Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-09-21
INDIANA PENSIONS.
STATE GETS LOTS OF MONEY.
EYeeeds An Othsr states Per Capita. Re
rsiS as sic.ooo.ooo Fer Hs.r-foiis-
t<si Eneet.

Indiana takes the lead AS a pension
slate. The annual statement OF the
pension department has just been is
sued. In round numbers the states
drawing the hishes; pensions are Ohio.
with si5.oup.uS: Pennsylvania. Si2.-
10000; New York. Sla..Doooo: lndi-
ana. siolooo.Ooo. and Illinois. 5000
COO. Indiana has d5.Orv pensioners,
who draw an average pension OF
fraction over siro per annum. In the
Hist Indiana has ..s..:, veterans OF the
eivil war who are drawing the limit
or ~: month. ani seventy veterans
OF tie civil war and one Of the Mexi-
can war who are drawing $50 n
month. In number II pensioners and
hnhibsF or high pensioners in the aver
age for all in the sins-. Indiana leads
any other stat. in J,ic Union by a
broad margin. Indig'Ia. with a popu-
iaiion 1000 lees than ihnl Of Massa-
chrs.tis by the census cg 1880. re-
ceiNes IN Pensions SlO.iiJCnb annual
". Will. Massachusetts gets bur S.,
t.oUS. Similar comparisons will
show that Indiana il the greatest
pension stat. in the Union according
TO her population
Commissioner Evans has analysed
the pension npportlonm.nt by congress
sionnl districts. nnd that makes very
fnir basis OF comparison. ON this basis
Indiana shows clear lead, while Kan
sas comes In n coed second. The In.
diana pensions run $4,000 per dis
'rsc'. Kansas s5.5.oOo. Among the
states n ih. from, arr Missouri. with
*+1Snp. New Jersey with <Ji2.G0O
and New York with s.ts..o1o per Ills.
trict. Massachusetts average. $4,000
per district. Tn. average pensions In
the Ave leading states are $50 In
ohio. Si:I In Pennsylvania. Sit3 In
Now York, siGo In Indiana and SiiI
In Illinois. Though there is a differ.
cncc OF Sit average between Indiana
and Illinois. there aFc over 5.opo more
pensioners In that stale. TIL. differ
cnec In average. however. gives IndI.
ana pensioners 10000 more per an.
mum. Though Ohio ranks first ms q
pension state. silii. like Illinois, on a
basis OF population and pensioners, Il
ranks below Indiana.
Students OF the question are cndcay-
orinS TO md n solution for tic seeming
unequal distribution OF pensions, In.
diana and Kansas being favored. Pri.
tunrtly lndinEn's prestige u due great.
" TO the part played by William ".
Dudley OF Indiana. who was commits.
s!oner OF pensions during the Arthur
administration and who was a most
upctut uflnE wHcu iuhinnn wns to be
considered. He got tho rclns Just when
the days OF pcnsloninE were having
their greatest nsc-ninncy. 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 tho states putting the largest num-
Der OF men into the field. Among the
states Of the Union Il stood nth. with
New York. Pennsylvania. Ohio and
Illinois leading and Massachusetts and
Missouri following.
It put 100000 men into the field.
and In partial explanation of the great
number of heavy pensioners. 1t can be
said that no other state In the Union
spilled so much blood. or participated
In rs many bloody engagements.
The Si0.OoO.0OO which finds lis way
Into Indiana annually by four install.
mcnts Of S2.5OO.O0O. has n wry great
influence upon the state. The pension
money coming into Indiana this year
Is rs great rs the proceeds of the 1899
wheat crop and more certain.