The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-20

.NS ~ 'hs
actual survivors to-day 727.122 who might DO
entitled to q pension. But to assume this tho
Same assumption must be made as was made In
the case of the survivors and widows together.
The total Of pensioners on account OF tho war
Of the rebellion 10, according 10 tho report OF the
Pension Commissioner. o47.542, of which
85, 500 arc children and 81 1850 are dependent
fathers, mothers, sisters or brothers. Deduct
ing these from the total there remain S54,1l4
survivors and widows drawing pensions, or
4O,7AS moro survivors and widows" than
there are actual survivors and widows who
under any circumstance could legally draw
pensions.
MORE PBNsIoNED "sURvIvoRs" THAN THERE
ARE SURVIVORS.
The pension rolls show that 733, 527 persons
are drawing pensions from the Government as
survivors of the wnr of the rebellion. That 10,
O, foB moro survivors" are drawing pensions
than there are actual survivors; a fraud on Its
face. Bear in mind that every person entitled
to n pension must DO disabled. To get a
clear idea Of tho extent Of the fraud lot the
reader think up his own acquaintance among
tho old soldiers who he knows are not
disabled and who are not drawing pen
sions. or who. though they are disabled,
still do not draw pensions. There are
thousands upon thousands of such-soldiers
whose bravery and whose service to the country
were never questioned, whose patriotism to-day
Is as great as 1t was In tho hour Of their coun-
try's need, and who scorn n pension because
they do not need It. Probably there is not q
reader whose eye scans this who cannot think OF
half a dozen such mon. THE SUN reporter who
is writing 1t has within half an hour recalled Of
his personal acquaintance twenty-one such.
but this is not all. Besides the 6,405 more
survivors" drawing ponsions than there are
nctnal Rnryivora IA ! EnN moro "AuryiyOrA " arc
olamorinR at the doors Of the Treasury for their
share OF tho plumber, bulldozing Congressman.
bulldoZinR Senators, bulldozlng the Pension
Commissioner. bulldozing tho Administration
Regardless of the financial difficulties of tho
Treasury. regardless of everything save their
own greed, this army stands clamoring and de-
handing the nations bounty; 1893, 905 moro
survivors" drawing or demanding pensions
than there arc actual survivors.
THE OLD R OF HIGH WATER MARK"
In 1873, James A. Garfield, in the House
Of Representatives. in a speech on the floor of
the House pleading for pensions for the old
soldiers. said that the high water mark had been
reached and that from then on the pension rolls
would decrease. He drew q touching picture of
the ravages of death among the men who had
fought for their country. He knew the hard
shi 8 that these men had suffered and he
pleaded their cause. basing his argument in ex-
cuse of their enormous demands on their SER
vice and in this one fact that the high
water mark had been reached and that their
numbers would grow less year by year. There
were on the pension rolls at that time 23s.4l1
pensioners. Since then 321 .4S5 have been re.
moved from the rolls chiefly by death. There
are remaining on the rolls 976.o14. and 345. $50
cry out for admission. The parable OF the
loaves and the fishes Is not more. wonderful.
In 1873 the nations bounty to pensioners OF
the war of the rebellion was 500, 500, 52s. 90
Last year 1t was $3.50. 9i9,717.35.
WIDOWS AND OTHER ~PENpE
Now. let us take up the widows and other
dependents on the rolls. There are on tho pen
sion rolls 213.352 widows or dependents o!
soldiers drawing pensions. In the grand army
clamoring at the gates OF the Treasury,
wailing their needs and bulldozing tho Gov
eminent like tho survivors are 1Oi.93s
widows" It must not be assumed when
this grand army at the gates Is referred to that
it Is made up wholly of unworthy applicants
That there arc thousands upon thousands In
this army who arc deserving and who, under
the laws, are entitled to pensions. simply
makes more disgraceful the rolls as they stand
For every deserving one who asks a pension
now there must of necessity be a fraud and
cheat on the rolls, who is swindling the nation
out Of whatever he may have been able 10 get
He is not only swindl;ng the nation now out o
the amount of the pension he draws every quar-
ter, but when he got on the rolls he swindled i
out OF a lump sum in the shape Of arrearages
amounting in many CAGES to thousands Of dol
lars. The widows" draw arrcarages as wei
as the (" survivors
Here is a little table compiled from the pen
sion rolls that may be studied with profit:
Actual survivors Of the war. ............... 7eT.I2
survivors" drawing pensi' ms ............. 739. 52