The National tribune., 1902-12-25
SD 4 MONTH PENSION.

bore arms in it is now nearly nearing 60.
if he has not already passed the three-score
milestone. 1t is nonsense to assume that
any one of them is vet in the fullness Of
his manly vigor. and probably as silly a
farce as this country has ever seen is the
annual payment of some SS00.O0O to EX-
aiming Surgeons who solemnly examine
those who appear before them as to
whether they are ''incapaciiated for the
performance of manual labor, soiemnly
report their discoveries in learned and
lengthy Latin terms to the Pension Bureau
at Washington. which with even more sol
emnty proceeds TO ponder over and min
utely anaIyze and determine the meaning
of these reports. and formulate a learned
decision. Taking the clerical labor involved
in connection with the expenditure for
examinations, there is approximately S.
100000 spent every year in these deter
limitations as to whether men averaging
over 81 years, and who were subjected to
unusual strains and hardships in youth,
are now as fit for manual labor as they
were in the prime of manhood.
Could anything be more nonsensical?
The United States Go.ernment decides
out of hand that Naval officer who has
reached the age of G., or an Army officer
of 81, is prima facie unfit for active ser
vice. and retires him. Yet it spends these
millions of dollars yearly to go through
a wilderness of red tape to determine
h. bow fha
heat and burden of four years of awful
warfare are physically incapacitated.
Last year the Commissioner Of Pensions
reported that $4,000 veterans of the war
of the rebellion had died, of whom only
$1,000, or little more than half, were
in the receipt Of pensions. These two
facts taken together make a CHASTITY ex-
hibit. 1t shows that no matter how badly
the men may be suffering now from the eff
fects of their service, nearly one-half of
them have to die without receiving the
comfort and sustenance in their old age
and infirmity which the Government sol
EMMY plighted to give them when they en-
listed.
for the restrictions in the Act of June,
1890, when it was passed, these reasons no
longer exist. Twelve years ago very
large proportion of the veterans of the re-
bellion were still in fairly good health and
reasonably able to labor. 1t is incredible
that any considerable number of them are
so now.
Therefore, it seems self-evident that the
only right thing to do, the only just thing,
the only humane thing, is to abolish the
whole of this complicated eircumlocutiOn
system, built up in the Pension Bureau.
cease these ridiculous examinations, call
in the horde of Special Agents who are
costing another half million dollars year,
abolish the whole tortuous clerical maze of
examinations and denominations, reyi-
sions and rerevisions, substituting therefor
simple, plain Service Pension of $12
month for every man who served 80 days,
and was honorably discharged, with SIM
liar allowance for his widow.
tricate red tape by the simple provision
that every mans honorable discharge is
his pension warrant.
This may make slight increase in pen
sion expenditure for a while, but it will
not be so great as many people imagine,
for the reason that it will be diminished
by the abolition of unnecessary salaries
and expenses of those who are conducting
the present circumlocution system.
The greatness of the pension expendi-
ture will not be long, with the pensioners
dying this year at the awful rate of 1000
week. Every year in the future will see
this mortality increase at an appalling
ratio and the pension expenditures dimin-
ish in a way that must carry joy to the
souls OF the pension-haters.
If grateful country proposes to do
anything for the later years Of those who
saved its existence, the allowance of So
week is as small sum as it can decently
offer.