The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-12-02

Tramp, Tramp. Tramp Tho March to
National Bankruptcy.
The increase during the past two years in
the number OF persons drawing pensions
from the Government is shown by the as
tonishing figures here presented:
Pen'ioners Inereose.
June 30. 1890. o87.s4<
June So 1891 s70.l8o 1873 2lG
June so. 1902. 100. 9o8
During twelve months two hundred thou-
sand new pensioners have been added to
the already enormous list.
Is anybody blind to the significance Of
this exhibit? II 80. let him so back twenty
years to 1879. when tho war had been over
tor seven years and every Just claim upon
the Governments bounty had presumably
been presented and allowed. In that year
ing to tho House Of Representatives both
rs legislator and as veteran Of the
Union army. declared that tho pension list
WAS then "swollen beyond oil account
II am the last man." said Gen. GARFIELD.
"to say word against voting pensions to
all persons who deserve them. But wish
to say to tho House that moro frauds are
being perpotrated on tho Government by
claim agents in different portions Of the
country than from almost any other single
SOURCE" In that same year, while discuss
Ing tho general fnancia! situation, Gen.
GARFIELD, as Chairman Of tho Committee
on Appropriations. expressed the opinion
that :" we may reasonably expec. that the
expenditures for pensions willthereafter
steadily decrease. unless our legislation
should be fundamentally extravagant."
At the time when Gen. GARFIELD de-
clarcd that the honest and legitimate pen
sion expenditure Of the United States Gov
eminent had reached its high-water mark.
aud might be expected thereafter steadily
to decrease. the number Of pensioners Of all
clnsses. MS shown by tho Commissioners
report then last issued. was 207. A95. and the
aggregate OF their pensions $22.s04. 1894.
Twenty years later the number OF pension
ers has increased more than three hundred
and twenty per cent. and the annual pen
Eisn expenditure Of tho Governmon. be-
tween four aud i've hundred per cent.
The expenditure on account OF pensions
during tho present fiscal year will use up
every dollar of the appropriation Of Sl44.-
956.o0o. and occasion deficiency estimated
by Commissioner RAUM at SO. COO. COO.
The Commissioners lowest estimate Of
the appropriation required for next year Is
$l65. 1000. Competent judges believe that
the Fifty-third Congress will be called upon
I" vote pension appropriations exceeding
twO hundred millions annually.
These figures stagger the Imagination
No other evil which has grown out OF Re-
publican rule is comparable to this. No
scandal that has ever stained the Govern
ment Of any country has equalled this stu
peIdous plumber Of the taxpayers in the
Thirty years after the close OF the civil war
We shall be paying million pensions. or as
many pensions as there were soldiers In
the Union army at any ono time during the
war. We shall be- paying. on account OF q
war closed more than u quarter OF GEN.
fury ago. sum OF money three times
greater than the total annual expenditure
of tho United States Government at the
time when the war began.
But this Is not the whole story. Behind
the army OF $40. O63 pensioners there ia re-
serve force OF about half n million claim
ants voting for the machinery of the PEN
sion Bureau to adjudicate" their claims
under existing laws: and the Pension Bu-
reau Is mastering them in at the rate OF
two hundred thousand a year. And behind
the reserve force OF actual applicants. whose
claims are on file at Washington. there Is
still another reserve an uncounted army
waiting only for the passage OF now laws
extending the scope OF the Governments
expenditure.
How long will 1t be before every survivor
OF the Union army. be he hero or sneak.
four years soldier or thirty-dsy recruit.
feeble or stalwart. rich or poor. will figure
as beneficiary Of an eleemosynary insti.
tuition which has no parallel In the history
OF the world?
The time has como for change OF policy.
The pension list Is manifestly swollen with
fraudulent and unworthy pensioners. II the
roll cannot be purified. and the annual OK
penditure cut down to the thirty millions
or 80 which Gen. GARFIELD declared to be
the maximum short OF unwarrantable ex-
trava9ance. then the Dependent and Disa-
biiitv act would better be repealed outright.