Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1911-01-24


A pension bill passed the lower
house of congress about ten days ago.
1t gives to every survivor of the Fed
eral army in the civil war the follow
ing pensions, at the ageof 81, fifteen
dollars per month; at 20, % dollars: at
rs, IS dollars.
The bill was opposed by the republi-
can members from the New England
states and few other fasteners.
No democrat was mentioned among
its opponents. The eastern press,
owned as it is by the possessors of
Swollen fortunes" opposes it and
hopes to see it killed in its "million-
aires club''-the senate. However,
the senate is not quite as much a
"millionaires' club as it used to be,
though the millionaires are still in
the majority there
The newspapers, which represent
the opponents of the bill, have been
endeavoring for years to create a pub
lie sentiment against granting" las
they call it, pensions to the OLD SOL
diers. Their argument has been that
the present pension list adds large
sum each year to the taxes. But
there are two facts that should be
known and remembered:
first tho -
government are from two sources,
namely, duties on imports, and
stamps, ETC., on tobacco and intoxi-
cants. AS to the duties on imports,
there is not the least doubt that the
old soldiers pay more of those than do
the millionaires. AS to the tax on
intoxicants and tobacco, the million
aires pay a large percentage of them
no doubt, for they use both, largely,
and the most expensive brands.
Second. It should be remembered
that these old soldiers worked for the
government at thirteen dollars per
month and that during the years they
were receiving this small pittance the
dollars diminished in value to about
thirty or forty cents, while on the
other hand the millionaires who
loaned the money to the government,
got back, in gold, one dollar for each
thirty or forty cents they so loaned
and received in gold high rate OF
interest.
A careful and Conservative compu
tation made by the congressional com.
mittee in charge of the bill proved
that the amount actually donated tC
the government by the old soldiers by
giving their services for wages sc
much less than they could have re
ceived land which those who staid al
home did actually receive) WoS some
thing more than tloice the amount loaned
By aceaHty men TO the government to car
RI on the lCdr In other words, if the
soldiers had been paid the common
going wages of laborers at the time
the war would have cost the govern
ment three times what it actually die
cost. 1t was also shown beyond q
doubt that If pensions are now giver
as provided in the pending bill, the
expense to the government during the
few remaining years of the lives Of
the old soldiers still surviving will bt
only small fraction of the amount
saved by the government through the
low wages paid to these soldiers dur
ing the war.
1t should also be remembered thai
if these pensions are paid they viii
not go, as the tariff does, to increase
already swollen fortunes; they will bt
distributed among poor men and WON
en- throughout the country and viii
be paid out by them as fast as re
ceived, to merchants and others fol
necessities of life.
If we all keep these facts in mint
we shall know that this pension bill
is an attempt to do actual justice, moi
a gift, or grant" of favor, but the
payment of as just debt as was eve
due from one man to another.
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