The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-28
RIVER AT s A. NJ.
Danger Gauge Change in
LOOMING THE PAUPERS.


sions'' in the Clio b G has brought IFS
the views of another old soldier, pen
sioner under the dependent pension act,
who justifies his pensioning on the
ground of self defense. At a time when
indiscriminate granting Of pensions,
the continued enlargement of the roll
and the increase of expenditures for
that purpose, promising a deficit this
fiscal year of over S., 900, 900, are stirring
hostile criticism, the various justifica-
tons of the veterans are entitled to
consideration The great increase of
pensions came with the passage of the
dependent pension act, designed to re-
lieve the poorhouses of the country Of
those inmates who had served the
country during the rebellion and had
since through misfortune or disease,
become incapable of earning their own
living and had no accumulation Of
property to fall back upon. 1t was
claimed that there were but a few
thousands of these; but the act in prac
tice has developed many thousands not
actual paupers, not men without
means, but men afflicted with some all
ment that incapacitates them from
manual labor, which, under the con-
structior given the law, has become
the test, ignoring the financial consid-
Grafton entirely.
It was one of these dependent pen
sioners who said to the G o b e that he
had read the editorial on pensions and
tariffs and that the old soldier quoted
expressed his opinion. He, however
he said, had gone through the war
without getting a serious wound or in
curing any disease that had given him
a hospital record and had received a dis
charge stating that no known disabn-
ity existed to prevent his re-enlistment.
Il came home" he continued, went
to work, got married and began Re
cruiting infantry for the next war. The
little ones kept coming, and l kept
scratching to keep them in bread and
butter, shoes and clothing. Great thin g
is a family of hearty youngsters to
prevent a surplus, and about as good
as Republican tariffs and silver pur-
chases to make a deficit. I saw the
boys getting pensions, some deserving
them and others not, especially under
the arrears Of pensions act, but 1 felt
a good deal as you do about pensions,
and, anyway, 1 wasn't lucky enough
to set rheumatism or chronic diarrhoea
or break off my teeth biting cartridges
: while in the army. By the time the
dependent pension law came [ had quit
my trade because of a trouble that I
had in the service, but didn't think
worth bothering the doctors about. 1t
kept on getting worse, and finally 1
had to quit work that kept me on my
feet. and 1 found office work that paid
water.
at was along in 80, when the Demo-
Gratis were fighting protection, and the
Republicans were defending it, that 1
made up my mind that 1 had been a
blamed fool for not getting a pension.
I had looked on the dependent law as
a pauper act, and those who were pen
stoned under it as sort of paupers and
/ hated to admit that I was one of that
kind. Besides I wasn't; could support
myself. But the discussions that year
opened my eyes. 1 found that being a
pauper: that is, having other people
support you. making them all chip in
to help you, which, according to my
notion is being a pauper, was quite the
proper thing. heard lots of men run
ming mills saw mills, wooden mills,
and so on, saying that they must have
help. protection they called it, or shut
up shop. Getting down to the bottom
found that what they wanted was
power to make me and the rest of US
give them something extra to make
lumber and woolens for us. If that
isn't the essence OF being paupers, what
is it? 1 was against it, of course; but
when the Democrats got in and passed
an act that Billy Wilson himself said
made US chip in to help them fellows