Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-02-23
PENSIoN.GRABBING UNPOPULAR

FENSiON.GRABBlN UNPOPULAR,
st. Paul Pioneer Press.
The sympathy OF the nation at
large is unquestionably with Repre-.
sentative Talbert OF South Carolina,
in his attitude toward private pension
bills, rather than with his Congress
siOnal opponents who a few evenings
since amused themselves by passing a
multitude of such bills-so the dis.
patch read" at the rate of about one
a minute" without any proper exam
ination, just to show their contempt
for the South Carolinian's opposition.
For Mr.. Talbert's contention was, not
that no such bills should pass, but
that they should not pass in the loose
and disorderly way which had become
a habit, without reference to a COM
mittee, and often without reading ex-
cept by title. They should not pass,
at least, without the presence of a
legal quorum in the House. Over
three thousand such private bills have
been introduced at the present ses-
sion; 800 of them being to enable de-
serters to get places on the pension
roll. A sort OF tacit agreement seems
to exist among members that one will
not object to the bills of another, and
"vice versa" that the pension-seeking
constituents of all may be gratifed.
Almost invariably the benefciaries of
these private bills are persons whose
claims have been rejected as invalid at
the pension bureau. Senator Gallin.
ger, chairman of the Senate commit
tee on special pensions, declares that
if all these bills are passed it will
bankrupt the government" 1t is all
very we'll for the comma nder.in-c chiel
of the G. A. R. to reply that if the
government hasn't enough reserve to
pay all the pensions demanded, il
should issue bonds for the purpose.
The people are not in a mood for any
further pension extravaganza.
1t is impossible to find newspaper
of any standing, Republican or Demo.
cratic-no matter what its attitude
on the pension business may have
been in times past-which does not
to-day condemn the extravaganza and
the injustice to the great body OF the
people involved in our existing pen.
sion laws, particularly in the provis.
ions which give pension to thousands
who do not need them, to other thous.
ands for marital connections formed
solely with view to inheriting q pen.
sion, and like abuses. The expression
is usually heard, however, that it ID
now impossible to cure the extrava.
gance and injustice referred to, be.
cause the Congressman of neither
party would be willing to risk the loss
of the "old soldier vote" by attempt.
ing a reform. Demagogy played a
large part in bringing about the en-.
actment of the costly law OF 1890
which has more than doubled our pen.
sion outlay, and demagogy, it is held,
will prevent its repeal or material
amendment.
1t is quite possible that the news.
papers as we'll as the Congressman
overrate the number of votes which
would be lost by Congressmen who
should dare make themselves instru.
mental in q pension reform. The old
soldiers are not all, or most of them,
the sordid beings some of their would.
be spokesmen would have us believe
them to be. Great numbers OF them
would hail a reform with gladness
Not little of the talk about the sol.
dier vote-pictured as poised like a
hatchet above the necks OF Congress.
men to keep them straight on the
pension question-is the interested
jabber of pension attorneys who make
a living by developing pension claims,
as photographer develops picture,
from the most shadowy foundations.
At any rate no Congressman need
fear any loss of votes if he shall throw
himself in opposition to the flood oil
special pension bills and to all
schemes for yet further extending the
scope of our general pension laws.
The more widely he makes such oppo-
sition known the better he will stand
with his constituency at large; so he
can afford to lose the votes of the few
disappointed would-be pensioners who
can now get no place on the rolls.
The meritorious old soldier, who re-
ally has suffered through his CAM
paigning for his country, the people
love as much as ever. But for the
ever.multiplying throngs of pretenders
they have no sympathy.
CA9ToE
Bar, th. 1Ihs Kind You Have Always BoaRtt