The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1892-01-09
rHs NATIon.s euRnEN.


Growth Of tbs Ho55Br Ring BnatE Ho-
publican Managemsnt
The most important bureau attached
to the department Of the interior is the
pension bureau which expends nearly
half the revenues Of the government,
and for three years hns been the cause
Of vexation 20 the administration and
discredit to the people. Its Importance
justified the expectation that IN his an
nual report the secretary Of the interior
would discuss its affairs with great
irankness and thoroughness. The re-
port disappoints that expectation, for
out of volume of I70 pages barely
ten are devoted to the pension depart
ment and these are so colorIess that
conclusions from them can be extracted
only by the aid of other reports.
The one simple fact, however, that
st ands out above all others, is the state
ment that S145, 000, 900 will be required
to pay pensions during the next fiscal
year, and that thereafter an annual APP
preparation Of S16o, ,OO0, 600 will be re-
quired for several years, until death
shall reduce these drafts on the treas
ury. The secretary's report is the full
by the democratic newspapers and
democratic congressman that the pau
per pension bill, as the republican Buff
falo Express aptly termed it, would in
volve the country in an outlay of
$3.50, O0O, 600 for pensions annually. The
secretary of the interior is evidently
afraid of the consequences of his own
confession, for we notice that in the
neat and convenient summary he has
caused to be prepared for the press this
most important fact in the entire report
has been omitted. OF course, it cannot
be suppressed.
The unchecked growth of pension
appropriations cannot much longer be
tolerated unless the people are pre-
pared to mortgage the country which
was saved to the pensioners. Just
after the close of the war in 1856 the
pension appropriations amounted to
81, 1900, 900. In 1876, ten years later,
they amounted to S2S, 600. 600; in 1886
they had risen to $63, 600, 900; in 1898
they had mounted again to 1000, 600,
anti.three years from that time the de-
partment estimates require double that
enormous amount The amount we
are asked to spend on pensions is to be
more next year, according to Secretary
| Mobiles report, than the entire cost of
government for any two years before
the war. The appropriation asked for
is nearly half the expense of maintain
| ing in the field during the trying year
of 1852 all the union armies. And ac-
cordlng to the report, furthermore, the
facts contradict the hopes expressed by
the secretary. There are already over
600, 600 pensioners, and 500, 900 others are
waiting to have their claims passed
upon, while 100000 of those who al
ready draw pensions are seeking in
creases
The patent truth is that as now ad
ministered, the pension system is the
opportunity for claim agents to debase
patriotism by calling upon every man
who served in the war, if only for a
few days, to make demand on the
treasury for a gratuity. The seere
tary's estimate ought not to surprise
the American people. President Cleve
'i,S.cfl's course toward pensioners, ont
sytRa& most courageous and patriots
Tae ahis administration, was mad'
papers OF successful partisan at
tas g aSlie plunderers at Washing
sse..efios y have availed themselves
So getteles fatheir victory gave them
.,.ss safety ats, under Harrison's ad
~ .i1eiato..s ave increased from $50,
its 1rganisa lO0, 900 the annual sp
pensions, and Corpora
Ff@F7 - en splendidly vindi