an income tax, and excite power
fal opposition 10 pensions among al the
welI-to. do people. For this reason every
suggestion Of the kind should receive, as it
always has received, the sternest reproba-
ton Of the comrades.
The Times Dlmocrai knows that IL is stat
ing a glaring falsehood when il says that
every head Of a family is paying Sls a
year 10 support the veterans little cal
culalion will demonstrate this clearly. The
Secretary Of the Treasury estimates that the
revenues Of the Government for the present
fiscal year, which will end on The Both Of
June next, viii be siOGOOOOO0. The Super
iniendcnt Of the Census says that the popu-
lation Of The country is O., 480450. Assum-
ing that all the revenues are real taxes upon
the people, this would make a tax Of SG55
per annum for each bead Of population.
Assuming that the average family is five
this would make the proportion for each
family S3275. OF the total Of 100000, 600
but $l35 100000. OF almost exactly one-third
is required for pensions. That would then
make the pension-quota for each head Of
the family but SiO.75, or but little over one
half what The 7aacs Dcm0cra states.
As we have repeatedly shown, not one
dollar Of this sum was levied for the pur-
pose Of paying pensions. Not one dollar is
collected because il is needed 10 pay pen
sions. Every item in the revenues is IS in
dependent Of pensions as it is Of the mis-
siouaIy fund for Africa Were there not a
soldier or a soldiers widow or orphan in the
entire land there would DE just as much
reason for the retention Of each item. For
example, whisky, beer, tobacco and oleo-
margarine pay ID the aggregate Sll5, 600 600.
Who is ignorant enough 10 say that the col
lections on these have anything 10 do with
the payment of pens.ousY Who will say
that they should be reduced OF taken OF il