The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1891-09-12
Time to take steps for the Revision Of
the Pension List.

MdJor Ocueiut .. W. 1ld" ioi', u
crippled veteran, in speaking
of the rapidly growing sen
timent among patriotic members of
the Grand Army of the Republic,
upon the question Of a revision of the
pension list says in letter to the
Philadelphia Times:
In today's Sunday Times there is
an editorial of the greatest impor-
tancc, headed "A New Call for
Heroism'' and its subject is the ne
cessity for a.review and reform of the
present pension system. 1t is clev-
erly written article and in every way
true.
"As my name is mentioned in it, |
have only to say to you that | have
long seen what is coming; have ever
been earnestly against the abuse of a
good and just system, and am ready
to do anything or take any part in
arresting the further progress of this
wrong and reforming what exists.
A reaction will set in that will sweep
away the whole system and tramp
it out as the English did the mutiny
and the cattle plague Indicate
what ought to he done, and / am
ready
Major General Slocum, General
Martin t. Mcmahon and others
take substantially the same position.
The veterans in Washington have
organized a society for the purpose
of correcting abuses of the pension
laws, and claim that a third of those
now drawing pensions are not enti-
tied To them, that another third do
not ned them. and that the remain
ing third do not receive pensions as
large as those to which they are en-
titled--in other words, that the real
IL meritorious are suffering because
of the immense demands made by
those who have no valid or meritor-
ious claims, such us men who saw no
real service, short term men who did
no fighting, men who were dishonor-
ably discharged, men who hold high
salaried positions in the national or
State employment and others.
A Government which is paying
nearly as much to support disband
ed army twentyseven years after
the war as two of the most powerful
nations in Europe expend upon their
standing armies cannot be accused
of forgetfulness of the claims of ex-
Union soldiers. Nor can such a
charge be made if the pension lists
are revised and the expenditures are
lessened. Under such a process no
veteran deserving a pension will be
touched. The names to be erased
will be those Of men who are not en-
titled to pensions and who have got
their names on the lists either
through the pressure of claim agents
or by false surgeons certificates,
Under the operation of existing
laws and fresh legislation which will
be added to them, the pension roll
which now amounts to 1925, 100000,
will be increased greatly within a
short time. 1t will not be long. in
deed, before it may reach the i'm
mense expenditure of 100000 600
unless the brakes are put on and
some means are found to purge the
lists of those who are found not right
fully entitled to pensions. II is now
good time to begin the work of cor
recting abuses. The charge cannot
be made that the country is migrate
full to those " no defended it.
1t is useless to expect that either
party will make the first move to re-
form these abuses. The Democrats
assail the Republicans and charge
upon them the enormous expendi-
ture, but they have voted in Congress
for every item Of pension legislation,
and during their four years Of power
made no offer to repeal any pension
law. Nor will they do so in the fl
ture. The list will go on increasing
under new laws and the Democrats
will go on voting for them and ahus
ing Republicans for legislation " hich
they themselves have approved ny
their votes.
The work of reform should be mi
tiated by the Grand Army itself,and
if it starts from that source abuses
of the pension laws and lists will
soon cease to be popular with politi.
clans. The reform beginning there