The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-01-02
PENSIONS-WORSE AND MORE
OF THEM.

trIbuting q series OF remarkably atlr
on the live pension question
In Worlds Work. The first two were
printed before the SHERWOOD bill pass
ed the House, and ali were N~{tteI
before that measure made the issue
as important as thai vote made il. IL
the second article Mr.. Adams quotes
from the present Secretary OF the
Treasury, Mr.. Franklin MacNeagh. %
the effect that the pension system
has lost its patriotic aspects ana has
now become a political list. 1t is
we'll known that as a class the pen
SiOnerS~aft az a unit, ana exciting
the hostility Of the pensioners is 10 a
politician like challenging n org
lied phalanx actuated throughout Dy
the strongest motives o. selt lrtereSl.
Mr.. Adams says that when Nj. Al;'c-
Neagh spoke Of the pension list ~
longer as q Roll Of HonOr, but as a
political list, he used language of
moderation. He might truthfuliy ana
| fairly have referred to it rs IN enor-
NOUS instance Of political ooncry OF
the most far-reaching character,
deeply affecting, both in its direct and
its indirect outcome, not merely ne
Treasury, but the political health ana
lasting Well-being Of the whole bUuy
polite. In plain English, the le1is-
lation under that head is 70 4 large
extent simply a disguised method OF
bribery and corruption On the largest
possible scale, and with rooney paid
out Of the National Treasury instead
of from the pockets of candidates.
Mr.. Adams then proceeds to snow
that, while the original enlistmentS I'll
the Federal arm y, those of the first
eight months f. flowing April, 1861,
constituted probably as fine a bod
Of raw military material as was ever
got together" later ~ecour was haC
to the bounty system, IN which "meI
sold themselves and were bought anc
delivered singly and in lot at so much
a head, like cattle" AS the war wen
on, he tells us, "recruits,' recent i'm
portations from Europe, or picked VI
in the slums and from the cutters Q
[ the great cities, came into the army
and "desertion and bounty jumping
J having become a calling, were reduce
J to a system" In order to prove hi
contention Mr.. Adams quotes the fol
: lowing from James r. Rhodes His
t tory:
q The government, the states, tn
counties and Other political division
were munificent in their offers 0
bounties. of which a salient eAampl
is seen in the advertisement of tn
New York Committee
80. 600 Volunteers Wanted The fol
!, lowing are the pecuniary inducement
offered: County bounty, cash dowT
d $500; State bounty, SIS; United State
n bounty to new recruits, $302; add
tional to veteran soldiers, $500; max
ing totals, respectively, Of $677 an
@ $777 for service, which would nc
exceed three years, which was likel
q TO be less, and which turned out I
be an active duty OF little more tina
: one year-beSideS the private soldier
le pay Of SIG per month with clothin
n and rations. The bounty in the cour
ty Of New York was more than thu
> generally paid throughout the cour
try. although In some districts it VIZ
% wen higher"
AS respects the "bQunty-jumper,
the inevitable product of such a sy.
tenn. Mr.. Rhodes next says:
The observation-disclosures sta
er ed in his inal report ahat A ma
now in the Albany p~enitentiary, III
dergoing an imprisonment Of fol
. years confessed to having jumpe
re the bounty thirty-two times 1t W;
n stated that out Of q detachment
625 recruits sent to reinforce a Ne
Hampshire regiment In the army
u the Potomac, 1877 deserted on tt
In passag e, 80 to the enemy's picket lin
IN and SO to the rear, leaving but g.
men. I>hodes, Vol. ", PIP. 43O-1
He also gives the following extra
:, from the Diary of Gideon .Welle
President Iincoln's Secretary of II
:. Navy (Vol. I, page I'D, written dow
at the time Of a species of council
masnates held at the White Hous
September i. 1852, before the ":
" was yet eighteen months old:
- In IhlSo Eona rl.u thl- ll.oc