The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1897-05-06
PENSIONS IN AMERICA AND EUROPE.

PENSIONS IN AMERICA AND EUROPE
| That old-time aggravating idiot ha
popped up again recently in severs
prominent papers, to make comparison
between the size of our pension expendi
lures and those of European Nations
and the annual cost of German, French
and other armies. 1t is very tiresom'
to have to continue telling this idiot tina
he does not know what he is talking
about; that he misauotes figures, and
cannot understand facts, but it seems tx
be necessary. Every time he reiterates
this well-worn falsehood he should be
met and controverted, because he finds
believers, if he meets with no prompt
contradiction. We say " that idiot" be
cause the similarity of the expressions
and the method of statement in all the
papers is SO great as to imply that it is
all the work Of one person, or, what is
more likely, that in each of the papers
the matter is simply adopted from the
one in which it first appears by writers
too Indifferent to think and examine for
themselves.
In the first place, our pension expendi-
lures are many millions less than the
cost of the German, French, Austrian,
or Russian armies. The German army
costs each year fully s200,00O,0Oo; the
French and Austrian armies very nearly
as much, and the Russian army much
more.
Next, it is not the cost of these armies
in the money expended upon them that
makes such a burden upon the people.
1t is the infinitely greater cost Of taking
several hundred thousand young men
in each country away from their usual
employments, and keeping them for
three years or more engaged in learning
the trade of war.
Thirdly, their pension expenditures
are inconceivably more than is pretended
in these statements The statements show
the grossest ignorance of the actual con-
ditions. The whole civil service, railway
service, ETC.. of Germany, and to large
extent that of the other countries, is part
of the pension system. There they feel
that the man who has served his country
with arms, even in peace, is entitled to
the first choice in public employment.
None but an Observation-Disclosures sol
der can get most of the positions under
the Government, and this extends down
to the humblest watchers at the railway
crossings, which are all either disabled
soldiers or the widows Of soldiers. These
places are given them in lieu Of pensions.
or to exc out their pensions.
In France there are a number of
other places reserved for ex-soldiers and
their widows, such as the little shops for
the sale of Government monopolies. No
statement in regard to military pensions
in Europe is complete, or can be true,
without considering these things.
Fourthly, our pension-roll represents
incomparably more hard fighting and
exhaustive service than the whole of the
pension-rolls Of Europe put together
This is startling fact that even our
best friends fail to comprehend and give
sufficient weight to. There are very few
on the European pension-rolls who date
back to the Napoleonic struggles. Dur
ing our rebellion the actual fighting
time was longer, there were more men
who actually fought, there were more,
larger and bloodier battles fought, and
incomparably more men killed and dis
abled than in all the wars put together
which Europe has fought since the days
of Napoleon.
Consequently, instead Of comparing
our pension-roll with that of France,
Germany, England, Austria or Russia,
it should be compared with all these
lumpe d together.