Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1900-05-24
Calderhead on Pensions.

Calderhead on Pensions.
Congressman Calderhead wrote to
the Washington Post the following
open letter which is Of interest TO all
old soldiers:
editor Post: In your editorial Of
this date you refer to an unusual
pension appropriation OF $3.50, O00,.
QUO and to quarterly payments Of
$S5, 100000. The public under.
stands this to refer to the pension
roll OF the civil war. The last annual
report Of the commissioner OF pen
sions shows that the total amount re-
ceiyed by pensioners Of the army and
navy and their widows and minors,
for the year ending June 80, 1899,
was 1928 759, 1898.
1.-The injustice Of your figures is
apparent, because Of the tone Of your
remarks. You conclude with this re.
mark Special pension acts are quite
another matter, and the Post, after
somewhat careful study Of the sub
ject, is convinced that in large ma
jority Of cases the passage Of such an
outrageous abuse Of power
1.-The number Of private pension
bills that have passed the house at
this session from the Invalid Pensions
committee, which has charge alone Of
pensions arising out Of the civil war,
is $40. Out Of these, a number OF
the beneticiaries have died before the
bills could finally be approved. If
the Post will name one which should
not have passed, ! will ask the COM
mittee to recommend an act sus-
pending it.
"lf the Post will write general
pension law which will render private
pensions unnecessary, will intro.
duce it. and will also ask the com.
mittee on appropriations to make an
appropriation for compensation for
writing it equivalent to one years
payment of private pensions.
"Lest there should be a misappre-
hension, permit me to say that the
total increase Of special acts, granting
pensions at the third session of the
Fifty-fifth congress, was $S,765.50 per
month, or $40, 1856 per annum, and
this appears by the reports to have
been the largest increase by special
acts in one session. The present
session will probably not exceed this
amount and real investigation on the
part Of the Post would be an act OF
Justice as we'll as Of general interest
to the country.
1.-The suggestion that the aggregate
Of the pension roll is "a relief to the
burden of the pauper roll Of the coun-
try is a gratuitous insult to men who
offered their lives for the preserva-
ton of the nation and of free gov
eminent, which is not excused by the
statement that lit puts more money
into circulation in way to make its
influence more widely and benehcent-
ly felt
ais it right for the Post to say to
the country that the pension roll is
charity to paupersP Is it right to
constantly imply that the pension
roll is not a recognition Of meritorious
servicep
The statement that thousands of
men, who, under the stimulus of
enormous bounties, enlisted near the
end of our great war and never saw
an armed enemy, are drawing pen
sions today is one that demands
specific proof. Will the Post be kind
enough to name case-an unworthy
casep
"This is imperatively necessary,
because the statement stains the roll
Of honor, and was intended to stain
1t. W. A. CALDERHEAD.
A Vail From the Tombs.
n farm lands In Dickinson county had