The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-11
PENSION DEDUCTIONS
INDIANA'S STATUS FOR LARGE PEN
SIONs AROUsEs THEORISTS.
The Movement of Population West
ward-Many Pensions I'm Southern
States-kansas First.

was a remark frequently heard in the last
presidential campaign in every summary of
the forces counted on to contribute toward
a sound money victory there. for it was
assumed that pensioners receiving fixed
sum per month would not want that sum
paid in money of a less purchasing power.
Although this characterization of Indiana
was often made few persons realized how
much the States differed in this particular
A table I'm the appendix to Commissioner
Evanss recent report tells the story. In
diana, with a population $1,000 smaller than
that Of Massachusetts, by the census of $780,
receives In pensions annually $l0.443,000
against S., 40 900 for Massachusetts,. Ohio
ranks first as pension State, although in
proportion to population much below In
diana. 1t Is a singular fact that more PEN
sion money, according to population, goes
to Missouri than to Massachusetts, New
York or New Jersey, and yet Missouri Is
supposed to be half Southern. While it did
not actually secede, a State government
paying allegiance to the Confederacy was
set up, and senators and representatives
from there were admitted to the Congress
at Richmond George Graham Vest, the
present senator from Missouri, represented
that State in both branches of the Confed-
crate Congress. Most of it's present repre-
sentatives at this capital were Confederate
soldiers, their descendants or sympathzers.
Still Missouri gets $4,000 in pensions per
annum for each of it's congressional dis
tricts, against $4,000 in New Jersey and
1858 600 in New York for like unit of popu-
lation.
OF course these statistics of pension dis
bursements by States really form an exhibit
of the way population has moved westward
i'm the United States. The very newest
West receives little I'm pensions, which
shows that the Eastern settlers who made
their way thither mad grown up since the
war. Washington State, for example. has
about the same population as New Hamp-
shire or Vermont, and yet Vermont's re-
ceipts In this line just double those Of
Washington, and New Hampshire's are
nearly double. With the States. however,
which were filled up in the years imme-
diately following the war the situation is
just the opposite. they run far anead of the
old States in the number OF pensioners.
Kansas, for example, has grown up since
the war. In 1850 it had only 10000 people.
To-day it contains Census Of 1S9W 1,427 900
people. 1t has evidently been settled large
ly by returning soldiers, for the pension dis
dollars greater than those OF MasSachu-
setts.
Kansas receives $4,000 per congressional
Indiana, which is ssOs. coo per district. Mass
achusetts gets only $4,000 per district.
INDIANA'S LEAD.
The primacy of Indiana in this particular
Is not difficult to explain. One of her IA
vorite sons, William w. Dudley, was COM
missioner of pensions in the Arthur admin
istration at a time when the rolls were
being rapidly rounded out. He knew every
body in the State, was cordial and kind
hearted, and doubtless pushed along to ad-
Indication a larger number of claims than
would otherwise have received attention.
At least this theory is advanced and there
is something about the Indiana statistics
pension there is very high. The number OF
pensioners is 1900 below that of Illinois, and
yet they receive in the aggregate $6oe,O0O
more each year. This may be due to tradi-
tions of leniency which have become estab-
lished among the Indiana boards OF pen
sion examiners. Kansas, too, can be ac-
counted for by the peculiar part 1t took In
bringing about the war: Kansas was the
Fort Sumter among the States. Had its ter
ritory been great lake tne mere m m never nd
Bleeding Kansas" are names high in the
annals of the anti-slavery movement The
sturdy men. whom the great emigration So
kind who would be expected to swell the
armies of the Union when the occasion
statements which General Frye sets forth
i'm his report as to the percentage of men
Kansas furnished, by comparison with the
other States, and also, in like comparison
the percentage of its sons killed in that aw-
full struggle. His contention is that Kansas
furnished the highest percentage of SOL
diers of any State and that the percentage
of deaths also was the greatest. Kansas oe-
serves handsome pension disbursement II
the wounds of war can be soothed by pen
sions.
When the soldiers came back from the war
they were more inclined, evidently. than
ether men to go West and seek new homes
They were not established in business at
home as were their old neighbors. Hence
independent of local considerations, the
States which increased rapidly in population
in the decade following the civil war are the
great pension States 1t is probable that ii
a table were prepared showing the pension
ers and disbursements according to the
States from which the men went into the
Union army such disparities would not oc-
cur as those TO which attention has beer
called Now. Arkansas does not have much
Of a record as defender of the Union. Its
population has trebled since 1850. however
and in this filling up a good many Union
soldiers have been included. with the result
money according TO population as New York
or New Jersey. Among foreign countries
Canada has a long lead over every other.
She receives half of the pension disburse-
ments which go out of the United States
Germany, Ireland and England come next
There il one man in Portugal who draws a
pension for service in the Union army. He
gets Sc a month. There Is a man at St
Helena. and he gets $l2 a month; there are
three in Uruguay five in Turkey. two In
Tahiti. one in Korea and sixteen In China
In all, the United States sends outside of the
country $3.50. 30e.1 20 per year. which is about
the amount that South Dakota receives
THE MEXICAN LIST.
One thing which must strike the careful
reader of Commissioner Evans's 1l2-page
report is the nearness, according TO prece.
dent, of the time for allowing service pen.
sions to civil war veterans. In the case Of
the war with Mexico an act was passed
thirty-nine years after its close pro-riding
| with trifiing exceptions. for soldiers an<