The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-26

mr.. Psrtsr-s s,r.iacast ceuaputatisa ara "Tr
ean.uD ~HIrures.

II EortofNn btnntncnnt Counnutntfnn ara nTha
san,sr H1rures.
To THE EDITOR OF TIKI suN-Sir. II the ne-
ures presented by Mr.. Robert r. Porter In TIE
sUN Of recent date relating to the survivors OF
the war Of the rebellion are correct, thcn 3l,O33
more persons are drawing pensions az survivors
Of that war than there are survivors who might
DO entitled to p~onslons. This number 10 2A,628
greater than TIE Suns estimate. though Mr..
Porter seemed to think that THE Sun had over
estimated the matter. Mr.. Porter places the
total survivors Of the war OF the rebellion juno 1.
1897, at s24,100. Deducting from this 121. COG
surviving deserters and emergency men who are
not under any law entitled to pensions. 1t will be
seen that the total number OF survivors who
might be entitled to pensions II they were all
wounded or dependent in whole or in part is
702.49&. THE SUNS estimate was 727,122.
Mr.. Porter was tho Commissioner Of the Gen.
suR OF 1890: hence there Is no man moro compe-
tcnt 10 speak OF the accuracy Of the enumern-
tion. Mr.. Porter says that tho enumeration
was complete and accurate. A comparison OF
Mr.. Porter's figures with those printed in tho
original article In TEE Sun, while mot proving
the absolute accuracy OF THE Sun figures. In
dicates that THE Sun undcrstated rather than
ovorstated the facts. Mr.. Porter says his esti.
mate Of tho rebellion survivors is based on COM
putationsm made with the aid of Humphreys life
table, said to DO the most accurate life table in
existence. A reference to THE SUN shows that
It's estimate was based on the actual deaths of
pensioners a. shown by the annual reports Of
the Pension Commissioners since 1890. with
the aid Of Humphreys accurate life table, Mr..
Porter nxed the total deaths from June 1, 1890,
to June /, 1897. at 200, 1913. and to June i.
1898. at 241.4o3. Splitting tho difference
between these totals, It will DO seen that
tho number Of deaths up to Dec. !, 1897,
when THE suN's estimate was made.
was 2e5,6ss. THE SUN's estimate. based
as stated on the actual deaths of pensioners,
fixed the total deaths at 1s5. 345. q difference Of
about 10000 In o total Of 1,034,O73, and that
difference In favor of THE SUN's conservative
statement that there are moro pensioners draw
ing pensions az survivors than there are actual
survivors. Mr.. Porter 10 in error when he
states that The SUN estimated the total Of sur
vivors to be 727,122. THE Suns estimate Of
survivors was s4s, 72s. From this total there was
deducted 121. 608, the number of the d~eserters
and emergency men living, leaving 1877, 122 sur
vivors who might be entitled TO draw pensions.
In estimating the number of the survivors who
might be entitled to draw pensions Mr.. Porter
neglected to deduct the deserters and emer-
gencY men.
Since tho publication of q part of the pension
list in THE SUN there have been several state
ments in the papers purporting to have been
lhuo W OulClhib Oh Inc fGnROn BUREAU N reply
to the demands mado on them for the lists Of
pensioners in certain counties. These state
ments have been to the effect that tho records
Of the bureau are not 30 kept that the lists by
counties are easily accessible. II these state
ments arc correct. and they have not boon de-
MED. then there must have been a considerable
change in the method of keeping the records
since 1890. Always up to 1890 the annual re-
ports of the Commissioner OF Pensions con-
tanned the number OF pensioners by counties az
well as by States. The publication Of this county
list was dropped in 1890 without any e~xplana-
ton Of the change.
A glance at the last list printed. which was in
the report of Greene B. Raum. who was tho
Commissioner of Pensions then. is interesting.
1t shows that not only does the United States
Government pay pensions in every country on
the face of the globe. but also in every county
in every State in the United States. In 1890
the pension roll was q little moro than half as
largo as it is now. There were about 100000
civil war pensioners. There arc 976.O14 now.
Tho banner county for pensioners In 1890 was
Philadelphia, Pa. 1t had 9.T97 pensioners. Tho
District Of Columbia had 4,54s; Cook county,
ILL.,, had 4,147, and there were q dozen counties
that had more than 1000 each. In the State Of
Illinois there were only three counties that had
fewer than a hundred pensioners each. They
were Calhoun county with rs, Monroe county
with 80. and Putnam county with SO. The av-
erage number of pensioners per county in the
State was 391. The showing of Indiana was
considerably worse. The smallest number in
any one county in Indiana was Ill. In only five
counties were there fewer than 200 pensioners,
and they ran from that all the way to 2.7O6.
The average number per county in the State
was 519. Obios showing was still worse. The
smallest number Of pensioners in any one
county in Ohio was 1874. The greatest was In