The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-12-22

been disgraceful, and it is not an unusual
sight to behold the new widow returning
from the grave with black eyes and bleed
ing nose. Such little variations in the sad
programme are of no moment to her, how
ever, so long as the pension papers are
made out correctly.
1t is hard to tell how widespread these
pension outrages are in Maine, but one
can safely rely on the statement that
there are too many instances of wrong
doing for the welfare of the community
Among the nearly 800 towns cities and
plantations Of the state there is hardly
one where the natural marital relations
are not ignored for the sake of getting
money from the United States, while in
the cities and larger towns. the open
violations of the moral law can be counted
by the score and the hundred.
Though a very large majority Of the
more than 10000 residents who draw pen
sions in Maine to-day are deserving and
moral people, the fact remains that the
sinners are so numerous that the excuse
"She is a pensioner, you know" has every
where become stereotyped phrase when
peculiarities are mentioned,
From the very nature of the crimes 1t is
next to impossible to name the sinners If
an unmarried man and an unmarried wo-
keep house together there is no law TO
hinder. To prove a criminal act warrants
must be issued and the houses searched,
an extreme measure, which is not sane
toned by the leading citizens. because the
arrest and trial of the suspects will incur
q large expense, which the town or coun-
ty must pay. SO the evil is tolerate from
year to year, until the name pensioner is
too often used as a synonyme for a liber-
tine.
The evil no doubt prevails in other states
but not to so great an extent as in Maine.
In the first place, the people are not rich,
and about half the goods sold from coun-
without which most of the traders would
have to quit business. Again, the payment
of good money wins friends, even among
moral people, and a merchant is inclined
to overlook and excuse errors of conduct
in a good customer. Finally, take any
twenty thousand pensionefs-in Maine or
IN Utopia-and distribute between three
and four million dollars among them every
year, and great deal of 1t will be fritz
tered away along the border land of
crimes.
Meanwhile it cannot be denied that the
general effect of the pension law in Maine
is to spread inebriation ana crime among
good people, and to parade vice so openly
that its effect upon the young people must
prove disastrous.
liances could be told until volumes were
filled, but as they are all alike in general
character, and all hinge upon getting
every cent possible from the government,
a few average cases will indicate the way
things are conducted fully as we'll as
pages of disgusting details. About If
teen years ago wounded veteran of
Bucksport was taken i'll with rheumatic
fever and fellow pensioner was called
in to help care for him. Though he was
vigorous man and though both his doc
tors said he would recover, he grew worse
and died. Two weeks after the funeral
his friend and nurse left an aged mother
to the mercies of the town poor farm and
went to live with the widow. They new
er married. because the woman would
lose her $l2 a month pension If she COM
mitted such an indiscretion, but, with two
pensions to rely upon, they got along
very weIis-
For ten years prior to 1894 a widow of
Holden, sixty years of age and the pen
stoned widow of a soldier, openly sup
ported young, red checked German to
whom she had taken a fancy. Day after
day she rode about the country with him,
and treated him to public caresses until
the residents were nauseated. Though
she had grown-up son by her dead hus-
band, who was always poor and frequent
~ town charge at her death she willed
all of her property to the young German,
who inside OF two months, wooed and
welded a young woman.
In Corinth Is an old soldier living with
two widows. and all three draw pensions
Up In Oakheld a pensioner lately DESERT
ed his wife and five children, and ran
away to Iowa with the widow of a SOL
der. Both are now living in single bless
edness In the same house. A brave PEN
siOner OF SearspOrt lived unmarried and
was considered a woman hater until he
was IS years OF age, when comrade died
and since that time he has made his home
with the widow.
Another searsport GraAd Army man,