News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1891-02-05
No Cause for Fear that the Govern.
ment VIII Become Rankrunf

No Cause for Fear that the Covern-
ment Will Become BANKRUPT.
Editor News and Citizen :-
The question of the propriety of
pensions and the amount required to
be annually paid out by the govern
ment is again being agitated by
some of the leading journals and
their opposition, and false state
ments made TO support their several
positions, leads me to come to the
support of pensions to all honorably
discharged veterans Of the Union
army who served a reasonable length
of time in the rebellion. The New
York World and New York Herald
have been conspicuous in this TRADE
against pensions, and il we were to
believe one-half that is alleged i'm
those papers, the government would
be bankrupt in less than six months.
For instance, these papers say hy the
estimates made by the pension bu-
reau 5000, 100000 will be required
to pay the pensions annually, under
existing laws, and that by these esti-
mates there will be a deficiency i'm the
treasury of So, ,OOU,OOJ Now. This
whole thing is a wanton falsehood,
and the correspondents of these pa
pers know it, as well as everybody
else who will take the pains to look
II up. The amount estimated by the
Secretary of the Treasury as required
for pensions for the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1891, is $133, 900, 900 and
the amount for the year ending June
30, 1892, is S135, ,263. .0S5, and by
the estimates which have been made
of the probable income from reve-
nues, a surplus of at least 500, ,00O,-
600 will still be left after payment of
all pensions allowed under existing
laws. OF course, this includes the
payment of all claims under the disa-
bility bill approved June 27, 1890,
and which bill seems to be the par
ticular target mt which these pension
haters, have aimed their shots, and
about 81 ,000,600 of back pensions
long past due. The fact is. that
while this disability bill is not all
equity and justice demands, il is i'm
the right direction and may be set
down as the best pension legislation
which the country has had since the
war. When ! say the country" /
mean just what | say, because pen
sion money paid to the veterans, is a
boon to the country. We need not
go away from home TO find this out.
Take for instance, our own county.
There are nearly if not quite 300 pen
sioners living within Lamoillecounty.
Suppose they receive, each, an aver
age of ten dollars per month, and
these amounts are paid every quar-
ter. All of theseput together amount
to 50, 100000 paid Co veterans every
three months. What becomes of the
money? The answer il simple. The
veteran pays the grocer, butcher,
dry goods merchant, the doctor, tax
collector, and thus the money goes
into the avenues of trade. Just
where il stops, if il stops at all, we
can't tell. because the butcher pave
| the farmer for the beef cattle, tn,
grocer the miller, the miller TN
| farmer for his wheat, the farmer pay
for his help, his groceries. his taxes
and 10y the payment of Just pension
everybody feels the increased circuli
tion; the money market. which ma
/ be stringent fs relieved fB the * ter
| of the pensions pnid. but best OF -
il, the government H. disChnrlring IL
obligations TO the men whose claim
! have remained too long past due
and they are now i'm their old age en-
abled i'm measure to keep the vol
from the door. / say IL, without fear
of successful contradiction. that all
parties and papers that refuse to re-
spond to the Just demands of the sol
dier, their widows and orphans, will
sooner or later go to the wall. l
wish il was fact that il would justly
take 100000. annually TO pay
the pensions due to soldiers, their
widows and orphans, and depend
ents. Ii would relieve the Secretary
of the Treasury of buying in govern
ment bonds, paying a premium there
for, in order to ease "A stringent
money market. And how much bet
Ter it would be because the money
paid for pensions would actually get
into circulation while that paid to
bond holders goes into vaults for safe
keeping. With all of the assaults
made against the payment of PEN
sions, it would be one of the best
schemes the party in power can in
augurate, to pass the Per Diem Bill
and thus upon a good business finan-
cial enterprise make itself not only
strong with the veterans, but strong
with the business world and with ev-
erybody else who are in favor of jus
tice to the men that saved the Ma
ton and made it not only possible to
pay the National debt, but also to
pay the thousands of wrecked and
disabled constitutions contracted in
the war of the rebellion. Gentlemen
of the pension hating bureau, fire
away, but remember that your cart
ridges are blank, and will have no ef-
feet save the noise from the explosion
of the powder. Truth and justice Is
mighty and in the end will prevail.