The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-31
MORALLY raAuDUtrrr
Som. c.r,ou. re..lo. r1surss.


To THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sr: In Gen.
slocum's article In the January Forum. Pen
slons-Time to Call a Halt" some figures are
presented which have q curious look. to say
the least The character Of the figures re-
ferred to will appear from tho following para
graph In the article with which they are intro
duced: 1t is difficult to state with accuracy
the whole number Of men in our army during
the late war We know that there were 2.776 :
3O4 separate enlistments. Some were for ono
month. some for two months. some for four
months. some for one year. some for two. and
some for three years. More than 100000 men
enlisted Just before the close OF the war. few
Of whom saw any active service. II we CAL
culate on the basis Of three years service to
each man we deduco the following table.
showing the number OF men furnished by
some Of the States. with the deaths rom all
causes. the number now on the pension roll
from such States. tho percentage Of deaths
from all cahses to the number OF men fur
nlshed. and the percentage OF pensioners now
on the roll" The figures In the table which
he subjoins are taken from Commissioners
Raum's report OF July 80. 1901. and from
records in tho War Department and may.
therefore. be presumed to DO substantially ac-
In this table New York. as being the most
popIions. STATE, and certainly not seS1nh to
10 the number Of the three years men she FUR
nS%SsS & 4s sSt s s%Ssf
shS Isn .ss FS rwSos
for Now York. and especially IN the proper
tionate number Of pensioners. which Is strik;;
sfy m s%" II hs w ohp xnsG to I
YSrk comes Ohio With 2250oo , three ysa AZ
al INIT u I'M thn u
S CONT os nee sRsl aSuec o psrasltnss
troops furnished than New, York. has 10000
show, how specially fortunate ohio,s sons
msRt stands thr IL "a ths .afIs
WIZ II less sn me nst than New York fur.
bs hs hSs
some q tSe other States it + yery Striking
e
81 ssn sne. 5S IN sss th s R Rstas
whom died during the war. while 49, not far
rolled as pensio ners. The service Of these
have been mGty confined to the
obtaining pensions. But this reason would not
apply to the soldiers OF Oregon. 1.713 OF whom
she furnished for three years service, As Of
them losing life during the period. and 2. 203
% being the roll
which furnishing 1854 Tires Years men 2Ss6
dying during the war. has yet on the pension
roll 2e.421 or 100 Per cent; certainly re;
markable showing; utthe climax is reached
by California. which, with 1897 men furnished
roll 5000. or 2l64 per cent. siderabiy more
than double the whole number OF three years.
or course. this excess OF pensioners over the
plumber OF three years men enlisted must
must
the more than $1,000 men enlisted Just be. be-
fore the close Of the war. few OF whom saw any
active service" Under the pension act OF
June, lS!o, pensions are granted. under Ger.
tain conditions Of disability. to men enlisted
only three months. whether in active service or
fought through the whole war. This has
swelled the pension roll to such inordinate d.
mensions. Thousands Of names are upon it Of
men who not only saw no active service. but
received Q liberal bounty for enlisting. the
should receive II pension besides Is beyond the
power Of an honest understanding to compre-
hend. Tho country does not, and will not,
grudsi tho pensions It pays the war-worn and
dssssgginf iaitpg the veterans Mho having
needy. showing its fherai bounty Tho fault
Is in not discriminating between this class
and those who deserve nothing. We're the
chan winnowed from the wheat by some Wig
orous process which just lawmakers may pro-
wear tho terrors with which Il is getting to 10 70
invested, q " n