The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1894-08-10
WHO PAYS THE PENsloNs9

WHO PAYS THE PENstoNs9
states That contributs Most 70 ths Ma
tons Expenses.
Mr.. Banlshead, OF Alabama, in q
speech delivered March %, 1892. de-
clared on the floor Of the house, that
OF the $40, 000, 900 appropriated for pen
sions that year Alabama paid over 49,
000, 900 Of this sum. In answer 70 this
statement, ask the reader 10 careful
ly note what Hon. William p. Hepburn,
Of Iowa, said on Marchb, 1898, touch
ing this question, in public debate in
the house Of representatives:
Nh CHAIRMAN: The gentleman from
Vermont CIR. Groutl, In speech Of
very great interest and value and that
exhibited great care in its preparation,
took the position that the present ad-
ministration was hostile TO fair and
Just administration of the pension
laws. Immediately he was assailed
from the other side OF the house, and
number OF gentlemen have seen at
since that time to disparage his state.
ments and to attempt to overthrow his
argument They have had much to
say about the unequal bearing of the
pension laws upon certain sections of
the union. You would suppose from
some of their speeches that all OF the
contributions to the pension fund came
from the south, and that all the bene-
fits of the extended pension roll ac-
crued to the northern part of the re-
public. Gentlemen who say that, that
is true are certainly not familiar with
the contributions made by the various
sections of the country to the general
fund that is required to carry on the
expenses of the government.
Why, Mr.. Chairman, the men who
make these statements, that their
states largely pay the charge, that their
states bear the burdens, and that they
are in no sense beneficiaries from the
pension expenditures of the govern
ment are nearly always men who come
from the states that once composed
the eleven confederate states. have
taken the trouble to investigate this
matter. and SO far as the record shows,
so far as the facts can be proven by Of
fetal reports, no one OF those states
contributes single dollar to the PEN
sion payments of the United States.
Mr.. Livingston-What is that prop
osition9
Mr.. Hepburn-I say that, so far as
the record shows, so far as the facts
can be proven by official records, no
one of the old confederate states con-
tributes one dollar to the pension fund.
Mr.. Livingston-My state contributes
four millions.
Mr.. Hepburn-Not n nickel, as / will
show you before get through. That
lisa assumption on your part as I'M
founded as many of the other assump-
tons which from day to day we hear
in this hall. Let us look at the facts,
Mr.. Chairman. What are the entire
contributions of that section of the
country to the revenues OF the United
States? There are three sources of
revenue: the customs taxes-thatis the
word gentlemen on the other side like
to use-internal revenue, and miscel-
laneous receipts. OF the internal rev
enue. amounting to about Sl81, 000, 900.
the eleven confederate states contrib
ute less than 100000 all told. OF the
sl77,ooo,ooo of customs revenue, the
eleven confederate states contribute
s4,1Se,ooo. collected in all OF theirports.
They have larger number of ports in
proportion than the other states, and
yet of the s177, ooO, 900 collected in all
the ports of this country the ports of
the eleven confederate states contrib
ute but s4,t5e.0oo
ofthe whole thirty millions of mis-.
cellaneous receipts, there are collected