The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-05
A Rich Pensioner States a Question
of Honor.

A Rich Pensioner States a Question
of Honor.
There is no doubt that the pension list
contains the names of scores of thousands
of veterans who are entitled legally to the
pensions which they draw, but do not
need any help from the Government. There
is no fraud whatever in their cases. Equit-
ably not less han technically they were
entitled to their pensions at the time when
they applied for them, and probably at that
time they needed the money. Since then
they have prospered in the world, either
because their native energy and ability
were superior to any physical disabilities
incurred in military service, or because the
business in which they have engaged is
such that the particular form of disability
on which the pensions were granted does not
disqualify them for activity and success.
A great many distinguished and patriotic
Americans have belonged to this class of
pensioners. SOM of them have surren-
dered voluntarily the monthly allowance
from the Government. Others have relin-
pushed their pensions as soon as public at
tention was directed to their cases. Others
have kept on drawing the $12, the SIG, or
the $40 monthly, feeling that they had an
unquestionable right to the money, and
that it was nobody's business il the Govern
ment's check went to swell almost imper.
ceptibly a private income ample, perhaps,
beyond the dreams of ~avarice.
There is no question of legal right hardly
any question of moral right, in one sense of
the word morality. 1t is a delicate ques-
tion of personal honor, Of personal percep-
tion of the proprieties, of personal willing
ness to accept money which is not needed
by the recipient and which is raised by
taxes or his fellow citizens. In the discus
sion of this question there Is room for much
casuistry. The real answer depends on a
clear understanding of the principles upon
which pensions were granted primarily;
principles which in this country's expert
ence lave become greatly obscured during
the long process of lavish and indiscrimi-
nate bestowal.
A day or two ago we received from a we'll
known gentleman in the West a letter in
tended for publication, stating fully and
manfully the facts about his own pension,
asking us to decide for him whether he
ought to retain it or r%elinquish it, and offer
ing to abide by our decision. Since then he
has written to request US not to publish his
letter, but he still desires us to pass, in a
general way, upon the question of honor
which he originally submitted with full
details over his own name.
Omitting everything that might disclose
our friends identity, we present SO much
of his first communication as is necessary
to an understanding of the case:
when / enlisted In August, 1861. the Government
promised recruits els a month for services, and an
additional pay In the way Of pensions in case the said
recruits were In any way permanently disabled
when In active service.
Eat the end OF three years we resnlisted and got
each 600 for establishment and one monsh's furlough
to go homo and see our girls before active service was
required d. OF US again. We reenlisted on account flour
girls and for such patriotism as the present genera
tion may see Mt to accredit to US.
1.-THE succeeding generations. who are in distress
for fear that the owners OF the Government bonds OF
that date may not DO paid on in gold. principal and
interest. have nothing to say about tho private soldier
who enlisted for ol8 q month and took his pay In de-
preciated greenbacks. worth all the way from 25
cents to 80 cents on the dollar.
when / went out OF the war in 1884 I WA perma.
nently disabled with Q gunshot wound which do
prved me OF the use OF my right arm. When I finally
got my discharge I was deplorably poor. with no
prospect OF future prosperity but I married my girl
just the same.
W 'chanced 1t through. and. as It turned out
years ego. ] stood in no special need OF the pension
that was awarded to me to square on my accounts at
the end Of each month. Yet l have drawn my pension
(S1o per month) regularly ever since. ! have business
interests that give me an income which far more
than supplies my needs. yet ! still continue to draw
my pension OF Sl8 o month.
Am l acting In an honorable or . dishonorabls
manner In accepting said pension? / viii leave 1t to
you to decide the matter. II you say I ought not to
take the pension. on she goes. II you say l have just
aS much right to accept the pension a. the bondholder
has to demand gold for his bond. she stays on"
We are quite sure that our correspondent,
who is as manly an American in 1898 as
he was in 1861, does not go on drawing
his pension because he regards it as a
money equivalent for his honorable wounds
and sufferings in behalf of his country.
Money could not pay him for that wound,
n he is not the man to take $40 a month
in installment payments:of an inestimable
debt of gratitude.
He docs not draw the pension because he
needs the money for the support of himself
and his family. That he declares very
frankly. Yet the entire pension system
rests primarily upon the idea that the
Governments duty is to supply the support
which the pe~nsioner, on account of physi-
cally disabling wounds or injuries, cannot
win for himself. 1t is for that purpose that
the pensioners fellow citizens are taxed.
AS it turned out, this pensioner was not
disabled from earning q fortune.
We now come to the consideration which
constitutes the main Justification In the