New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-06
MP UFREDITU on PENSIONS

VI IL.
The statement made by Mr.. Meredith OF VIZ
g;na. last Friday in the course OF me Soh''-
what animated debate on the pension appr"-
priation that Virginia paid five times as much
! for pensions as Vermont without deriving III!
benefit thcrcfrom, is not intrinscally lmproo
able Allowance being made for the climatic
tendency TO hyperbole and pleonasin OF S'a'eS
mon Of Mr. Mercliths school, it is not an i'll
credible proposition. In the FIRST place VIZ
cinia is a larger State than Vermont WITH
much larger population; which accounts ior 'i''
disparity in taxation; and i'll the second place
there are excellent reasons. To he found III any
school history covering the period OF the EiN'
thirty years. why Virginia derives very niue
proportionate benefit from the pension ap-
propriations Without advcrtng at lehe'h
10 the causes which led to this state
Of affairs. we may perhaps be perhi''N
to say that from the provcrbially impair
tal and unprecedented point of view oil
man IN a tree" il was not in absolutely good
TASTE for Mr. Meredith 10 call attention thereto
&c If stirs reminisccnce and awakcns memories
Of "bvconcs" which Mr.. Meredith and his
nolitical friends have been very srcnuouSly in
sisting for many years should ne p!eoi'S'
And if any reference to them at all is in queS-
lusjons must be considered as in Enthusiastically
bad form To put it plainly. ii seems To Us mat
If the people who put down great rebellion
have so far condoncd the offcncc-if there were
ony-of those who were concerned i'll 1t as 10
admit them to the privilege, among others OF
making and administering the laws regulating
the payment of those VINO did the work OF sup
prcssion. the least the persons restored 10 such
fr,in
at being obliged to pay their share OF the cost
10 which their rebcllious enterprise subjected
the country.
Mr. Meredith was advocating reuuc'l"h III
the pension appropriation. His right To do 50
,s NOT disputcd. Nor is there any question as
TO the propricty Of his action, if there were rra-
sonable grounds for the belief that the appr-
nrio,ion had been wastefuly administered or
paid to fraudulent claimants. He asserted 'hlS
| TO be a fact of his own knowledge He charged
positivclv and distinctly that the pension roilS
contained the names of hundreds and thousands
of persons who had 10 right To PENSIONS Out
when pressed coud give only single instance
| within his own knowledge This he called
tvpical and made it the basis of his sweeping
! statement. In the running debate which fol-
| lowed the very pointed and perfectly pertinent
|
| Of a case Of that kind. where a fraudulent pen
| soner was on the rolls. drawing money from
the Government to which he had no right. II
| was his ,utv 10 denounce the fraud and give
! information to the authorities that 1t might Do
punishcd And Mr.. Funk, of Illinois. who made
| The suggestion said very plainly that he was
not n good citizen if he did not do II. Inc
| Virginia Congressman, rising up i'll wrath NJ
this essavcd the old role which since the War
has fallen into innocuOus dcsuctndc, of buster
| and sworccr: but Mr. Funk not being alarmed,
there WAS no harm done. Then this gentle
man who had neglected his duty as Il citiZen.
| and instead Of bringing the fraudulent pen
| sioncr TO Justice had made IL the prcteXt for
CHARGING on the floor Of the House that the pen
| sion rolls contained hundreds and THOUSANDS "a
| fraudulent Names gave as his reason mat lie
| scorncd to be a "spy and informer. flhe ulS-
! tinc1ion that, TO point the authorities 10 Il
dishonest impostor and knave. VIII" WIS ue-
frauding the Government month after month
| was dshonorablc- work Of spy ana III
former, To keep to himself his knowledge OF
the fraud and crime until the opportunity was
| offered TO stand up in Congress ana make IL
the basis for sweeping charge against nun
drctls and thousands Of persons whom II" Knew
nothing about was honorable, courageous ana
manly.
Would it not be well, on the whole, If these
! gentlemen who derive 10 benefit from pension
appropriations, for reasons which need not he
| repeated-these chOleric gentlemen VINO as
eliminate so carefully between their duties as
citizens and their notions of personal hoio".
and who are so touchy and sensitive ana easily
rultlcd-wotlld il not be well for them TO re
frain from attacking pension appropriations:
| The subject is too exciting 1t sirs TOO many
unpleasant memories. As rule. they are not
qualified by temperament or habit 10 discuss 1t
calmly and dispassionately II tcmpiS them 10
illogical assumptions, grotesque cXaggcratlohS,
violent demonstrations, and disgraccful exhibit
lions OF themselves. There are some very adj
mirabc exceptions TO the rrlc-Souhcrn gentle
! mcn-Democrats- of calm temper and catholic
spirit who are able to discuss this and kindred
subjects without prejudice or passion, but Mr..
| Meredith seems not TO be one Of them.