The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-30
MONDAY, NOV. 80, 1908.
SERVICE PENSIONS.

There is little doubt that the various
the organization as a whole will be
committed practically unanimously to
the principle of service pension. 1t is
the natural and legitimate outcome Of
all our pension legislation in the past.
1t was naturally objected to while
large part of the survivors of the Civil
war were vigorous bodily and mentally,
and perfectly able to take care of them
selves. With each year added to the
life OF the veterans, and especially
with the heavy decrease in their num-
Der that each year must now bring, the
arguments in favor of a service pen
sion will grow stronger and those OPP
posed to it will diminish In force.
1t does seem, indeed. as if the time
had nearly come when a service pension
law might bring uniformity out of the
chaos Of our pension legislation and
put an end to the constant amendments
and additions proposed to it. 1t would
be accepted as a relief by the country
from the system Of special pension
laws, which has been developed into
fragrant abuse. The special pension
act, while it undoubtedly sometimes
does justice to those whose cases could
not otherwise be reached, is quite as
often used to open the bounty of the
government to those who are without
title to it, and who could never reach
it under general pension laws 1t has
become to a great extent political
abuse and a burden upon senators and
representatives, as well as upon the
country. With the adoption of serv-
ice pension, this and all other forms
of pension legislation would be brought
to a close, and one definite and final
provision would be made for all the
survivors of our great war
Those who advocate this change, in
volving as it does an immense addi-
ton to our already enormous pension
expenses, should, it seems to us. ioin
with it a recommendation for such
limitations and notifications that
would prevent it from abuse A sery-
ice pension ought not to include all
those who were merely mustered into
the service for ninety days or more
during the war. There were very MANY
such, whose experience extended no
further than three months in camp
somewhere in their native state. who
never smelt powder or saw battle or
really went further in their service for
their country than an ordinary militia
mans holiday To be entitled to a
service pension, man should have
done some of the actual work of war;
Again, a service pension should be
limited strictly to the survivors of the
Civil war. The time may come when
we shall be willing to apply the same
rule to the survivors Of the war with
spain, and an attempt will be made to
include them. That time has not vet
come. They are mostly young men,
and but few of them are in any way
incapacitated for active endeavor. Let
1t be understood and expressed that the
service pension rule goes no further
back than 1865
Another express condition should be
that the abuse of pensions to soldiers
widows under certain conditions that
attach to other pension laws should
not cover this. No one could be more
deserving of the care of the govern
ment than the wife who shared a SOL
dler's trials and kept the home together
While he was in the field. The bounty