Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-10-07

candidate and be elected to fill the
chair Washington would be astound-
ed. AS Mr.. Hepburn is generally
considered the strongest man on the
Iowa delegation, taking him out of the
race leaves Iowa without any hope
to keep the speakership. In fact, if
she had a dozen men as strong and
as popular as Mr.. Henderson himself,
it. is not at all likely that she would
be able to elect another speaker. The
other states in the union would like
little something, il you please.
o.
1t is not at all unlikely that some
sort of sensation may arise over the
pension question while the civil war
veterans are holding their national en-
campment in Washington next week.
1t can not be denied that there is
hardly government official in Wash
ington who does not believe the time
has come for some action looking to
a better regulation of the pension ex
penditures of the government. That
they will not express their opinions
publicly is simply because they fear
to tread on such apparently dangerous
ground. However, it is well known
that the leaders of the G. A. r. are
well aware of this sentiment and are
preparing to meet it. A political or
ganization of extreme Importance has
recently been launched in the G. A. R.
and this is expected to put the old
soldiers into a position where they can
WELD an even greater influence on any
attempted pension legislation than be-
| fore. 1t has not been forgotten how
bitterly Commissioner Evans was OPP
posed and how the President was
| finally compelled to yield to the popu-
lar clamor and displace him. Mr.,
Evans believed In limited retrench-
ment in the matter of pensions and 1t
| is declared that his successor is man
who is inclined to follow the same pol
icy. Coming from an old soldier, the
proposition for retrenchment in pen
sions along certain lines may be dis
cussed with fairness and justice by
the veterans next week. On the other
hand, there is an opposing sentiment
that is disposed to raise row if any
changes are attempted, and it is even
declared that more liberality is to be
advocated.
There will be bitter opposition to
any retirement scheme from some of
the veterans there is no doubt, at the
same time many of the old soldiers are
ready to admit that limit should be
| placed on the granting of pensions to
those not strictly entitled to them. |
heard an old soldier say the other day:
There are thousands of women draw
| ing pensions from the government
| simply because they ara the widows of
men who drew pensions. These wo--
men married the soldiers after the
war was over. and some of them only
shortly before the soldiers deaths and
| they now claim the right to draw their
husbands pension. 1t is fair enough to
give the pension to the soldiers widow
who was his wife before he drew a
pension but l am in favor of law
| that will prohibit the granting of a
widows pension to any woman who
married the soldier after he was grant
ed government aid. Such law would
reduce the payments by many thous-.
ands of dollars"
| The pension question is getting
bigger every day During the coming
year the commissioner says the rolls
will probably exceed 100000 pension
ers The number upon the rolls July
IA, 1902, was 999 AS. This was the
largest number in the history of the
country and nearly 1000 larger than
the last fiscal year, ending June 80,
was as follows:
Gain by act of the bureau F. 43,661
Gain by special act of con-
gress 1890. ...... ... 291
Total ........ .... ........ 1882
There was lost from the rolls the
following number of pensioners for the
respective causes:
By Heath ........... ....... 37,14E
BY remarriage ....... $500. sos
BY failure to claim ... 1856
BY legal limitations (minors). 1858
For other causes ........ -. 1923
Total ....... $500. $500. 42,241
The number of death notices of old
soldiers, not now in the service receiv
ed by the bureau during the year was
50,12S; but only 27,043 of them were
pensioners. 1t is estimated that the
death rate among the pensioners fol
the coming year will be about 100000
and the losses to the rolls from othe
causes will be about 5000.
| Iowa has 1864 pensioners and i
ninth in the list of states as to amour
paid. AS shown by the commissioner
report submitted this week, The pres
ent location of pensioners, witt
amounts paid during the last year, il
/ as follows:
Number Amour
: Alabama ....... 1894 S 470,912.5