The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-16
THE PENSION MANIA In THE NORTH

The politicians of the North have de-
bauched public sentiment. in that section
in respect 10 pensions. In their efforts to
curry favor with the soldier voters they
have favored pension laws of such
a liberal character that about every
one who served in the Union
armies during the War of Secession
has been, or will be, able to get
a pension. Tens of thousands of men have
been given pensions who are no more de-
serving of the assistance from the govern
ment than if they had never been In the
army. As a result of this there is a Wit
lated public sentiment in the North in re-
spect to pensions. That this is so is shown
by the number of applications for pensions
by Northern volunteers who served in the
Spanish American War.
In speech in the House on Wednesday
Representative Sims of Tennessee called
attention 10 the fact that from eight vol
unteer regiments from the states of New
York. Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio and
the District of Columbia which were
engaged in the battle at Santiago,
and which had 200 men killed and wound
ed. there have been filed already S,5SS ap-
plications for pensions, and that from
twenty-three regiments and two battalions
of regulars that participated in the same
battles. and lost in killed, wounded and
missing 1,S44 there have been 1852 appll-
ca tions for pensions. 1t seems, therefore,
that eight volunteer regiments from the
North have filed 636 more applications for
pensions than the twenty-three regiments
and two battalions of regulars, though the
regulars have served from April, 1898, I'M
til the present time. while the volunteers
served only about six months.
Mr.. Sims compared the pension record
of the foregoing eight Northern regiments
with eight regiments from the states Of
Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi
South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas
These Southern regiments served for a
longer period than the eight Northern reg
iments. but from them have been filed
only 761 applications for pensions, being
2,S27 less than the number filed by the
eight Northern regiments.
Look at the Ninth Massachusetts" said
Mr.. Sims, in the course of his speech,
sion applica tons. 1t did not have a man
killed, wounded or disabled, and yet it has
on file 6i3 applications for pensions" Mr..
Sims expressed the opinion that if it had
remained in the service six months longer
every man in 1t would have been an APP
plicant for a pension.
There does not seem to be any doubt
that in the North the idea is to miss no
chance to get a pension. The people of
that section have been in the enjoyment
of pensions so long, and on such liberal
SCALE that the pension craze is general
and acute. The foregoing comparison be-
tween the eight Southern and the eight
Northern regiments is a remarkable one
II the pension record of these regiments
show anything, It is that in the South the
young men volunteered from patriotism
while those in the North had in mind the
opportunity for getting on the pension roll
for life. 1t will be said in the North prob
ably that the difference in the number of
pension applications does not show greater
patriotism In the South, but greater thrift
mess in the North