The state herald., 1899-09-22
INDIANA PENSIONS.
STATE GETS LOTS OF MONEY.
Exceeds All Other States Per Capita, Re
eeiv ng S1O,oO0,O0o Per Year-Polit-
icnl Eject.

Indiana takes the lead as n pension
state. The annual statement of the
pension department has just been Is
sued. In round numbers the states
drawing the highest pensions are Ohio,
with Sl5,OO0.00o. Pennsylvania, $12,-
100000: New York. S12,00O.O00; Indl-
ana, $10,O00,OOO, and Illinois, S9,OOO,-
ooO, Indiana has G5,0OO pensioners,
who draw an average pension of n
fraction over S1G0 per annum. In the
list Indiana has 225 veterans of the
civil war who are drawing the limit
OF SI2 month, and seventy veterans
OF the civil war and one of the Mexi-
can war who are drawing $50
month. In number Of pensioners and
number Of high pensioners In the aver
age FOR all In the state, Indiana leads
any other state In the Union by
broad margin. Indiana. with n popu-
lation 10000 less than that of Massa-
chusetts by the census of 1890, re-
ceives In pensions $1O,443,0 600 annual
ly, while Massachusetts gets but So
42C,OOO. Similar comparisons will
show that Indiana is the greatest
pension state In the Union according
to her population.
Commissioner Evans has analysed
the pension apportlonment by congress
sional districts, and that makes Il very
fair basis of comparison. On this basis
Indiana shows clear lead, while Kan
sas comes In n good second. The In.
diana pensions run $SO3,OOO per dis
trict, Kansas $715,OO0. Among the
states at the front are Missouri, with
$44S,0O0. New Jersey with S312,OOO
and New York with S352,OOO per dis
trict Massachusetts averages $4,000
per district. The average pensions in
the five leading states are $50 In
Ohio, S126 in Pennsylvania. S142 in
New York, Sl60 In Indiana and S1iG
in Illinois. Though there is differ
ence of S1i average between Indiana
and Illinois, there are over 5000 more
pensioners In that state The differ
ence in average, however. gives Indi-
ana pensioners 100000 more per an
mum. Though Ohio ranks first us n
pension state. still like Illinois. on n
basis of population and pensioners, 1t
ranks below Indiana.
Students Of the question are cndcav-
oring to find Il solution foI the seeming
unequal distribution of pensions, In
diana and Kansas being favored. Pri-
marily lndlana's prestige Is due great
ly to the part played by William w
Dudley OF Indiana, who was commits
sioner of pensions during the Arthur
administration and who was n most
liberal being when Indiana was to be
considered. He got the rcins just when
the days of pcnslOning We're having
their greatest asccndancy. and any
thing that came from Indiana was
well looked after. This gave Indiana
great lead TO build on.
Then, too, both political parties have
made Indiana their battle ground. for
national victory or defeat. repeatedly
In recent years. Indiana. too, was one
OF the states putting the largest num-
Der OF men into the field. Among the
states OF the Union II stood fifth. with
New York. Pennsylvania, Ohio and
Illinois leading and Massachusetts aud
Missouri following.
II put 206.OOO men into the field
and In partial explanation of the great
number OF heavy pensioners, It can be
said that no other state Ia the Union
spilled So much blood. or participated
In as many bloody engagements.
| The si0.O0o.Oo0 which finds lis way
Into Indiana annually by four Install
ments OF S2,JJ0.0o0. has q very great
influence upon the state. The pension
money coming Into Indiana this year
Ii as great ns the proceeds OF the 1880
wheat crop and more certain.