The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-07-21

"AS1lN0IONS " July Ios-kSOET6S-
pondence to Nashville Americana
From l776 to July |, 1899, the com
mencement of the present fiscal year,
the United States Government has
paid in pensions to soldiers and
sailors of past wars, and to their de.
pepdents, the enormous sum of $2,-
523 428,2l2 81.
And yet the obligations of the
Government are but little more than
half fulfilled. According to off ,ial
computation, 50 Oil 1854 746 94 is yet
to be paid to the survivors of past
wars and their dependents, footing
up a grand total of 81 543,000,000, or
more than twice the amount of
money in existence in the entire
country.
This does not include the pension
payments that will result from the
| Spanish-American war of last year.
| 1t would seem from tho above
showing that the proverbIal saying
that republics are ungrateful' can
have no application to this republic.
especially in relation to its pension
system. More money is paid an
nually by the United States Govern
ment in pensions than by any other
half dozen governments in the world
This is the more strange when you
stop to consider that under a mon.
archical form of government re-
wards may be conferred by the
Crown. Emperor William of Ger.
many can promote a subaltern to a
regiment for slight personal service
Queen Victoria can present crown
| jewel to successful courtier; Nicho.
las H., Gar of all the Russias, can
give province to favorite Captain !;
but in the republic of the United
States Uncle Sam has no such prero-
gative5. Indeed his authority is so
restricted and limited that he can
not confer single dollar of the peo-
Piles money upon an individual, no
matter how meritorious his claim
may be, without authority from
Congress.
Such is the difference between a
monarchical and republican form of
government and yet the United
States is more liberal in the distrib-
ution of it's bOunties to it's defenders
than any nation in the world
In strange contrast is the pension
system of the United States with
those of the leading European ma
tions. When you stop and consider
the enormous standing armies of
Great Britain, Germany, France and
Russia, and compare their annual
pension payments with those of the
United States, the situation becomes
the more remarkable.
The average peace strength of the
Ihperial army of Germany is 49,
229 men, exclusive of volunteer off
GERS, surgeons, paymasters and other
non cOmbltants. Last year the pen
sion payments of Germany, which
are the largest of any European
country, were as follows: Prussia,
A, 300 800 marks; SaXony, 1858, j.
, 600 marks; Wurtemburg, 1893 ,00(
marks; Bavaria, 6 462,000 marks,
making a total of 57,093, 800 marks,
or $l5 ,599, ,348 20.
, Germany's appropriation for naval
pensions last year was only l3, SO:
marks, or $3.50
The estimated appropriations fol
the support of the British army
which numbers l63, ,569 men of al
: rank in time of peace, for this year
including the pensions, is more than
50,000,000 less than the pension pay
ments of the United States for last
J year, the amount being Els, ,220, 800
, or $96, lO2, 800 in round numbers.
, The pension system of this country
which has grown to such enormous
proportions, commenced in I776
, when the Continental Congress re-
, solved that all officers who should
r continue in the service until the enc
r of the war should receive half pay
3 for seven years after peace wa,
3 established. In 1880 the provision.
q of this law were extended to tn,
; widows and orphans of those whC
q died in the service. The half pay
: for seven years was extended to hal
r pay for life, and subsequently com
: muted to full pay for five years
!. Pensions were granted under thi
r law amounting to $50 100 per aunum
| and increased until 1891, when the,
+. reached the then enormous sum o
t $l75 Sl3 8S. Between 1906 and 1918
, principle was established by which
all persons, whether officers or pri
Yates, who had been disabled in tn
course of military service should b
provided for at the public expense
e From 1871 to 1907 there was a gradu
al decrease until the pension ex
g penditures amounted to only $40 800
n Under various legislative enact
ments the pension roll increased un
f til 1915, when it amounted to 1886,
i O55 -, the highest figure thus ia
reached. On March |, 1917, Con
:. gress authorized the issuance O
f additional pensions, and in 1918 tn
a
a S426 $50.
: In 1918, thirty five years after tn
e close of the Revolution, further ex
4 tension occurred By which pension
{ were granted tn all the survivors G
Il the war, who. for any reason stoo
e in need of pecuniary assistance
K Under the provisions Of this law tn
4 pension payments reached the mi
e Iion-dollar mark for the first time /
}. the history Of the Government