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
Pensionss
Nelr York Herald.

| NeW York Herald.
WASHINGTON, June 13.-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 SITS, 100000. Nearly the whole
amount will 60 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 light them
in storm-but to ay;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 IF the pension
problem and has been Ranm's chief pros.
ecutor in the pension investigation. He
| gives it up. BE knows that it won't stop
soon, but will go on increasing. I Isaid TO
him to-day: "The appropriation for the
next fiscal year is s134,S25,ooo. Do you
think this will be sufficient to cover the
disbursements for tnat period ?"
"No, I do not. The commissioner of
pensions estimates that there will be
deficiency of s13,0OO,0OO. That sum
would swell the amount to $147, 100000.
My impression is that the Commissioner,
at the rate he is adjudicating 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, inasmuch as
it will be necessary to appropriate for the
next fiscal year s1eo,OOO,OoO at least, and
this will be largely in excess ofany appro.
pristion in the past, will it not?"
ayes, the list is repidly growing, and
there seems to 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
statement to the House that he thought
the pension list had then reached nigh
water mark ?"
"How much WAS it at that timer"
"It was $25,OOO,OOc. Congress has en-.
acted legislation making the system more
liberal from time to time. The board of
pension appeals continue to interpret the
law iu more liberal way, and thus is
maintained steady growth Of the pen
sion list. The last Congress, by passing
the dependent pension bill, caused a great
increase in the number of pensions, and
in the amount carried by the pension ap.
preparation bill. There is still demand
for broader legislation so as to provide for
every soldier without regard to the ques-
ton of dependency or disability.
"The 51st Congress appropriated $685.
O0OOOO at the second session, of which
the pension appropriation bill carried
s135,2l4,7S5. That appropriation was
for the year 1892, and was in accordance
with the estimates submitted by the com.
N issioner of pensions. In the last few days
he has submitted estimates to the commit
tee on appropriations for an urgent def
cheney appropriation amounting to ST.
$4,000 to complete the pension for the
year 1892. The appropriation has al
ready passed the House. That carries
the total for pensions for the year 1892 to
$142,SSs,117."
"Now, Mr.. Euloe. how greatly in e1-.
cess of the appropriation for 1891 is this
appropriation of s142,S89,117 for the fs-
cal year 1922"
"It is an increase of S34, $50, ,S74 in one
year. Now let us go back another year
and see how much larger the appropria-
ton for the year 1891 was than the year
1890. The records of the bureau show it
to have been $22,O92,695. This will give
YOU some idea how the list has swollen
since Garfeld's supposed "high water
mark of $25, 100000 fourteen years ago to
nearly sl5O,OOO,O0O at the present time"
"How much of the money now appro
priated for pensions is wasted' In other
words, what sum, in yourjudgment, would
be necessary to give every soldier a 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 to
say, s5o,OOO,OOo. We are paying in the
neighborhood of $3O,OOO,0OO per aunum
to persons who are not strictly entitled to
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 mpensate the soldiers for any decrease
in their earning capacity on account of
disabilities incurred in the service. 1t
was never intended that pensions should
be given as q gratuity or as reward for
patriotism, but in these latter days the
system has been constantly liberalized
until now there has grown up demand
for pensions to soldiers who not only
never incurred any disabilities in the
service, but who are not at present labor.
ing under any preceptible disability.
There are plenty of ex-soldiers now on
the pension rolls who are financially in
independent circumstances, while there
are many other soldiers who need pen
sions and are denied them because Of
some defect in the record of their service