The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-12-13
FALSE HEIRS OF DEAD HnRut,s.

There are some facts so susceptible of a GER
tain deduction that the mind smiles at tue effort
10 make them appear other than they are
In this class Of things whose character is
written on their faces is the annual appropria-
4son bill for the Payment of United states pen
sions
The war viii have next April been ended Tor
IN of fortysix years Making the average Union
soldier eghten years OF ase al the date Of
Lees surrender. he would now be sixty-two.
The average age was. OF course. much higher.
u is testified by the age OF the average veteran
and the constantly diminishing number Of thosf
ssho attend reunions. n addition there are,
s.r we're hundreds of thousands OF men who
fought in the Union armies who were never OF
lie rolls OF pensioners \ large per cent Of the
veterans are dead, and their widows with them.
Most of their minor children have long since
grown up to have children Of their own. The
war Between the States Is gradually merging
Auxperience slowly losing its touch with the
spresent to become a thing Of history unrelieved
n Yet in the pension bill reported to Congress
1e amount of appropriations Is sl52,GSS.9oe aud
~ number of pensioners Is a21.0Sa
NSlnce the foundation of the Government there
- been paid OH the gratitude account OF the
ation the enormous sum Of s4.a73,570, 0ae!
Not counting the Spanish War. which pro
Zlnccd In comparison but negligible number
rs pensioners. and excluding from consideration
g&Ae Survivors to Government bounty Of the MeXi
scan War. have practical heritage Of a
sNnr ffty-one years old aud foTty-six years dead.
IRE tremendous corps of practically 100000 de-
INendents. With this number first class war
~ FIRST magnitude could be fought with their
annual stipends the tariff could BE- dispensed
With or the internal revenue abolished. With
that is thus wasted upon objects Of charity
fraudulent upon its face. the Panama Canal
sNeuh BE- builded and fortified twice oyer
IA Net In his message. MIR. raft talks OF economy
B1n departments. aud shows where this auditor
fNOIds a sinecure and that clerk holds pen for
E1nefher clerk 10 dip IN Ink TO hand to another
sejerk TO sign his namel Unanimous public
g6ontiment will be for the cry OF ont with such
Hnetty graft and waste there is not much OF IA
6ennyincing character in the cry Of economy In
SAhe face Of this continuing drain from the
E8reasnry OF the country into the hands Of the
EMhe heirs OF dead heroes Despite the pa
S1Aetic increase in the death list IF veterans
k11 both the Union and Confederate Armies. the
Hecrease In the pension appropriations for the
lSIear is only 100000 Heretofore the amount
841a stood still or ever Increased as the war
:<nssed further away into the back ground. And
$am the face Of the great eorrupting agenry OF
~ wideseattered pension checks there seems
Nile hope that there will be found a po-
N3l4ical administration brave enough and honest
oCugh 10 put the knife OF retrenchment into
S1n ancient that is Fat with puss
RsCIeveiand. ii viii be remembered. tried to do
~ and paid for his courage with his defeat:
mt. already defeated no matter what the con.
variation OF the political stars might make a
sting namely abolishins ar abuse tina, Cleye.
md In his time, was powerless to do more
ont than piory before an indifferent country