The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-07
world is permitted to compete with
product of our own American birds
CIVIL SERVICE TENSIONS.
le san francisco Call says:


CIVIL SERVICE PENSIONS.
Tile San francisco Call says:
"Arguments In favor of civil service
pensions are so conclusive that the
matter has now assumed the shape or
n discussion of details of the measure
which Congress Will be asked to enact,
Pensions in some shape have become
a matter of necessity, If the efficiency
of the service is to be maintained
II our contemporary is of opinion
that civil service pensions are an as
sured fact II labors under a tremendous
misunderstanding of popular sentiment
in the nation. The tide of feeling
against pensions OF all descriptions
whatsoever is rising rapidly. The mil
itary pension system is honeycombed
with the most rotten variety of graft
and dishonesty. Deserters and camp
followers are now receiving pensions
equal to those given men who fought
beneath, the flag as brave men: and
designing women and adventuresses
are drawing immense sums from the
government because they sold them
selves to old men In the hope OF ra-
ceiving pensions when their senile
husbands had gone to n just reward
The Congress of the United states
is now spending more than S160,o0OcOO
each year for pensions. Most of these
pensions arise out of war that took
place half century ago, and yet for
pensions the government is paying
more now than 1t did twenty-five years
ago The history of war pensions is n
colossal chapter of graft and theft, and
the cowardice and connivance of a Re
publican Congress is It's author. Yet
the cry goes up, "More!" Read the
Northern press, and you will read the
pleas of veterans OF "the Home Guard"
for more money, because they defend
ed the nation" Men who were consplc-
uously absent from the army In the
sixties have lied themselves into mill.
tary fame.
Yet the civil service employees arc
clamoring for pensions. Such de-
llliIu 10 u pubiiS ohliGS compliance
with such demand would be the lasv
step in the most he1lish system of hold
Iups that the nation has ever had TO
contend with.
There are in round numbers 100000
civil service employees. That is civil
army one-fifth of the size of the Con-
federate Army and n large proportion
of the size of the Federal Army in the
War Between the States. With mem-
bers of this body retiring In large
numbers every year. and their places
being as promptly filled, one may get
n glimmering idea of what tremen-
dous financial burden this would i'm
pose upon the national government
Every year it would cost the nation
more than it did the preceding year.
In twenty-five years the present mn
tary pension roll would look like tie
Widows mite in comparison with the
civil service pension roll.
ton is prodigous attempt to steal
tmillions of the public money.
\ Why should there be civil service
tensions?
What justification is there for such
az proposition2
ts there any more reason Tor i1illl-
fary service pension than there Is for
Ia civil service pension?
There is no sound reason or jush-
ficatlon for such system of pensions.
Why pension civil service employees
and refuse to pension the employees of
any business establishment, as we'll
as old people generally In the United
STAGES? Why discriminate between
these three classes. The statement
that civil service employees ought to
be pensioned because they have spent
their lives n the service of the gov
eminent is IN outrageous fiction
founded in falsehood AZ soldier or
sailor is given pension on the theory
that he was willing TO risk all he had
for his country, even his life, but the
civil service employee risks nothing.
Is not an active patriot. and has done
nothing to deserve a pension any more
than any other old person who has
reached the limit of his laboring
power.
The entire proposition is unsound
It Is the whine of the loafer, the pub
lie parasite, the improvident idler, who
believes that the government owes him
living. The establishment of a civil
service pension list would be on the
part of Congress an act of criminal
misrepresentation stupendous ma
tional blunder.
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MIR. 'rAFT's "sTYLE..