The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-09-30
The Grave Peril Of the Pension Lar.
CESS.


4 political convention was lately
held i'm one of our States, for the pur-
nose of nominating candidates for two
importnnt offices. The names accep-
ted by the convention were, it is stat
ed, the candidates put forward by the
secret, military organization known as
the. Grand Army of the Republic.
The men selected may be fair, repre-
sentative citizens, fully upto the aver
age in integrity, capacity, and moral
worth, vet that must be obviously a
perilous custom which places the fl-
vorites of such al organization in
power, and in effect, bids them re-
member and gratefully serve the
friends ti whom they may have owed
their political elevation. 1t will be ad-
mitted that we have had military
men, generals Of wide rennwn, who
have with general acceptance filled
the highest office in the gift of the
people, vet this fact does not affect the
principle involved, nor lessen the per.
il which, from this quarter, menaces
our free institutions.
The foregoing reflection occurred to
me, in reading 4 recent timely and
thoughtful article by Fl. II. Hinman,
entitled "The Grand Army of the Re-
public and Pensions" 1t is found in
the columns or the "Christian Cyno-
sure" a weekly paper of relSrm,
which takes advance ground upon the
subjects Of war and secret socie-
ties.
"Belicving rs do," says the writer
above named, "thmt all wars are in-
trinsically wrong, andL that all cere-
monies and organizations that tend to
Glorify war are injurious TO Chris'iani-
ty and inimical to the public welfare,
[ cannot but regret that the many ex-
cellent citizens connected with the q.
A. r. should continue in that relation,
and that through their influence the
Sons of Veterans, and other kindred
ORGANIZATIONS, should be raised up to
promote the war spirit and to add to
the vast network of secret societies
that honcycomb every department OF
civil society,". Wars and war prepar-
ntiops have for their Ostensible object
the preservation of peace hut expert
ence shows the effect to be the reverse.
War promotes war. Public executions
were designed to diminish crime, and
especially to prevent murders. But
the experience of centuries shows that
they have tended, powerfully to in
crease crime and promote murder so
that most of the States. have found it
necessary to have the death penalty
carefully hidden from public view.
The same principle applies, in still
greater degree, to all wars and militia
ry narades. -, -,.
resting public attention is the relation
of the G. A. r. to the pension list and
taxation. No one questions the pro-
priety of giving pensions to disabled
soldiers; but that more than one-half
of our vast national revenue should be
appropriated to the payment of claims,
many of which have not the slightest
semblance tOiustice, is exciting aston
ishment and Indignation. I am glad,
too, to hear that good many OF the
old soldiers not only wash their hands
of the whole conspiracy, but are OPEN
ly protesting against it,
Quoting from an article by Prof. w.
M. Sloane in the "Century" magazine
for Sixth month, we are reminded that
General Grant thought that $27 ,0OO,-
OOO annually was not only an ample,
but a lavish provision for those who
had suffered in the last war, barring
all schemes of back pay. service and
dependent pensions, which he de-
nounced as highway robbery. Car
field, in 1872, said that nothing but
unwarrantable extravaganza would in
crease the pension list above S29,ooo'-
0O0 q year" :,
But what now is the present demand
in the matter of pensions? The gov
ernment, or more properly the people,
are paying yearly an aggregate on
pension account equal to ut least five
times the highest estimate above CIV
en-, while there are pending in the
Pension Commissioner office upward
of,5OO,OOO applications, which when
determined, will almost certainly
make o total yearly charge upon the
country of $500, 100000 Back Of this
remain yet number of schemes,
claiming or to claim the attention OF
Congress, and which the recipients, in
that body, offavors at the hands OF the
military organizations generally Will
be expected to support. Let us also
reflect that the enormous collections OF
the government from the importers
and manufacturers of alcoholic bever-
ages, cigars, cigarettes, etc, pay in
large part the pension bIlI. Ihe he, re-, e.,
ceivers Of pensions and the dealers IN
and users of strong drink, are in the
main Interested that the present order
of things should not Ge interfered
with. Little need therefore to extend
the cepsure to the practice common in
Rome's degenerate days, when contes-
tants for the imperial purple, the com,
manders of cohorts and legions, and
senators of wealth, gave largess lay
ishly to win the support of the popu-
lace. The same bribery and venalfty
seemingly not so gross in FORM are
covered from sight, for very shame
under the mantle of secrecy. ::.Wyh
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