The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-11-22
RICH MEN AND PENSIONS.

A number Of rich men draw pensions
for service in the army, saying that their
personal circumstances have nothing to
do with their right to pension; that
pension is not granted to the INDECENT
alone. Probably under the pension laws
a rich man could establish technical
right to pension for wounds in battle,
or inability through age or iEfirmlty to
support himself by manual labor. but
viewed from the standpoint of gentle
man and patriot i. is neither equitable
nor dIgnified for veteran of large wealth
to accept a pension from the government
for wounds or disability received in its
service. Suppose tomorrow morning a
man at the risk Of his life should plunge
INTO the waters of the harbor and, after
desperate struggle, rescue a rich mans
daughter from drowning. If he were a
man in narrow circumstances he could ac-
cept in acknowledgements Of his important
service, gift of money, land or industrial
advancement from her father. but if he
were in circumstances of financial indie
pendence and not at all dependent on his
daily work for his support. he would be
cure to refuse any other acknowledgment
Of his service than the heartfelt thanks
and grateful esteem of the father and
daughter.
The same feeling OF honor that would
prompt well.to-do gentleman to refuse
money or other gifts for saving fellow
creature from drowning, which in needy
circumstances he might deem 1t his duty
to himself and his impoverished family
not to refuse, ought to prompt a veteran
who is not dependent on his daily labor
for his support, but is financially inde-
pendent of the world, to refuse money
pension from the government for wounds
received in patriotic service. He could
accept medal or badge of honor, like
the Victoria cross, but as a gallant gentle
man he could not without lowering him
self accept money or its equivalent.
There are some kinds of service that
cannot be paid for; there are some favors,
like the kiss of true love, that no money
can buy, and for which no money can be
profiered or accepted on either side. The
intent of the pension law, its clear spirit,
is not that of bounty. 1t is clearly in
tended to extend help to those veterans
who need help either at present or are
likely to need it in the near future; it was
never expected that rich veteran would
claim e pension, for his situation is not
that of either present or prospective de-
oh rHl xy
expect that the men among us who did
not render service in the field can feel
much veneration for well-to.do, healthy
veterans who seek from the government
the benefit Of pension legislation, that
everybody knows equitably belongs
likel to need it. and cannot in
moral honor be applied for by those
who do not need it now, nor
expect to need it hereafter. This greedy
disposition on part of many well-to-do
veterans to accept help from the govern
ment that in principle and in spirit was
never intended to be sought for save by
the helpless. is slowly but surely bringing
them into just contempt with the people,
and what is more deplorable. brings indi-
rectly into unjust derision and contempt
the whole mass of Union veterans, who
suffer something by the satire shot at
these black sheep. How can we expect
the world to pay much heed to patriotic
words and panegyrics concerning the great
cause and its dead heroes when rich vet
Grams, some Of them leading public men,
snatch eagerly at the help extended by
our generous government to the helpless 2
Patriotism in purple and fine linen, that
is never weary of holding out its hand for
the pauper's penny and the obolus of Bell
sarius, blind and beggar at our gates, is
kind of patriotism that resembles the
virtue Of the small boy who demands a
seed cake at bed time because he has
neither told q lie or sworn an oath the en-
tire day. A true soldier does not desire to
receive from the government pension to
which he can not show moral title of
poverty or disability that compels de-
tendency. Only those soldiers who are
incapacitated from earning livelihood
deserve to be pensioned, ard it ought to
be a social stigma upon a rich veteran
to accept a pension when ne is amply
able TO support himself and his family.