The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1902-11-29
Civil Service Pensions.


Pension Commissioner Ware urges that the
clerks ia the Pension Office, who have become
incapacitated by reason Of age, shall receive
pension from the government. Why should
they or any other employe of the government
be pensioned? Their acceptance Of the po-
sition was voluntary, and many Of them have
and do receive larger compensation than
they would have been paid in private estab-
lishment. When employees Of the government
are made to understand that there is no likeli-
hood of their being retired on partial or full
pay, they would live as they would in private
life, and lay something aside for sickness or
old age. If one class is pensioned why not
all, and if the general government does it why
not States, counties, municipalities or corpor-
atoms 1t a bad precedent to estab-
lish If there is more money in the treasury
than necessary let the taxes be lessened,
make the postal rates lower, stop She appro-
priations for dredging dry creeks and riy-
ers in the West and put the money into some
thing practical; build substantial postofice
buildings in towns that have population of
three thousand and over and thus stop the
paying of exhorbitant rents for unsuitable
buildings s.lo persons who have pull with
those in power. We are opposed to the
scheme to pension government employees in
any department.
in this connection the following from the
Philadelphia (Pa. Ledger is very appropri-
ate
Commissioner Ware accommodation pre-
SCENTS an important question of governmental
policy which should be cautiously and care
fully considered. The question of cost is not
to be lightly regarded, in view of the fact that
the disbursements for army and navy pensions
during the year were $137, 504, 267. Commits
sioner Ware GAYS that the superannuated clerks
in bis Department should be taken care OF; to
discharge them in large numbers rs soon as
they become unserviceable would result IN
hardship and suffering. Secretary Hitchcock,
in his report, just issued, concurs in these
views. and recommends that appropriate leg
islation. be enacted by Congress for the retire
ment from duty of aged employees These
cases appeal to our sympathetic considera
ton Removals from public office involve the
same hardship which attach to removal from
private employment They are often regret
liable fbcluentSg Dut tue coufSC iCSVmhicue~N
by Commissioner Ware would be opposed, we
think, by the majority of The American peo-
pie.
The attitude of the American public toward
old age pensions, paid by the National Gov
eminent to persons in public or private EN-
ployment, has never been ascertained. There
has been no referendum on the subject. 1t is
significant, however, that the delegates TO the
Convention of the American Federation of
Labor at New Orleans adopted the views OF
the committee which reported unfayorably
resolution recommending that the Federal
Government shall establish old age pensions
for American workingmen. 1t was urged in
the Convention that the policy would greatly
increase taxation and that workingmen would
lose something of self respect by asking for
Government bounty. Commenting on this
action, the Chicago Daily News says:
ssThe instant that labor shall begin to as
sumo the tone of the mendicant it will lose
something of that spirit of equality with which
it goes about its tasks and maintains its right
TO a living wage. Old age pensions would be
a sorry substitute at best for the effort which
brings success to the individual and provides
for bis declining years. "
Hard cases make bad precedents. The
adoption of Commissioner Wares recommen-
dations respecting civil pensions would ens
courage the broader movement for old age
pensions, which the Federation of Labor has
providently discouraged.