The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-29
STATE PENSIONS.


Il doesn't look now as If there were in
dependence enough in the legislature to
provide for purging the pension roll Of the
names of those who have no legal right
to be on that roll It is safe to say that
there is not a member of the legislature
who does not know that there are persons
receiving pensions who are not entitled to
them. The statement is not an exagger-
alton probably that if only those Confed-
craze veterans and those widows of Con-
federate veterans who are in INDECENT Cir
cumstances and are not able TO earn a
living were paid pensions the pension
charge would not be more than half VIVA,
it is Indeed, there is reason for saying
that Il would not be more than a third.
Assuming that this statement is true, why
is It that the legislature makes no effort
to have stricken from the pension roll
the names of those who ought not to re-
ceive pensions? 1t is not because it is
afraid to do so? Have not the pensioners
and their friends already such power that
the members of the legislature are afraid
of them?
The national pensioners have the nation
by the throat. There isn't a congressman
who dares 10 take step towards striking
the names Of fraudulent pensioners from
the pension rolls. Every man in Congress
or who is ambitious to go to Congress, is 4
afraid of the pension vote. In this state
ment we have reference. Of course, only
TO the Northern states, because in the
South the national pensioners do not play
an important part in politics.
Is not the time approaching when the
state pensioners in this state win have
about the same sort of power in state pol
tiles as the national pensioners have in
national politics? Even now, does not the
legislature show that 1t is afraid to at
tack the wrongs In the pension business?
How long win it be, if the number of those
on the pension roll goes on increasing at
the present rate, before the inau-
ence of the pensioners will be so great
that they will be able to get whatever ad-
ditional pension legislation they want?
In national pension matters Congress has
been responding for years to the demands
of the Union veterans backed up by the
Grand Army of the Republic. 1t is not
improbable that before many years the
state pensioners of this state if their
number continues to increase, will demand
legislation that will greatly increase the
burdens of the tax payers, and will get
what they demand.
Now is the time to take hold of this
pension business and confne pensions TO
those Confederate veterans and widows of
Confederate veterans who are in INDECENT
circumstances and are incapactated from
earning a living. The work to be done
requires some backbone. Have the mem
bers of the legislature the necessary back
bone?
1t was predicted when it was proposed
to enact the present pension laws that
the intention of the people would not be
respected unless the most stringent regula-
tons for the granting of pensions were
adopted and enforced. The prediction has
come true. The people are groaning under
a heavy pension burden, and the full
weight of the burden has not yet been re-
allied. 1t amounts now to nearly 100000
and the chances are it will go to a mill
ion dollars. For several years past we
have been Boosting that we were paying
in pensions to Confederate veterans and
to widows of Confederate veterans more
than all the other Southern states com
bined. Our growing inability to carry
our pension burden shows that the
other Southern states have displayed
more wisdom than we have in granting
pensions. They give pensions only TO in
dgent Confederate veterans. while our
rulers have opened wide the door to all
who have the slightest excuse for asking
for a pension.