The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-10-14
Our Soldering Pension Roll.
'hrom the St. Paul (Minn.) Pioneer
Press.)

Press
"heh Observation-Disclosures patriotic
anu however willing to indulge the
sentiment of gratitude toward the
men who periled life, health, and
'ne welfare of their families in. the
hatlon's defense-contemplat the still
swelling aggregate of our pension rolls,
now mounting toward s150,000000 an
huaiiy, they may be pardcned if they
seem inclined to assume a questioning at
1iGude as to whether all the legislation
under which that immen sc outlay is be-
ing made has been sufficiently well @ on
| sldered. This attitude has become more
and more pronounced since it is seen that
thousands of young widows are being
added to the rolls, to take. the place of the
veterans who are dropping off, and whose
pensions, which are for life, seem likely
10 prolong for another full generation a
large part of the national burden hither-
TO SO patiently borne. The bold stand
taken by the present commissioner of
pensions in objecting to this class of
benefciaries is looked upon with general
commendation. While the people are
wllling-nay, eager-to save from want
the women who sent their husbands into
the field in the ritical days of the six
ties, :" they cannot easily discern what
claim the woman who has married an
ex-soldier long after the war ended can
have upon the nation. Marrying a vet
eran for the sake of getting pension
a practice which has now become COM
mon-oannot be classed among the acts
of patriotism for which pensions are
usually bestowed.
While in this critical mood, people are
also inclined to push the question a little
further, and to ask on what ground the
government should continue the payment
of pensions to people who plainly do not
need them. Especially, why should pros
porous and we'll do men, in business
and in the professions, draw an annual
stipend from the government, while other
veterans who served their country equally
we'll, or better, but who now find it hard
work to make living, receive nothing
whatever, because no rebel bullet hap
pened to hit them, or because their health
remained SO good that they were able to
serve their country to the end of the war
d ul6dUllUS VI otcn
a constructiyely disabling disease?
If the pension rolls were cleared, first
of the names of all individuals who are
in no need of aid from the government
to enable them to live in comfort, and
secondly of all widows who have married
veterans since the war, the enormous
burden of pensions which the American
people are now bearing would be vastly
reduced-so much reduced that the nation
could perhaps then spare something with
which to sweeten the last days and per-
haps save from the almshouse some SPLEEN
did soldiers, who did grand service, but
were not lucky enough to get hit" while
doing it.
There is no doubt that the larger por-
ton of the men now receiving pensions
were good soldiers We are glad to admit
that all of them have deserved we'll of the
government. But the popular sentiment
is that pensions should be bestowed, not
to match deserts, butato relieve necessi-
ties. Where no necessity for relief exists
the claims of the man who was hit by
bullet or injured by disease in the ser
vice are no greater than that of his COM
rade who fought equally well and per-
haps longer. but who went through the
war without getting hit and with his
health unimpaired. And it is matter
of common notoriety that In almost
every neighborhood there are men who
were inefficient soldiers, but who are now
rich, who are receiving pensions from the
government, while men who were good
soldiers, but who are now Ioor, receive
nothing. All we'll TODD ex- soldiers ought
now to be willing to consent to a read
justment. Let some honorary medals be
struck off and bestowed upon these in
lieu of further pensions.