The sun., 1897-12-05

oiono...... lo,otb,ou0l ne1tyear.. loO.OOO,OOo
1t will be seen from these figures that IL tho
cost Of Congress. tho printing Office. tho library.
and the botanical garden. expressed in the item
legislative, and tho Agricultural Department bo
taken out of the above column the pension for
next year will equal tho total cost Of the remain
ing Government service. That 10 to say, tho
cost of pensions will. with the small exceptions
noted, equal the entire salary List OF the Gov
ernment in Warrington and throughout the
country. the expenses of all the departments. In
cluding tho whole judicial svstem. tho cost of
the army and navy, Post Ofice deficiencies. pub
Lilo buildings. Notifications and ships. rivers and
harbors. tho Department of Labor. and tho
whole expense of tho White House and its
salaries. A long array of prominent items. such
40 those for the coast survey. tho nfe-saving ser
vice, the lighthouse system, the Indian service.
service. the National Soldiers Homes. the Gus.
figures. might be added to still further en-
phasize the point under consideration.
trscted the stteDtion - Which % they deserve 80 ' and
Washington upon the eve of tho opening of Com
gress 70 tull ot talk based upon such presenta-
'iR S a' :9SsS h. been question which for
ds O%
year to year because. from motives which are
sd to
seem oven 70 be turning the cold shoulder to
revenues. and at a time when these revenues
expenditures, tie question becomes one involv.
ing mot only jqstice TO the old soldier. but fair.
There is no dissent worth consideration from
the proposition that II $3.50, ,oo0. 900 Is fairly
dependent upon them on account of disabilities
incurred in the ssrvise, every cent q It should
N tho nrapnaitinn that "a Cow
Poverlshed By the casualties Of the service, not
receive. but a sum. which. with o other 'n means sans
that the penSioner may be able to command.
would mt him and those depending upon him
There 70 growing feeling that tho pensions
health, . q comfortably fIed in lite. should bo
ssImi1atsd, ad and tie Goyernment DO thus en- m
esanuSity x IN the @ land would @ b $iseSs.:d % witk
revealed whose disabilities were only tempo.
army oi men would bo discovered to whom thsir
pensions are In no sense . necessity. While this
gotten that there are Hni men IN good ms
and many In public PGsitions Of homer and enol
are Of a character for which no pension which
Dsn.ste At every stop they have found them g
For such, and indeed for all Of every rank and
position. through the various grades Of disabili.
TONED 70 the needs % and deserts OF % the easo as
the Government can afford, but 1t 10 also q
badge OF honor To those who are not thus in
capactated for full effort In the struggle OF life.
and who do not need 1t. because Of the comfort
able life which they can command without 1t. .
pension should BIO a badge OF shame. These SEN
Rns tmsnts are TSpdy gaining gropnd among men
and never can be successfully disputed:
First and most numerous among those who
claim agents. or eourse % there "a are H honorable
sy SsSe rbbsd SaS d and
soldiers TO an extent which entities them to all
the honors of freebooters. BY their persi ,tent
Turing representations, which have generally
been misrepresentation. these agents have nm
roll Tney have proiited to the extent OF many
mi by fees. which, In the main. have been
Sx9r6iisnt: During the past year as the figures
lected much more than half million dollars
from the pensioners not counting tho minor fees
attorneys charges to the pensioners OF the year
well up toward the million mark.
Veterans should know that there Is no neccs
kity whatever for employing claim agents
Blanks can be had at tho Pension Ofiice cover
Ing all cases, and pension agents and the specia
agents Of the office in the field will give everJ
information. The body OF clerks here are OK
pertB. and every case receives full and intelli
gent examination. and each claimant receives
detailed information OF the proof required, ant
all without cost to the applicant. All this ap
plies to worthy cases. When case ID unwor
10 disabled, OF course the services OF pension at
torneys who mako specially OF such cases Il
The huge Dimensions Of the pension roll ar
largely due TO the fact that the Governmen
let tho preparation OF cases go out of the hand
one OF the most marked cases OF the shepher
abandoning the flock 70 wolves which the hil