The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-08-24
Post, a republican supporter of Nc.

oo1 q 1NPobAASo11 VI MIC
Kinley:
For instance. the total amount paid
for pensions during the four years of
Grants first administration aggregat-I
ed, in round numbers. SIG, OO0, 900; dur
ing his second administration STA, OOO,-
600; and during the entire term of
President Hayes s145. 900. 900. In twelve
years, therefore. the total expendi-
ture for pensions was 1915, 900, 900.
These were b twelve a too, i'm
mediately succeeding b war"
Now please mark the figures well and
the time covered. Gen. Grant gave ii
as his W opinion under no circum-
stances should the pension appropria-I
lions ever exceed s31, 900. 900 a year.
President Garfield entertained the
same view. His figures were, we be-
lieve. a million or SO less.
Now how has Mckinley and gang
regarded the opinions Of two republic
can observation-disclosures Grant and
Garfield? The Post shall answer:
In the three years during which
Mr.. Mckinley a been President the
enormous sum of S420, 900. 900 has BEEN
paid to pensioners. and to his fact
the republican point with
pride. 1t seems to us. however, that
this showing, together with the fur
Their fact that from July l, 1865, to-
June 30, 1900, the payments for PEN
sions and connected with
those payments aggregated 81, 600, 900. =
600. will be apt to awaken the country
to the drain which the pension fund
makes upon the national treasury.
Even now. a third of a century after
the close of the war. there are 993, 529I
pensioners on the roll.
Mo 49, T. 1nnn Is---
after war-437, 14 claimants now Seek
ing to get hold of the pension teat.
The more rascals are fed the greater
the increase of beggars and frauds.
1t is not far to go to find what is the
cause Of SO much republican waste
extravaganza and rascality in the pen
sion system. 1t Is a pure POLITICAL
movement and it is a gigantic schemeI
to rob the taxpayers The south has
had to pay a vast sum to the fellowsI
VINO fought it and pillaged it and
dragonaded 1t. When will the infamyI
stop? Not so long as demagogues are|
sent to congress, and honest, reliableI
upright men are left at home. The
people are to blame to some extent
for they are not one-half particular
enough in the character of the mem
they select. Only perpendicular honestI
and honorable men should be selected.
The Louisville Courier-Journal, al
gold organ now supporting Mr.. Bryan
has a timely discussion of the hugeI
pension ~rascality. We copy an edify-|
ing passage, and commend it to honest|
men for considerations:
"On the contrary, there is no intelli-
gent and Informed man who does not
n hat the pension system as it'll
has been conducted since the civil war;
has been the most gigantic machinel
for robbing the government that everl
existed under a so-called free republic
And the worst of it Is that the rob-
berry has not been ~perpetrated alone inI
h interest of the camp-followers and
sham patriots and their unScrupulousl
agents, but it has been perpetrated inl
h interest of the politicians whol
have been i~ntrusted by the people with
the duty of making and administering
the avs By them the national treas
ury a been converted into an inn
mense corruption fund by which they
have sought to buy votes in the nameI
Of patriotic gratitude and duty out OIL
money collected from the taxpayersl
to defray the legitimate expenses of
the government. Under this SySteml
congress after has abolishedI
safeguard after safeguard, and the
pension laws have been made so lax
that it is the poorest sort of unscrupu-
lous pension agent who has the appli-
cation of one of his tools and accom-
plices turned down."
The pensions cost the American peo-
pie more than any European powerI
pays for its standing army, with the
one exception of Russia. that has near
ly $780, o 900 Of population and ex-
Ponds s149. 600. 900 for it's army. Ger
many expends Sal, 900. 900. France $685.
ST. 900; Great Britain $685. 600, 900. Let
American taxpayers consider that
fact-that thirty-five years after peace
they are taxed to pay hungry pension|
beggars more ach year than the
great warlike nations of Europe, Rus
STA excepted, pay for the huge stand
ing armies.
HOW NEAR AND YET SO FAR