The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1892-12-23
Our National Scandal.

Few people comprehend the
proportions of the U.
s. Pension list. The patriotic
people In the South, no less than
in the North, are quite willing and
DESTROYS that the worthy aud de.
serving should be pensioned, but
when the list exceeds by several
hundred thousand more than ever
saw any service, people will think.
The New York Sun, the editor Of
which WAS the Assistant Secretary.
Il War, during the rebellion,
makes the following editorial
rLet every honest citizen, vete.
ra, soldier or civilian, Congress.
mA or constituent, Democrat or
Republican, turn over in his mind
the s,upendous fact that more
pelsiOps are now paid on account
Of alledged services la the civil
war than there were soldiers in
oil the armies of the Union, in
active service, at any one time be-
tween the first shot fred on Sump.
terand the surrender at Appomat.
tox, Yes. more by hundreds Of
thousands.
Nearly twenty.eight years af-
ter he war ended this amazing
thing is true.
The grand aggregate Of pen.
siolRrs on account of alleged ser.
vices in the war was S46,S93 on
june 80, 1892; and ut that time
449, $50 new claimants were at the
door, of the Pension Bureau
awaiting their turn. How many
of thsse applicants the six months
since June 80 have added TO the
SAG, 1913 already pensioned. there
are NJ official figures to show. Al
the rate Of last year. as reported
by len. Raum, the number has
beenincreased by about 100000;
and by May / 1898. the list will
include a million names.
The popular ideas of the nun.
Der of soldiers actually engaged .
at any given time in suppressing
the rebellion. and of the number .
Of lives lost during the war. are
very much exaggerated. There
are people who imagine that the
North lost q million lives on the
There are others who
would probably say, off.hand, that
the effective strength Of all the
Union armies reached q maximum
Of nearly three millions. Many of
)ur readers will he surprised to
earn that the number of violent
ieatha on the Union side during
he whole conflict in battle or In
'kirmish was less than 100000;
md ut no time between Sumpter
md Appomattox did the aggre.
.ate strength of all the Union ar.
MES present at the front for ser.
'ice reach 100000 officers and
men.
"The total fighting strength on
March 81, 1855, was 657 ,747, and at
hat date preceded the surrender
II Gen. Lee to Gen. Grant By on
y nine days.
"At no time, then. while the
|ghting was IN progress all along
he line did the aggregate of Union
oldiers engaged all along the line
n fighting the enemy come within
$4,000 Of last June's aggregate
4 pensioners on account Of al.
eyed services In the war, or with.
q 24S, 900 of u fair and reasonable
stimate of the pension lists pre-.
ent enormous magnitude.
at is not strange that Repub.
can newspapers, defending the
resent excessive aud manifestly
dishonest scale Of pension paying.
hould have questioned the accu.
acy Of the Suns original asser.
lon to this effect. II rs stagger.
NJ, but 1t 10 true. Nor il it very
TRANCE that, having become con.
inced by private research Of the
xact and literal truth Of the state. ;
rent, they should wriggle through ,
II the expedients Of evasion. dis. I
Drtion, and pettifogging to avoid !
n acknowledgment of the trnth ,
{ the same, In sight OF the eyes .
Z their own readers.
"Maxim2m number Of soldiers T,
4 active service IN all the armies
{ the United States Government
I any time betw Sumpter aud
IppOmattOx, COS, 8O2.
"Number of persons dra wing
ensiODs on account Of the civil
rar, S4G,S93 on the 30;h Of June
list, as officially reported; and
bout $4,000 at the. present date, i
s estimated on the basis Of last I
ears increase.
"Keep the facts before Congress
nd the cOuntryw y