The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-10-28
SOME LEADING EDITORIALS.
From tho A.. Louls clobe-Democrat.

THE JUVENILE WAR WIDOw--Com-
missioner Of Pensions Evans has directed
attention TO the custom OF granting PEN
sions to young widows whose husbands
were army veterans. While the Nation Is
grateful to its defenders, and will not for
get its obligations to them, the nature OF
It's debt to girl infants born long after
the war 10 not so clear. MIR. Evans says
that. while not less than dozen soldiers
OF the war OF 1872 survive to draw PEN
sions, the names OF $500 widows OF that
period are stll on the rolls. OF course,
most OF these are women born generation
after the second conflict with England.
who married old soldiers. They still num-
Der fair-sized army brigade, though
hardly enough OF the brave men Of 1912
could be mustered to make a picket post.
This is doing something for posterity with
a vengeance. There are female babes now
In arms who, IL this form of pensions is
to be continued, will be drawing a govern
ment allowance through the next century
and even beyond. Thousands of veterans
OF the civil war will be alive in 1926. Those
1 y
girls of 20 can now reflect on the fact that
their future wives will not be born until
the year 1906
IL is no surprise to hear that the old
soldiers themselves. or at least that vast
4 majority who have no romantic interest
In the girl babies Of the Twentieth century
are protesting against this unreasonable
/ drain upon the pension appropriations.
Commissioner Evans says he is receiving
many letters from veterans who favor d
proposition to deny pensions to widows OF
veterans who married after certain date.
! Unless this measure Is adopted, tens of
thousands Of young women will be drawing
pensione forty or fifty years from now.
Gases are frequently brought to the atten-
| ton OF this Office" says Mr.. Evans, Sin
| which the testimony clearly discloses that
| marriages with veterans Of the war, who
mad become enfeebled by age and disease
have been contracted by comparatively
young women, with an eye to the pros
| pective benefits TO be derived from the
! pension laws" In ono case known to the
pension department, the sick veteran ex-
| pred during the marriage ceremony. The
widow went on the rolls. for, though a
conspiracy was apparent. the technical
proof Of it was not complete.
The present estimate OF surviving vet
Grams Is about ,0000 900. II per cent of
them should marry hereafter, that would
mean $4,000 additional claimants for PEN
sons and probably 10000 would become
| pensioned widows, unless new rule
should be framed. The cost of pensions this
year Will be $l45,000,0 900, and the commits
sioner says many completed original cases
are still pending because the money to
settle them is not available Pensioning
women born a long period after the war
Is distinctly opposed to the interests OF
the great body Of veterans, and their OPP
position to It Will increase. It Is doubtless
a very comfortable thing for small girls
OF the period to look forward to o govern
ment annuity. but their equitable claim to
1t Is not distinct. When line Is drawn
against pensions OF this extremely ques-
tonable kind the marriages OF aged sol
diers may be less frequent, but they will
gain in dlsinterestedness and the prospect
of happiness.
From the New York Tribune.
EGYPT AND TuNIS-The stateme mt was
made the other day that Great Britain and
France were coming to an amicab,e agree
ment In regard to Egypt. the later ac-
quiescing in the formers possession OF
Egypt In consideration OF Great BrStain's
Willingness to let France annex Tunis. The
story was probably fanciful, but 1t con-
tanned a suggestion Of more than passing
interest
France charges Great Britain with fall
ure to fulfill her promise to withdraw from
y Egypt Leaving aside the NEST pertinent
question, whether the proper time has
come for such fulflllment and whether the
work for which the British entered Egypt
IS sufficiently complete to warrant their
eff.
ment comes to hand. France went into
runs years before Great Britain went into
EGYPT, and for far less sufficient cause
FRANCE did so, moreover under an explicit
promise not to annex that country Jules
ferry gave such pledge in so many
words The French government even prom
ised not TO dredge out the harbor of Biserta
for naval purposes. These promises were
as definite as these OF Great Britain re-
garding Egypt.
/ Inc French are, however, still In full
possession of Tunis. and are treating 1t
In all Respects as an integral part Of their
colonial empire. Such it of course is. They
nave dredged out the harbor OF Biserta,
and made 1t what they proudly call one
OF the finest naval harbors in the world.
Nor are they content with that, but they
nave sent some OF their great warships
tnither and made 1t a powerful naval sta
tion Railroads are being built. land is
peing taken and improved colonists are
hooking in, and there is every indication
that runs belongs to France just as much
as Algeria does. And. In fact, it ought to-
Since Great Britain does not object to
TINS, but. on the contrary. has actually
Facilitated the installation Of the French
III Tun1s in full power, It is deemed by
many only logical and fair that Fronce
should concede the right OF Great Britain
TO hold on to Egypt. OF course, the parallel
a rel T asfa..
not always infallible rules in International
dealings. But there is enough In 1t to form
the basis of some pretty spsculations.
POINTS ABOUT PEOPLE.