The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-22

|
would pay the sum total of the cost of
the Government OF Belgium--the most
ratriarchial in the world"
The sample of the SO called muck
rakcrs has rever served better cause
than when 1t led The worlds Work to
turn its attention to the Infamous cor
ruptior and disgrace OF the United
states pension system We do not
recall that any publication OF the
character Of The Worlds Work has
ever before stated with brutal frank
ness the fact that the Grand Army of
the Republic for years has existed and
labored solely as an organization to
rob the tax payers for the benefit OF
the bounty jumpers.
Five years after the war. the pen
sions were only $2o,000,0oo, and Tor
ten years they stayed at s3o,oo0,o00.
Then. In 1880 came the magnificent
leap upward to sso,ooo,ooo, and from
1890 there has been no hating in this
predatory march, no cessation OF this
horse -leech drain until at the be-
ginning of Cleveland's second admins.
tration in 1892. The G. A. r., then IN
complete control, was sucking $780,,
100000 per annum from the tax payers
of this country to support those who
had never served their country or de-
served anything.
1t Is doubtful If girls born twenty
five years after should be pensioned
by the government because they took
. fancy to some aged veteran with
prospects of an early death; and yet,
the government tolcrates this action.
1T is doubtful" says The Worlds
Work. whether deserters should be
dealt with on the same basis as those
who endured to the end. It is doubt
full whether veterans who were shot
while trying to run away should be
paid as much for their wounds of
cowardics as the bravest for their
honorable scars"
These are only some of the iniquities
OF this stupendous graft. Marriages
are recognized by the laws of the State
in which the marriage took place.
Annuities are paid to the adult i'm
heci1e offspring of some vicious ex-
soldier. Every family in the country
is taxed $1,000 a year for the benefit
of the surviving one-fourth of the
army that was disbanded forty-flve
years ago. Nor do the people Of this
country understand why their pension
records are guarded more carefully
from public investigation than the
secret reports of any foreign govern
ment., Also, no one has explained why
it was necessary to build three new SOL
diers' homes in the last ten years tn
provide for an increase of only 1900
veterans, though some light is thrown
| on this by the fact that one home.
costing s1,3oo0o0. was built at Dan
Vile, ILL.,, the residence of the Hon.
Joseph G. Cannon. Speaker of the
House.
And yet, on top of all this, the In
satiate man of the pension sham
knows no bounds, and now the dollar
| a-day" pension is being steadfastly
| advocated. This means that so LONG
: as the pension iniquity continues there
, will never he any escape from the cry
, that tariff is, needed in order to supply
}, the running expenses of this govern.
ment; yet, we are throwing away more
5 money for pensions than Great Britain
! spends on her navy, and almost as
, much as Germany spends on her army
, end moro than Belgium spends on hel
/ entire government.
; Malefactors of small wealth, but IL
5 multitudes sufficient to shake the
, foundation of this country, have
) swarmed AMI hived around the pension
/ building, have debauched Congress
and have laid their defiling hands upoy
, the law-making powers of this coun
, try until 1t is regular custom to pass
special laws which relieve men from
sthe odium Of desertion and falsify his
tory in order that the favorites of tn,
| Republican party may be enabled t
push their shouts still deeper into thu
United States treasury.
| + aFfFl Z j.
!, A sum sufficient to support the col
J leges and universities Of the country
. for two years, or to run ats public
schools for six months. Is thrown away
with criminal carelessness. The Con,
u servation Congress at st. Paul ne
i elected the weightier matters of the
law. when 1t put its whole mind on the
, acquisition of few water sites OF
the ownership by an individual of more
coal land than the government wanted
to sell. and left this great, crying. End
/ debauching evil untouched.
THE COUNTRY WEEKLY AND coon
! ROADS.
From Southern Good Roads we learr
Il that In North Carolina the weekly
!. newspaper has proved power in
/ fha poOd roads p,nyar,apt Or