The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-09-12
0HIO'S PENSION ROLLS
Great Sums Distributed Quar-.
terry In the State.
TIE JUSTICE OF THE SYSTEM
e,s by the Columbus Agency In Sep
tember Benefits Are Farreaching In
Business Circles Well AS Among the
Veterans

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 .--...... ...... o3,5S4
Amount paid .$12, ,474, ,15S. SO
Number of widows. ....... 22,194
Amount paid. 2,710, ,794.68
Lumber of pensioners Of
other wars. ............. 1862
Amount paid ........... 4O9,2S3.15
Total amount paid. 80. .$15, ,597 ,215. GA
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 Ohio's enlistments 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 $149.57, 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 fair allotment of pensions
under rulings of the pension depart
ment in each individual case? That
is a question in which both the public
and the soldiers are interested. OF
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 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
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 f. om 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
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 itl
pressing debts, lands were given II
, lieu. We have striking example o.
. this beneficence here in Ohio wher
all that now rich and populous sectior
lying between the Scioto and Miam
rivers was given to the Virginia sol
diers of the revolutionary war. This al
, lotment not proving sufficient, secont
: and third allotment was made in Indi
CT Of hn Caia
another tract of 5000 square miles
known as United States military lands
9 which was given to other revolutionar,
Q soldiers; and to the southeast is an
q other tract known as the Ohio Com
t pany's Purchase, which was in a larg
3 measure a grant to revolutionary sol
q diers. The land warrants to the sol
? diers of 1912 and the Mexican and In
Z dian wars are familiar to our readers
Referring again to the table, it show
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 tn
good that flows from it's quarterly dis
s tribution Is manifold. First in poin
: of Importance is the substantial aid an
"A comfort given in their old age to tn
!. soldiers who gave of their own lif
h and strength that the nation Nigh
t live-that government by the peopl
h might not perish from the face of tn
10 earth. This money is not boarded; in
j. deed it has more frequently been an
It ticipated to meet the necessities of lif,
IS and goes at once to the grocer, tn
l, butcher, the clothier, the merchan
l. and to pay rent. In turn these peopl
+ pass it to the wholesaler and mani
+. facturer, or to settle other indebted
u ness Pension day is date that is lool
ed forward to by the small dealer
:. with as much interest as it is by tE
=, pensioner himself The stream con
mences at the most remote cross-roat
grocery and flows with ever increasin
volume to the larger centers of trad
n Of all the taxes paid to the nations
n treasury, scarcely perceptible par
70 other than the pensions, reaches tt
;a greater interior of the country. tt
other expenses of the government al