The National tribune., 1905-10-26
NO crush"

from the Springfield (Mass.) Republic
can on the subject of pensions. In all
the years since the war we cannot re-
call that it has ever said anything In
praise of the veterans. while it has been
most liberal in it's denunciation of all
that looked toward ameliorating their
condition or showing gratitude for their
services. The following editorial from
the Republican is therefore unexpect-
eddy mild:
1T is frankly explained by Commits
sioner Warner that the present deficit
and the required increase in next years
appropriation are due to the celebrat-
ed pension Order rs by the President
which was equivalent to an old-age
pension law. The number of applica
tons under that order, it is confessed,
has far exceeded the expectations of the
officials of the Bureau. Such confess
sion must seem rather droll to those
who predicted the rush that has act
ually taken place.
The Republican, in speaking of the
rush which was anticipated, has moth
ing whatever to say of the predictions
so freely made by papers of it's class
that from 100000 to 200, 900 veterans
would Immediately take advantage Of
Order No. 78, and deplete the Treas
too much to expect of human nature,
and especially of the nature of the Re-
publican. to frankly admit the extent
of it's disappointment in this regard
Where one year ago it would not be
satisfied with less than 100000 new
applicants on account of Order No. rs
it has had to accept actually only 49,
1876 original allowances up to the end
of the last fiscal year. This was a most
humiiating disappointment of the Re-
publican's prophecies and it seeks to
cover it's confusion by talking wildly of
a rush which never occurred. The
Commissioner of Pensions officially re-
ports that the allowances of pensions
from the date of the issue of Order No.
rs, March Is. 1904, to June 80, 1904,
was only 1859 originals and 14,76S in
creases. The total allowances under
the Order up to the end of June 30,
1905, were 12,436 originals and 34,545
increases. The smallness Of the num-
Der is quite as astonishing to the
friends of the veterans as to those who
look coolly or hostilely upon them. The
Order was a most necessary and bene-
fetal act to meet what everyone knew
were the rapidly increasing infirmities
of aged veterans who had given the best
part of their young lives to the SER
vice Of the country. The issuance of
the Order was not only absolutely just
but was dictated by the most obvious
considerations of humanity and mercy
1t should have had the warm approval
of even such carpers as the Springfield
Republican. That it did not is great
ly to the discredit of the paper. .--..
The Commissioner of Pensions Off
cially states that more than one-half of
the pensioners are at present receiving
$40 month or less. In fact nearly one
half of them get So month or less
gratitude and liberality to men who are
now all near or past 60 years and who
rendered the country a service that is
past any valuation 1t would seem that
81 week or less is very small need
of recognition To an unprejudiced
mind it looks as if the country was, as
President Harrison once said, weighing
it's gratitude to defenders in an apothe-
cary's scale. Giving an old man So a
week to support himself and aged wife
upon does not look like lavish gencr-
Osity