The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-08-05
THE SPANISH WAR PENSION LIST.
Rapid Pace with Which 1t Has Been
Increased.

Harper's Weekly.
Although the precise statistics for the last
fiscal year have not yet been tabulated,
the data at hand go to show that the pay
with Spain now approximates s2.7oOoOO.
Compared with the grand total of $137, 0O0,-
COO that roughly represents the annual dis
bursements of pensions on account of all
wars, this seems an insignificant sum. But
when it is remembered that the civil war
alone engaged the military services of more
than 2.zl3.OO0 men, and that of these only
1,727,O00 survived the close of histlities.
whereas the war with Spain engaged fewer
than 275,0O0 and the losses by death fell
short of 5000. the proportion of pensioners
for the less bloody contest al arms assumes
larger Importance. The war with Spain
is not yet five years past. AT a correspond
ing distance from the close of the civil war
the disbursements for pensions were a lit
tie more than $29, 351, 600, and this included
the pensioners of the Revolution and all the
other wars through which the country had
passed.
The total number of individual pensioners
created by all our wars down to the spring
of 1898, and still on the roll, may be stated
in round numbers at $4,000 The total
created by the Spanish war to date will be
found, when the full figures are in, to ex-
coed IA, go The civil war ended thirty-eight
years ago. and the pension roll in 1866 rep
resenting all wars to that date, contained
126. 722 names. Assuming the Mist charge
able solely to the Spanish war to grow in
like proportion-and such things in a coun-
siderable. part in politics, never move
backward--we may look for q pension list
In 1887, due to the Splash war alone, of
Ill. OO7. or. roughly. four pensioners to every
ten men engaged; a very large percentatge
in view of the nOn-haZardouS character OF
much of the campaigning.
A comparison which will throw still
stronger light upon these figures may be
made with the pension list of 1861 which,
after the United States had passed through
all its martial adventures down to the out
break of the civil war, contained only $685.
Names nearly equally divided between the
invalid veterans and the widows. 1t is but
fair to say that the disparity between the
statistics of that remote day and ours is
due not wholly to the initiative of the indi-
vidual veterans who were to become bene-
ficiaries of the SYSTEM but in very large
measure to the trend Of politics and legis-
lation. The civil war differed from its
predecessors in the fact that it offered prac-
tically the first crucial test of the loyalty of
the American citizen to his government
The party that administered the govern
ment during the war has shaped legislation
for most Of the time since; and by way
of emphasizing its own attitude and forcing
the opposition into the false one has per-
sistently written into the statute book more
and more liberal pension laws, embracing in
but those of 1872 1867, and the Indian hos
tilities from 1882 to 1912. This is the sign
of least hopefulness on the horizon to-day
as far as economy is concerned.
AT what pace the pensions of the war
with Spain have swelled may be seen alt a
glance in the following table:
Fiscal wear ADniicatious oraptad