Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-09-09

what these payments mean. The Ohio
Soldier, of Chillicothe, leading organ
of the old soldiers, presents these in
teresting facts:
Number of soldier pen
sloners of war for the
union who draw pen
sions at the Columbus
Agency ......... ...... 1884
Amount paid ............$12,474, 1856
Number of widows. ...... 22,19i
Amount paid .........$ 2,71O,794.6S
Number Of pensioners of
other wars. s...... s62
Amount paid. ........... 4O9, 9,2SS.15
Total amount paid SIS, ,597 ,215.64
At first glance the number of pen
sioners may appear large to those who
do not take into consideration the
army it represents. The war for the
union was the greatest contest OF
which there is any authentic history,
and Ohios enlistments in the war were
in round numbers one-third of a mil
lion of men.
show that the average annual pay
ment to pensioners of the war for the
union is $14957 and they fare some
better than the pensioners of some
other wars, whose average is $119.60.
This is as it should be, when the ex
tent of the several wars are consid-
cred; and the average, as well as the
sum total of payments, mark the fact
that congress and the people purpose
to treat the old soldier generously.
Is there a fair allotment of pensions
under rulings of the pension depart
ment in each individual case? That
is question in which both the public
and the soldiers are interested. or
course it would take moro than human
wisdom in so large a mass to deal out
equal and exact justice to each indi-
vidual but we will venture to say that
there is no business in the country
| conducted so closely along the lines
laid down by the written rules, and no
court where it is necessary to estab-
lish a claim by such a preponderapce
of evidence. These rules and this
great preponderance of evidence are
the matters of which soldiers COM
plain, and they do unquestionably work
a hardship in many cases, deserving
cases being rejected because the parties
are unable to establish their claims by
sufficient evidence This is unfortu-
nate, Of course to the unlucky individ-
ual, but it does not arise from the de-
sire of the government to be illiberal,
unjust or penurious. Such unfortunate
exceptions follow all human affairs.
Men go out of our civil courts every
day without justice because they are
unable to establish things which they
know to be facts, by testimony; and
just so criminals are discharged be-
ly connect them with the crime
cause the testimony does not sufficient
AS to the policy of paying pensions,
that would seem to be long since fixed
by the practice of all civilized nations.
From the organization of the govern
ment it has prevailed in this country
In the early days, when the young ma
tion had no money to even pay its
pressing debts, lands were given in
lieu. We have a striking example of
this beneficence here in Ohio where
all that now rich and populous section
lying between the Scioto and Miami
rivers was given to the Virginia SOL
diers of the revolutionary war. This al
lotment not proving sufficient, second
and third allotment was made in Indi-
ana and Illinois. East of the Scioto is
another tract of 5000 square miles,
known as United States military lands,
which was given to other revolutionary
soldiers; and to the southeast is an
other tract known as the Ohio Com
pany's Purchase, which was in a large
measure a grant to revolutionary SOL
diers. The land warrants to the SOL
diers of 1872 and the Mexican and In
dian wars are familiar to our readers.
Referring again to the table, it shows
the payment of pensions at the Colum-
bus agency amounts to nearly mil
lion and a third dollars per month.
This is large. sum of money, but the
good that flows from its quarterly dis
tribution is manifold. First in point
of Importance is the substantial aid and
comfort given in their old age to the
soldiers who gave of their own life
and strength that the nation might
live-that government by the people
might not perish from the face of the
earth. This money is not boarded; in
deed it has more frequently been an
ticipated to meet the necessities. of life,
and goes at once to the grocer, the
butcher, the clothier the merchant,
and to pay rent. In turn these people
pass it to the wholesaler and manu-.
facturer, or to settle other indebted
ness. Pension day is a date that is look
ed forward to by the small dealers
with as much interest as it is by the
pensioner himself The stream com
mences at the most remote CROSSROADS
grocery and flows with ever increasing
volume to the larger centers OF trade.
OF all TIE taxes paid TO the national
treasury, starcely a perceptible part,
other than the pensions, reaches the
greater interior Of the country. The
other expenses Of the government are