The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-01-05
THE PENSION CRAZE IN CONGRESS

THE PENSION CRAZE IN CONGRESS
For years this country has been vic
timiZed by that class Of politicians who
get into congress-, and are
with a desire to make way with the
peoples moneys with a very free hand
and a widely stretched out arm. They
are ready at any time to place any
kind Of burdens upon the oppressed
and long wronged taxpayers, wheth-
er in the shape Of a huge, drastic, ruin
Gus high tariff to foster the devilish
trusts, or to vote large subsidies to
hungry fellows who live off the people,
or to eXpend money in sheer extrava-
gance and waste, OF in that most un-
righteous, rascally pension law. Men
in the congress for thirty years have
been voting away great sums to the
men who fought the south, and has
compelled the south to bear its full
share of that detestable burden.
Presidents Grant and Garfield, both
soldiers and generals in the Yankee ar
my, said plainly that the pensions un-
der no circumstances should ever go
beyond s31, 000, 900. 1t has been about
as high as $50. 900, 900 and is now quite
S144, 000, 900 (thirty-five years nearly af-
ter peace was declared) and with an
upW dIO lCllQCliCy, l. III iCCSIhS III
gogues can only IA their w sweet
will gratified. 1t is a mania, a craze
for votes and efferveScing imaginary
patriotism, thus voting away such vast
sums to pay thousands of men who are
we'll off in this worlds goods, and 9TH
er thousands who are frauds and liars
who never fought the south. 1t is
marvellous that the honest people have
not risen up in determined protest
q p~aipSt Sllpb vi11ain0nS work
There is a fellow in sbhe present con-
gress called Lentz. He is from Ohio,
and pretends to be a democrat n yet
he is mad to still farther rob and OPP
press the people at large. He has in
troduced a pension bill that will add,
it is said, 500, 600, 600, to the already
earnings and outrageous pension bur-
len He is a robber in principle OR he
must be a fool. No sane, honest man
would introduce such a bill of iniqui-
ty. Think of any fellow out of a luna
tic asylum trying to make the pensions
S244, 900, 900 a year, which is about as
much as President Buchanan's admin
istration expended for all purposes,
army and navy, foreign service and
home service and all other costs-for
three years.
The question arises as TO what will
become of the Lentz bill. Will it pass
lllC v llODS ioNv ooN ~
are many wildcat fellows in their
seats who have no mercy for h peo-
pie and their pockets. If it should pass,
which would be an unmiXed calamity,
would little Mckinley approve of it?
That would depend no doubt upon
whether its approval would help him to
another term or set him back as to
prospects of success. In view of the
fact that the Yankee army had III, 900
deSerters, many of whom are "alive
and kicking and ready for a pull at
the big family teat, there would be
thousands of frauds helped, and this is
just what Senator Cullom, of Illinois,
seeks to do. He has introduced into the
senate a bill to pension all Yankee
army deserters. False swearing and de-
sertion walk arm in arm. Here is a
fine set-Cullom n Lentz, both west
ern and friends of iniquity and oppres-
sion. If democrats vote with the raid
ers and plunderers they should be
kicked out by IN angry and outraged
people.
While this ~premedftated deviltry and
rascality is being agitated in the con-
gress, there is no doubt that it has
hosts of friends" outside who are
ready for any game of robbery. Of
course the two foreign wars Of Uncle
Sam and Major Mckinley will add
| largely to the list of b~lood-suckers and
| pension hunters. The Philadelphia
Times thinks that an increase of pen
sions will come with due appropria-
tons. 1t says it is evident that the
inclination of the present congress is
toward the enlargement of oil pres
ent pension system, and it is more than
| probable that this apparent interest in
increased pensions is due to the fact
that we are on h threshold of anoth-
er national campaign.
1T is complained by a number of
veterans of our civil war that our pres
ent pension laws are unjust in certain
determinations, and if so they should
be corrected. There should be absolute
Int equal justice dealt to the soldiers
Of the civil war"
1t is an unheard of outrage upon
THE burdened taxpayers to ave plac-
ed upon them the present huge, non
strous, Ubiquitous annual pension list Of
s144, 900, 900. To add to it by tens Of mil
lions is probable, when in fact it ought
to be heavily, drastically raced, and
brought down nearly forty after
peace TO the standard IKE as the very
| highesl to be tolerated by Generals
and Presidents Grant and Garfield
SS1, 900, coo. Justice to the people is in
rider. If there are any two craZes more
rampant and conspicuous in this coun-
try Of extravaganza and waste than all
others, it is to tax Industrious people
to support loungers n frauds who
fit in the war" and to make richer the
already rich by levying a high tax for
their benefit upon the bread arner at
large.
THE PROGRESS IN NORTH CARO-
LIMA IN lS0Q.