Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1891-08-13

latter section only 1851 95 men TO
draw upon, and supposes numerical
superiority or toe part of the north OF
nearly four to one.
The deaths in the army from all
causes during the period between 1860
and 1865 have been stated by AdJt
Gen. Drum as 359.52S This may be
below the truth, but the point we wish
to make is that the deaths during that
period We're enough, or nearly enough,
to balance the normal increase in the
population of military age, so that at
the end of the war, or at any time
during the war, the northern popula-
ton available for military purposes
was not greatly in excess OF the eighth
census figures for 1850. The fact is
that in 1870, after five years of peace,
this element of the population, esti-
mated upon the same basis, had in
creased only from 1862. 40 to 5,3i1, 100.
The deduction is obvious and it Is
very striking. If Gen. Raum does not
eXaggerate the number of union sol
diers who bore arms in the great con
fiict, then it is true that of the entire
northern population fit for military
service one man out of every two men
was at the front. Does any sane per-
son believe that such was the case?
1t is reasonable to assume that there
is nothing excessive in the pension
commissioners estimate that about a
million men who served in the union
armies either persisted during the war
or have died during the quarter of a
century since the war. 1t would not
suit the purpose of the pension spend
thrifts to exaggerate the number OF
union soldiers who are outside the
reach of any pension. The object Is
rather to swell the total of survivors
and thus to enlarge the apparent field
for governmental bounty.
But even assuming that there are
now alive 1.2OS, 707 union soldiers, and
leaving out of sight the general prin-
ciple that those most deserving of pen
SiOnS as rule are not those who sur
vived the war by twenty-siX years, we
reach some startling conclusions from
Raum's own statistics.
OF the alleged number of surviving
veterans, AIS, $50 are actually on the
rolls and in receipt of pensions. Near
ly forty per cent. Of the northern sur
vivors of the war are partly or wholly
supported at government cost.
There are now pending in Gen.
Raums bureau claims for pensions as
follows, leaving out of consideration
all widows claims, and all claims for
increase of pension to those already
on the rolls:
Original claims under old laws. 16s 9T5
Original claims under disability bill. 1l92ii
Total new ella ms .34S Isl
Add total already pensiOned. AS 33i
500 5I5
This amounts to saying that more
than twO-thirdS of all the surviving
union veterans are now either in re-
ceipt of pensions or are applicants for
pensions. The applicants are getting
provided with pensions, as the commits
sioner informs US, at the rate of 80, 900
a month, or $50, 900 year. New APP
plications are pouring in at a rate
which we can only conjecture. New
laws extending the scope of the gov
ernments expenditure are in process
of incu baton. How long will it be, if
the present game of grab continues,
before each of the 1,20S, 707 who Raum
says served IN the northern armies and
are still alive will be a pensiOnet
on the rnI1SD-N v SIM