The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1892-07-13
SEE WHERE THE MONEY GOES.
One Hundred and Sixty Million Dollars for
Pensions;
NcW York Herald.


Pensions;
NcW York Herald
WASHINGTON, June 15.-One hundred
and sixty millions for pensions This is
the estimate of conservative authorities
for the next fiscal year.
Customs receipts for the present year
are about SIZE, 100000. Nearly the whole
amount will 90 for pensions.
The entire burden of McKinleyism is
put upon the country-not to pay the ex'
penses of the postal service, nor to pay
the salaries of public officials, nor to i'm
prove the public waterways and lightthe
in storm-but to pay bounties to million
men who are no longer doing anything in
return for the burden they impose upon
the people.
When is the drain to stop? Nobody
knows. If anyone is fitted to tell it is
Representative Enloe, Of Tennessee, who
has made special study of the pension
problem and has been Raum's chief pros.
ecutor in the pension investigation. He
gives it up. he knows that i: won't stop
soon, but will go on increasing. I said to
him to-day: "The appropriation for the
next fiscal year is s134, ,S25,00Q. Do you
think this will be sufficient to cover the
disbursements for that period ?"
mo, I do not. The commissioner OF
pensions estimates that there will be q
deficiency of s13,OOo,0OO. That sum
would swell the amount to S147,0OO,0O0.
My impression is that the Commissioner,
at the rate he is adjudicatipg pensions,
considering the number of claims pending
before the bureau, will run it up to $780,
100000"
"If that be true the pension list, as the
Herald has repeatedly stated, is steadily
growing from year to year, inasrnuch as
it will be necessary to appropriate for the
next fiscal year Sl6O,0OO,OOO at least, and
this will be largely in excess ofany sppro-
priation in the past, will it not?"
"Yes, the list is repidly growing, and
there seems 20 be no disposition on the
part of Congress to enact any legislation
which will check the increase. 1t will be
remembered that Mr.. Garfield, when
chairman of the appropriation committee,
some fourteen or fifteen years ago made a
statement to the House that he thought
the pension list had then reached nigh
water mark ?"
"How much was it at that time ?"
"It WAS $25,OOO,OOO. Congress has en-.
acted legislation making the system more
liberal from time to time. The board of
pension appeals continue to interpret the
law in a more liberal way, and thus is
maintained steady growth of the pen
sion list. The last Congress, by passing
the dependent pension bill, caused q great
increase in the number of pensions, and
in the amount carried by the pension ap'
preparation bill. There is still demand
fur broader legislation so as to provide for
every soldier without regard to the ques-
ton of dependency or disability.
"The 51st Congress appropriated $685.
100000 at the second session. of which
the pension appropriation l..l carried
sl35,2l4,7S5. That appropriation was
for the year 1892, and was in accordance
with the estimates submitted by the COM
missioner of pensions. In the last few days
he has submitted estimates to the commit.
tee on appropriations for an urgent deh-
cheney appropriation amounting to ST.
674,OOO to complete the pension for the
year 1892. The appropriation has al
ready passed the House. That carrie
the total for pensions for the year 1892 to
$142,SSs,117."
"Now, Mr.. Enloe. how greatly in e1-
cess of the appropriation for 1891 is this
appropriation of s142,Ss9,117 for the fs-
cal year 1922"
ut is an increase of $4,000, ,S74 in one
year. Now let US go back another year
and sec how much larger the appropris-
ton for the year 1891 was than the year
1890. The records of the bureau show it
to have been $22,092,695. This will give
YOU some idea how the list has swollen
since Garfeld's supposed "high water
mark of S25, 100000 fourteen years ago to
nearly sl5O,OOO,O0O at the present time"
"How much of the money now appro
priated for pensions is wastedf In other
words, what sum, in yourj judgment, would
be necessary to give every soldier pen
sion who incurred disability in the SER
vice."
"I think to come within the limits in
dicated by your question would reduce
the amount at least one-third-that is tc
say, s5O,OOO,OOO. We are paying in the
neighborhood of $3O,OO0,000 per snnum
to persons who are not strictly entitled tc
pensions under the Interpretation hereto
fore given to the implied contract between
the Government and the soldier.
"The original intention of Congress in
providing for pension system was to
com pensate the soldiers for any decrease
in their earning capacity on account o.
disabilities incurred in the service. Il
was never intended that pensions shoulc
be given as graf: > or as reward fol
patriotism, but in these latter days the
system has been constantly liberalizee
until now there has grown up demand
for pensions to soldiers who not only
never incurred any disabilities in tb'
service, but who are not at present labor
ing under any preceptible disability
There are plenty of ex-soldiera now OF
the pension rolls who are financially il
independent circumstances, while there