The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-20
ROBBING THE NATION.
Pension Rolls Padded Almost
Beyond Belief,
COuNTRY'S BOUNTY ABUSED.
More Survivors" Drawing Pen.
sions Than There Are Survivors.

Bounty Jumpers and Deserterv. Fake widows
and Orphans ana Cheats and swindiera OF
All Clnsses Swell tho Debt to Uucle saru,s
Dercndcrs-Thoy Draw RiIIons Q Year ana
che Gates Arc opened wider Annually TO
Admit Kore-Neariy n million Pensioners
and 500. 900 Applications SIN Undecided
= Special Pension Acts and Congregational
Schemes for Further Robbery at Every
sessiou-Prsurcs Showing the Great steal.
Herewith ave presented the facts about the
pension business OF the United States. At n
time when tho nations finances are disturbed
rs they are disturbed now; when in spite Of tho
fact that the total revenues reach almost half
q billion Of dollars annually. its expenditure ex-
ceeds It's receipts by many millions, 1t is well to
look closely at the records.
A nation no moro than an individual can
conduct It's business successfully when the
expenditures exceed the receipts, and in the case
OF . nation no less than In the case OF an indi-
vidual IL that manner Of conducting business Is
perslsted in for q long enough time. the inevita-
BILE end is bankruptcy. II the revenues are not
increased. then tho expenditures must be cut
down. II there is extravaganza anywhere, then
Unjust DO done away with. II there is o leak, it
must be shipped.
The facts in relation to tho pension business
which THE SUN presents to-day are facts that
should be studied. They are in themselves
startling. They should be OF particular interest
at this time to tho men charged with the BUSH
ness of running the Government, the men whose
duty 1t is to keep tho Governments expenses
within the Governments income.
In a general way every man and woman and
every child who can read knows that of all tho
nations on earth the most generous and the most
grateful Is the United States. Every man.
woman and child knows in a general way some
thing OF the r expenditures that this
nation annually makes to maintain in compara-
tive comfort the men or tho survivors of the
men who. when the nation was threatened with
disruption. marched to the front and suffered
the hardshlps and the privntions of a bitter war.
Grateful, sympathetic and generous to a degree.
the people havo approved these expenditures.
In a general way they have known that there
were abuses in the pension system, but OF the
extent OF these abuses, of the degree to which
their gratefulness. their sympathy and their
generosity have been imposed upon, they have
known little.
THE Sun purposes to present here . plain,
straightforward statement of the facts concern
ing the pension business. These facts have been
gathered painstakinely by tho reporter. The
greatest care has been taken to the end that no
injustice should como of them and with the
hope that some Justice might come from their
presentation. They are taken from the record
itself. Here at the beginning of this article
It may be stated that 1t is in no wise a criti-
cism of or an attack on the soldiers who are
drawing pensions now, or upon the widows Of
soldiers or their children who may be helpless
and in need. Such soldiers, when they were
wounded and made helpless in the line of their
duty In tho defence OF their country, are to-day
entitled to their couufry's gratitude and tho
nations bounty. No less worthy are the widows
and the children of the soldiers who died in bat
tie or of injuries they received In their coun-
try's cause. Such have nothing TO fear from a
statement of fact. 1t is to their interest rather
than to their injury that the truth should be
known. Their bounty is imperilled.
With a pension roll aggregating the enormous
total OF 976.014, there are still $3.50 clamor.
ing at the Treasury doors for pensions or in.
creases In pensions already being paid. and the
crowd was increasing at the rate of 1000 a week
at the time Of the last report of the Commits
sioner Of Pensions. Last YER, thirty-two years
after the close of the war. 54.O72 Of these
claimants gained admission. More are getting
in every day. More will get in every day
until a reform begins at the very roots. 1t is in
an altogether friendly spirit to the worthy re-
cipients of the nations bounty, and to those
who, though entitled to that bounty. have never
yet received It. that the truth Is here set forth.
THE PENSION ROLLS TO-DAY.
Let us consider first the number of those who
are entitled to receive bounty and tho pension
rolls as they exist to-day. For the purposes Of
this article the pensioners considered will be
only those who draw pensions by reason Of theii
service or their alleged service in the war Of
the rebellion. There are still on the pension
rolls many persons drawing pensions for ser
vices in the war of 1912, tho war with Mexico
in 1s47, and the various Indian wars, but wher
compared with the whole list of pensioners tn,
number is so small as to be hardly worthy o
consideration. 1t Is less by thousands than thu
number OF persons now admitted annually Il
the pension rolls for service or alleged service II
the war Of tho rebellion.
James G. Blaine estimated the number OF In
dividuals who actually served during the wa
to be 2.063. 38l. or these 3O4,3 $3.50 were killed II
battle or died of diseases or of unknown causes
leaving a total OF 1,759.03l survivors. Rober
p. Porter, the Commissioner Of Census in 1890
directed an enumeration of the survivors OF tn,
war and Of the surviving widows. The onum
GRAFTON showed that there were approximate!
1.034.O73 soldiers surviving and las, so
widows. Gen. James B. Fry. the Proves
Marshal. In his final report put the actual mum
ber OF assertions during the war OF 20l 1897. Tn
number OF men who served less than ninety days
according to the Provost Marshal's report, wa
72.OOO. III the death rate among the deserter
and the emergency men since the war has bee
the Same as the rate among tho other surviy
ors. then at the present time there are l2l. go,
of them alive. They are not entitled to per
sions under any law. except in a very fey
cases. when their disability has been remove
by an act OF Congress-. Since 1890, when tn
census was taken. IL 10 estimated that 2ls,h4
OF tho survivors then alive have died. Thi
estimate is based on the actual death
OF pensioners, as shown in the repor
OF the ' nsion Commissioner. Since tn
1890 enumeration 1880 childless widow
have forfeited their pensions by remarryin
and 10. 0s1 Survivors and widows have ~forfeite
their pensions by failing to draw them for thre
years. Deducting the deaths. the desertcrs. an
emergency mon and the forieItures from the 80
total. II will be seen that there are 81 8. 839 su
yivors or widows who might DO entitled TO pei
.iorn H. nm thnI thnnn ~ Ill .nLIIl.a