The Farmington times. [volume] (Farmington, Mo.) 1874-1902, 1899-07-06
A GROWING ARMY.
rhs sumh~r OF f'ens,aa Claimants fn-
spessrs vita the sssssfng
OF Tina.


"a IL not probable that thorough
idea ai the cost TO the government in
dollars and cents growing out of the
recent war with Spain aud the present
struggle in the Philippines will fasien
Itself upon the people Of the country
for some tinse 10 came. When the Unit.
ed States was drawing upon, lts every
resource more than "a year ago, get
ting ready for the anticipated strug.
gle with spain, the expense Of war was
discussed. hnt there were but few who
yirwrh the hnbiect in 81 Its phases.
Little or no attention was. paid TO the
aftermath. III, uursiicis OF pcnsioning
the men who in the ordinary course uf
war would be disabled either by sick
ness or wounds or the widows Of sol
dicrs who would he killed ~ hattie or
die as the result Of disease contracted
while In the service, was scarcely
Touched upon. Vet ga the years 10
cuinc thiH particular phase Of the short
but sharp contest viii present itself
with forcc 10 the Statesmen whose duty
II viii be 10 provide for the current ex-
pruSes 81 the government. The expert
cncr ~ The pension bureau has taught
that the great majority Of men who
have served In the various wars OF the
country since the foundation Of the gov
ernmcnt have not hlcd their claims for
pensions until years after the war In
which they were engaged bad been
brought Ia CLOSE
As result NJ the waT with spain
thrrr have been about ~ 900 nppicu.
tionF for pensions, either from the men
who were incapacitHted in the service.
or hy the widows Of men who died while
with their commands In camp or ia fcid
Se,cuiy-fyc pensions have been al
lowed, the greater number Of them he
ing Ia widow who ARE granted sl2 a
month.
Already the amount paid out In pen.
Eiuns us result of the Spanish war
amounts to more than sIl 900 q year
and when favorable notion II taken on
the claims now pending this amount
will without doubt hc increased into
the millions. There can br no doubt
that claims will continue 20 hc received
1T the pension bureau. Indeed. II past
experience counts for ruythinC they
have scarcely commenced. The mum.
Der Of men killed in battle during the
war with Spain was .7p, white i,i05
wcrr wounded These numbers repre-
sent hut very small portion Of the
ones who are entitled iu pensions, The
vast amount Of sickness iu the various
military camps in different parts of the
country has made many iuvalids for
liic, who have e just claim for support
10y the government There arr thou
sand, of others who contracted diseases
ia the service. which. while they du not
have the immediate effect OF disabling
the yirtim viii IN few years result IA
permanent disability aud afford good
grounds for Application for q pension.
There IT. NO way uf determining the cx-
net number ~ these eases, hut IL il
thought that they will number many
thousands.
The war Ia the Philippines promises
60 add thousands ui uumrs 10 the list
ol those eligible In receive government
mid The number Of deaths IN action
j. already considerable, aud greater
number have died of wounds received.
The uuhcallhful conditions under
which the troops IN the Philippines
have existed have been responsible for
many deaths from sickness and for
still greater number Of partial or total
bsabiltics. From present indications
many more will bc killed or wounded
before the InHurrection Us crushed.
The advent OF the summer season In the
Philippines viii no doubt prove some
what disastrous to the American sol
dicrs, who are accustomed to the north.
crn and more temperate climate % the
United States.
The records of the pension Office
show that more than Sa.250.000,O00
have been paid out In pensions result
ing from the civil war. The cost of the
active operations Of that wRr--that Vs.,
the cost uf maintaining the various
armies in the feld--wnk somewhat
more than 81 OO0, 100000. Thus far the
pension money for the civil war has
been more than twice that paid out for
the cost Of actual operations. Nor IN
the end IN sight The amount 81 pen
sion money paid out during the fiscal
year 1898 was SI.0OO.OoO more than that
of the previous year. There Nv every
reason To- believe that II will he fully
- ycars before the amount Of money
needed Tor the payment Of pensions Of
1hr civil war will be materially de.
creased aud fully 50 years before the
last claimant has passed away. Wash
fnutnu 'Tifuyg