Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1900-10-06
Soldiers Pensions.

At the request of several old soldiers
the Leader reprints the following
about pensions from the Omaha
World-Herald, the newspaper with
which Bryan was connected at the
time of his nomination for the Presi-
dency four years ago:
The next session of Congress will
have to wrestle with one deficiency of
$36 100000. This is on account of pen
sions. The appropriation for pensions
next year must not be less than $780,
100000. 1t is therefore easy arithme-
tic to perceive that the appropriation
that Congress must make for pensions
next session must aggregate net less
than $1S6,OOO,OOO.
This tremendous sun WCu.l in it
self be enough to run reasonable gov
ernment One would not complain If it
were an honest debt, but large pro-
portion of it is not debt because it
was never earned by any act of pat
riotism or heroic service. The gov
ernment is held up and despoiled of
no mean portion of this, and it seems
helpless to defend itself. One can not
help being curious to know how many
more years it will take to exhaust the
generation which feels itself injured
by the war 1t is safe to say that
never did a generation display such
remarkable longevity
This is timely in view of Bryans re-
cent appeal fer the votes of the old
soldiers, on the distinct statement that
their pensions would he safe if he
were President But the veteran SOL
diers and sailors should not be de
luded into voting for a Democratic
candidate for President. Since the
close of the civil war there has been
but one Democratic President, and he
did his utmost to deprive the old SOL
diers of the bounty to which 5hey we're
entitled finally resorting to the eXpcd-
lent of making each applicant for
pension swear that he was a pauper
before his claim was given considera-
ton The old soldiers have not forgot
ten how the Cleveland suspension or
der worked, putting off the pension
rolls tens of thousands of veterans
who were compelled to furnish proof
that they had no, been drawing a PEN
sion fraudulently.
During the frs year of Cleyeland's
administration l23.647 pension claims
We're adjudcated ard Of that number
S4,2G2 or 6S1@ per cent. were rejected.
During the first year of McKinley's ad-
ministrltion 1O0,7G2 cases were adiu-
dcated. Of which 4S.114, or IS per cent.
were rejected. During the four years
of McKinley's administration there
have been 93,&71 appeals from the ac-
tion Of the Bureau of Pensions to the
Interior Department, and of that num-
her, 1911 have been affirmed and L.
$40 reversed. During the first year of
Cleveland's administration the pay
ments for pensions amounted to S129.-
9SG,G2G17, a reduction Of nearly seven
teen millions of dollars from the
amount paid during the last year Of
Harrison's administration. The pay
menis during the first three years of
McKinley's administration have been:
first year, $144G51 $3.50: second wear
$1SS,355,05295; third year, S13S. 462. .
172.54. In the. year of McKinley's
administration the June allowances
were carried over and paid out of the
succeeding years appropriation, there
by avoiding a deficiency
During the fiscal year 1900. 225. .GsG
claims of all kinds were adtudlcated.
and lO5,95l certificates were issued as
against S9G5i in 1899. This shows
what the present administration is do
ing for the old soldiers. But on gen.
eral principles the old soldiers and
sailors who are drawing pensions or
expect to apply for them should nut
their trust in a Republican President
Inc Republican party has ever been
a friend of the old veterans. It has
been responsible for all the pension
laws in force today, and those laws
have in most instances ment the oppo-
sition of the Democratic party, whose
candidate is William j. Bryan.-Cleve-
land Leader,