The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-01-12
GEN JOHN eIBBoN ON PENSIONS.

ment at reduced rates, and other perquisites,
his comrades, who are on the roll at SILL
a month, or about one thirtieth as much as
he gets, are either getting too much, or are
not entitled to anything. He has written
long letter to the New York Sun, revealing
to the cold gaze of the critical public the
doubts and misgivings which rack his
scrupulous soul. He begins:
With the pension list as it now stands and the
constant increase which seems inevitable, the
yearly expenditure in the future is estimated any
where within 5000 coo 900, and, unfortunately, no
man can tell. from present appearances when the
increase is going to stop.
We will remind Gen. Gibbon that nobody
but determined anti-pension howlers esti-
mate that the pension expenditures will
reach 100000 600, aud that it is quite I'M
worthy man who served as a Major-Gen-
eral during the war, and is therefore pre-
stunned to know something accurate OF its
history, to echo the idle pirate mo man can
tell when the increase is going to stop" lie
knows or should know, that there was an
exact number of soldiers who served during
the war, and, if living, they may be entitled
to pensions. He also knows that the aver
age value of the pension allowed each of
these is Sill month, SO that it becomes
an operation in simple arithmetic which
any school-boy can perform, to tell just
when the increase is going to stop"
The General continues:
With this immense amount saddled upon the
country a permanent tax. the question as to the
means OF raising the additional sum necessary for
the ordinary expenses of the Government IS one
which will have to be met in the near future, and
with this is involved the question as to whether or
not the party which has just been elected can do
with the tariff what overwhelming vote has de-
cided must be done.
When he speaks of " a permanent tax
he takes a view OF the earthly Immortality
of veterans which we ardently wish were
better sustained by known facts. He seems
to think the old soldiers are going to live
they are dying off at frightful rate. The
Commissioner of Pensions reports that he
lost 25,306 pensioners from the rolls last
year.
Altogether, probably between 10000 and
10000 soldiers must have died last year, and
the number must increase in a mournful
ratio every year. Many more men than
Gen. Gibbon ever commanded, even during
the brief periods when he commanded corps,
are passing each year eternally out of reach
of pension legislation.
Again, we quote:
There is avery strong opinion against rswsrding
those who made no such sacrifices, and a still
stronger feeling against fraudulent pensioners Of
| whom there can be little question very large
number exist
The first STEP therefore. toward reduction Of
the peusion-roll should be- by rigid investigation
| to lop off all fraudulent pensions. One hears all
through the country of cases where pensions are
paid to persons who had no connection whatever
with the war-people who lost arms or legs by
sawmills snd other accidents. These cases are
well known in the communities where they exist
bat 1t is nobody's business TO report them,
dalous and notorious they are. and anyone who
would move in the matter would be regarded as
mischief-maker and would probably suffer in his
belongings for his temerity.
What rank nonsense from a Major-General
of Volunteers. 1t cannot be possible that a
man of his presumed sense really believes
that there are men on the pension-ro who
were not in the army, and who are drawing
pensions on account OF limbs lost in rail-
road accidents or in sawmills. There were
times during the war, when we were prone
| to think that il took precious little brains
to furnish forth a Msjor-General of Volun-
teers, but this goes beyond our strongest dis
paragement.
| All this talk about the vast number of
frauds on the pension roll is exceedingly
cheap. Any one who hates pensioners can
make charges with perfect recklessness, for
there is no danger of his being called upon
to make his assertions good Gen. Gibbon
would have the hardest work he ever at
tempted if he tried to substantiate single
one Of these glib utterances. When Gen
Dudley was Commissioner of Pensions, he
made the most searching investigation, with
the determination TO ferret out every fraud
that existed. He subsequently reported that
not to exceed one pension allowance in ], GOO
was fraudulent This is a much smaller
proportion than can be found in any other
expenditures Of the Government For over
three years now, committees of the House
Of Representatives, impelled by the strong
est desire for political capital, have been
going over the pension system with a cal
CUM light and microscope. They have
pried and poked into everything that prom
ised to reveal frauds, and after years of the
most determined effort, have simply discov-
cred nothing
Every old soldier is anxious that there
shall be no frauds upon the pension roll
every one desires that all who are unworthy
place shall be denied admission TO it, ol
| ba av,,aliad from, ~ ~ ha cher, III chanoa 4,