Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-18
Tho Rate Of Mortality OF Veterans.

To the Editor Of The Z, enins Star:
As, next to finance and tariff, the pension
question is the burning question of the day, it
is desirable to know how long we ex-soldiers
will burden the land We fought over and for.
1t has been estimated that July I, 1890, there
were I, 250, 900 survivors Of the army of the
Union, aud that between 1866 and 1890 the SOL
der death rate was greater in proportion to
the general population than 1t now Is. for dur
ing that period the seriously wounded and dis
eased and the men OF feeble physique were
mustered out Of life. 1t has been alleged that
because Of their disabilities incurred in the
service the expectation Of life behalf of four
tenths OF the survivors Of 1866 was iessened
twelve years, and that OF the veterans now liv-
ing three tenths have this lessened hold on life
l think that estimate Is erroneous. Being
the historian Of my regiment, have kept
posted as to the living and the dying Of my
comrades. Knowing our exact number when
we were mustered out, and within ive Of the
exact number who were living July /, $780, and
that at muster out our average age was twenty
six years and one month, gave the data to an
actuary. asking him to let me know how many
OF us according to the ordinary rules of NOR
tality should then be alive, and he came within
two Of the actual number Of our survivors In
other words our death rate had been Just the
same as that OF the average citizen of our years.
This does not prove that war life was length
! oned picnic calculated to increase our health
and lengthen our days. but that the disabling
effects OF our military services had taken. us out
of the picked the selected class Of lives and
brought us down to the ORDINARY expectation
Of life. As picked men. selected for our free
dom from constitutional defects and predispo-
sition to disease. our earthly existence should
average fully three years longer than it has
done or will do.
During the last decade the mortality of in
valid pensioners has averaged yearly 10 40 in
l, 200, and what is singular that has also been
Just the death rate Of widow pensioners. As
husbands on an average are fully two years
older than their wives. and because Of deferred
marriages resulting from the war another year
must be added to the seniority Of married
veterans, we have the fact that the mortality OF
ex-soldiers is no greater than Of women three
years their juniors. In all calculations upon this
subject it will be safe to assume the same length
OF days to the surviving ''boys" as to other men
Of corresponding years.
Our expectation Of life being the same, our
pronsness to disability for manual labor must
closely correspond with that Of other men. The
average age Of the survivors Of tae late war is
fifty-four years, and so the number Of invalid
pensioners should be in proportion to the men
Of fifty-four years Of age who are disabled for
manual labor. II has been estimated that
2.250. 900 different individuals enlisted in the
Union armies. and by them or their represent
atives $50 900 original applications for PEN
sions have been fled. Deducting the 400. 900
who died during the war, and it appears that Of
1, $50. 900 soldiers $50. 900 have, since 1865,
died or become 50 disabled for manual labor as
to apply for pensions. which seems incon-
sistent with the theory that their expectation Of
life is as great that Of their fellows Of similar
years. but the theory is correct and will stand