The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-27
THE MORNING NEWS: WEDNESDAY, JUNE 81 1894
cuttine Down The Pension Charge.

Cutting Down the Pension Charge.
| The announcement of Pension Commis-
sion Lochren the other day that saving
OF $4,000 900 in the administration Of the
pension Office had been effected during
the last year has been received by the
country with feeling of profound satisfac-
ton. The people had become alarmed at
| the enormous increase in the pension
burden under the Harrison administra-
| ton. The increase was steady and
/ threatened to bankrupt the government.
The republicans didn't seem 70 care how
! great the burden became. Their pur-
1 pose was to control the soldier
vote, however. great the cost might
be. Therefore President Harrison's
pension commissioner interpreted the
pension laws in way that permitted the
placing Of thousands Of pensioners upon
the pension roll that had no right to be
there Demagogy, greed and fraud COM
bined to rob the government, and the pro-
test Of the taxpayers was unheeded.
A great change has taken place under
Mr.. Cleveland's administration. No man
entitled to pension is denied one. On
the other hand thousands who have en-
deayored to get on the pension roll with
out having right 10 be there have met
with defeat.
Republican congressman are now try
ing to create prejudice against the ad
ministratiOn Of the pension Office in the
minds of the Old soldiers.
Only day or two ago Representative
Lacey, of Iowa, declared on the floor OF
the House that the southern brlgadiers"
were using their utmost endeavors to
have the pensions of the survivors of the
Mexican war increased because these
veterans are largely southerners, and
were using their power to prevent de-
serving union veterans of the civil war
from getting the pensions to which they
are entitled.
There is not, Of course, any truth in
this charge. 1t is made for one purpose
only, and that is to make the union veter-
ans of the civil war believe that the Dem.
ocratic party is hostile to them. 1t is
greatly to be regretted that the pension
business can't be separated from politics.
If the granting of pensions had been con
Quoted on strictly business principles the
pension burden, instead of being sl60, 0OO,-
900 a year, would, in all probability, be
less than s1O0, 100000.
The veterans of the Mexican war are be-
ing dealt with fairly, and so are the union
veterans of the civil war. All the Cleve-
land administration aims to do in con-
nection with pensions is to interpret the
pension laws fairly. If applications for
pensions are denied it is because the ap-
plicants have not supported their claim
with the testimony that convinces the
pension commissioner that they are en-
titled to a pension.
The republicans are on the unpopular
side of the pension business. Nothing
they can say will convince the country
that the commissioner of pensions
is not dealing honestly and fairly with
the union veterans. All that the people
ask in connection with the pension office
is that the pension laws shall be admins
tered honestly and conscientiously They
have confidence in Commissioner Loeb
rem, and the charge of republican CON
gressmen that the pension Office is being
managed so as to prevent the union
veterans getting what is due them will
find few believers outside of hide bound
republican partisans The fact that the
annual amount paid out in pensions is
about as five times as great as either
President Grant or President Garfield
thought it would ever be is pretty good
evidence that the union veterans have no
reasonable ground for complaint.