The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1899-1900, 1899-10-04

~N' 7ASo " NlC NOhptIlllOu
Oh the rolls for the September pay
ment, 1t is worth while considering
what these payments mean. The Ohio
Soldier, Of Chillicothe, leading organ
OF the old soldiers, presents these in
teresting facts:
Number Of soldier pen
sioners Of war for the
union who draw pen
sions at the Columbus
agency ......... ...... S3,394
Amount paid ............$12, ,474, 1853. SO
Number Of widows. ...... 22,194
Amount paid. id.............$ 2,710,794.6S
Number Of pensioners Of
other wars. ............ S62
Amount paid. ........... 4O9, ,2S3.15
Total amount paid. -. SIS, ,597 ,215. GA
At first glance the number of pen
>sioners may appear large to those who
do not take into consideration the
army 1t represents. The war for the
union was the greatest contest Of
which there is any authentic history,
and 0hlo's enllstments in the war were
In round numbers one-third Of a mil
lion of men.
An examination OF these figures
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 1t should be, when the ex 8.
tent of the several wars are consld-
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 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. OF
course 1t would take more than human
wisdom in so large mass to deal out
equal and exact justice to each indi-
yidual, 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 claim by such a preponderance
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 1t 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 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 a 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 poin
Of Importance Is the substantial aid ant
comfort given in their old age to thu
soldiers who gave Of their own life
and strength that the nation NIGH
live-that government by the people
might not perish from the face of thu
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, thu
butcher, the clothier, the merchant
and to pay rent. In turn these people
pass 1t to the wholesaler and manu-
facturer, or to settle other indebted
ness. Pension day is date that is look
ed forward to by the small dealers
with as much interest as it is by th'
pensloner himself. The stream com
menees at the most remote cross-road
grocery and flows with ever increasing
volume to the larger centers of trade
OF all the taxes paid to the nationa
treasury, scarcely perceptible part
other than the pensions, reaches tn,
greater interior Of the country. Tn,