The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1897-12-09
THE PENSION OCTOPUS.
Swallows Nearly 0ne-HaIf Of the
Federal Revenue.

seems certain that the subject wilt re-
ceive prnper and earnest attention. from
Congress. 1t begins 10 he seen that IL
pensipu list which thirty two years after
the close of The war closely approNmates
half the total number of three year ell
listments. and which il still rapidly
growing, demands serious consideration.
IT is case where the assistance is needed
OF the veterans who spraug to arms in
1861, before pensions or bnunties were
talked of or thought of. Their aid is
patriotic duty, NOW as thea. They owe
il to themselves To frown upon unworthy
pensioners ON the rolls anu unworthy APP
plicants.
The pension roll now far exceeds the
membership of all the patriotic societies
oil veterans which ths war created: in
the membership of all of them-Grand
Army of the Republic. Union Veteran
Legion. Union Veterans Union, Military
Order of the Loyal Legion, Society of the
Army of the Potomac, Society of the
a rmy of the James, Soc city of the Army
OF the Tennessee, Society of the Army of
West Virginia, and the Society of the
Army of the Cumberland.
Turning from the contemplation of
numbers to the consideration of the cost,
it appears that heXt years expenditures
the yearly receipts rs calculated upon
those nf the month just closed. The
present estimate is that the roll will cost
$3.50, eco, 000. TO put the matter in still
more striking form. this annual outlay
will require So. 0C0, 600 more than the
total receipts from customs, estimated
upon those of the mouth of November
last rs nm average. Ii this annual eX-
pense be compared with the Internal rev.
t,l 81,
basis i. is found that the entire revenue
from This source, with the exception of
SIP 100000, will be required to pay the
pension roll.
Looked ut in another shape; if line
could he formed equal in length to one
made up Of all the three year veterans OF
the war and every other man should be
advanced pace to the trout, the num-
hers in either line would then nut slightly
exceed those on the pension roll, and
more than every other dollar OF the gov
ernmeut revenue would he required to
pay it.
More startling still does the magnitude
OF this pens:on payment appear when its
amount is compared with the items OF
annusl appropriations. These in round
numbers were.the appropriations for the
current fiscal yeal:
Legislative. $71i3.000: executive
proper, 5000 0G0; State. 50. 100. 600; Treas
ury, $32, 2G9, 000 war. S5O,0,S 600; navy,
S33. 5j4. 000 postoffice, 1899, 600; interior
except pensions, $l5, 0l2 600: agriculture,
50. lss. 6OO JUSTICE, 6,1aG. 900; labor
STA, 0G0: pensions. Si4i264, 0OO total,
S3U2, $50, 0O0 totals without pensions
SlGl 80 .000 pensions for next year, $780,
000, 900.
it will be seen from these figures that
1T I'll" ccst OF Conures~, the printing Office,
the library aud the botanic garden, cX-
prr>-td III he item legislative, and the
agricultural department be taken out of
the above column the pensions for next
year will equal the fetal cost of the re-
naming government service. That is to
say. the cost of pensions will, with ths
small exceptions noted, equal the entire
salary list Of the Government in Wash
inGton snd throughout the country, the
expenses of all the departments, includ-
ing the whole judicial system, the cost of
the army and navy, postoilce deficien-
ries. public buildings, Qualifications, End
shps, rivers and harbors, the department
of labor. and tho whole expense of the
White Honsc and its salaries \ long
array OF prominent items, such as those
for the coast survey, the life saving ser
vice. the lighthouse system, the Indian
service, the general land Office, the Mn
line Hospital service, the national Sol
dlers' Homes, the customs service, which
are Included i'll the above figures, might
he added III still further emphasize the
point under C, nsideratiOn.
Such co2;paI iSons as these have at last
attracted the attention which they de
serve, and Washington upon the eve of
the opening OF Congress is full ri talk
based upon such presentation Of the sub
ject.
Pension reform has been question
which for years has been forcing itself
upon the attention of Conrressmen 1t
has been put aside from year to year he
cause, from motives which are easily un-
derstood, and which have mucn 10 com
mend them there was IL gene raj disposi-
tion TO provide for the growing burden
rather than seem even 20 be turning the
cold shoulder to veterans. But with n
pension expenditure re luiring more than
haif the present yearly revenues. and ut
time when these revenues, ar. falling
many millions below the total annual eX-
pendituTeS. the question becom es one IN.
volYing not only justice to the old SOL
der, but fairness to the rest of the ma
ton.
There is no dissent worth consideration
from the proposition that if $lj0, GOO, goo
Is fairly due to soldiers, or those who
have been or are dependent upon them on
account of disabilities incurred in the
service, every cent OF it should be
promptly paid. Further than this there
Is general assent to t lc proposition that
the government owes to AL who were. lis
abled and impoverished by the casualties
of the service, not the mere pittance