St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1916-03-25

to stay. We paid our Revolutionary
| soldiers from 1770 to 1905, when
tho last pensioner OF that W.
$40, 1000, 900. We paid from
1915, on account Of the We
|$45,972,S95. Asain. We pd
sioners from 1916 to 1911
count ~ the Mexican War,
618,9z5. We paid on account OF l.
Spanish-Ame1ican War. from 1898
to 1916. $49.944.441. In othsl
words, we paid to the Revolutionar,
soldiers and their widows. covering
q period Of 100 years. only . few
more dollars than the Spanish.
American has already cost this coun-
try. We have paid to soldiers of the
War Of 1912 and their widows. COW
ering q period OF 104 years. $3.971.-
SAG less than we have already paid
on account of the Spanish-American
| War. We have paid to the soldiers
Of the War with Mexico and their
widows. covering period OF 50
years, 1926, 493 less than the Span
| ish-American War has already ex-
tracted from the Treasury.
In our war with Spain we lost In
battles II men in the PHILIPPINES. 3
men in Porto Rico, 273 men in Cuba.
With approximately only $4,000 men
participated in the military opera
lions of that war, nevertheless. there
are now over 20, 900 of these soldiers
drawing pensions. Our pension dis
bursements last year on account OF
this war aggregated $3,851,701. The
-. o%n<>~sa v3~A ~ nan aiana nm aCcNNnt
Of this Tempest In teapot IL NOT
calculated to disturb the equAnimity
Of pension statesmen, who sit here
and vote away the money OF their
constituents. but 1t may give the
thoughtful men Of this country some
thing to ponder on.
Three million eight hundred and
fifty-one thousand seven hundred
and one dollars IL q mere bagatelle
in the estimate of these philanthro
pists. Wait; give them time to Wild
en- the scope Of the Jaws for the
benefit of the Spanish-American sol
diers, and they will make the Civil
War pension rolls appear infantile
After reading these pension figures
am reminded Of Crabbe's philosophi-
well-known dumb beast:
With eye appraised, his masters looks
to scan.
The Joy, the solace. and the aid OF
man:
The rich mans guardian. the poor
mans friend;
The only creature faithful to the
end.
: We not only empower but. more
over, hold out q strong incentive to
pension attorneys and claim agents
to go upon the highways and byways
with q dragnet to pluck all pension
claimants. Men, ostensibly enjoy
ing good health, under the tutelAge
of these agents, soon discover in
themselves Ills which. In all proba-
bility, would never have been dis
covered or conceived but for these
benefactors. Under the careful
guidance Of a claim agent and So
licitous physician who ordinarily Is
an adept in tracing ailments back to
the military service, these applicants
invariably discover that their Ills are
pensionable. Even though they had
not suffered enough to induce them
to apply for a. pension until years
after the war, and then only at the
instance Of a pension attorney or
claim agent. Congress from time tc
time has been supposedly Emporium
ed by patriotic people to widen the
pension laws, but In reality these ap-
peals, in practically every instance |
Les ~ al i
Quoted campaigns vitalized by claim
agents, pension attorneys, and other
interested persons. While politici-
ans are generally good judges o
men, yet 1t Is regrettable fact
that Congress has often been the
dupe of ingenious and mercenary at
torneys, agents. and prospective ben |
eficiaries.
l have made q cursory examina-
ton of the records for the past 10
years in order to ascertain II these |
claim agents are interested in Nber-
alizing our pension laws and, II 10. to |
what extent.
Now, find that we paid to PEN
sion attorneys an occount Of PEN
sions. in 1901, $591,245; 1902.
*U1opOoAs AOVOp $OVs sVOsS 4SV1-
s692.295; 1905. $719.365; 1907,
s412,105; 1908. $264.522; 1909
S331.237; 1911, $183,610.06; 1912
I have been unable to
secure the figures for the years 1905
1910, 1918 and 1914.
Now, let us delve into the affairs
If the Bureau of Pensions for the
last 10 years in order to know II
here are any other persons-inter.
ssted in the expansion of this system
find that the salaries In the bu-
eau; salaries Of special examiners
Der diem, and expenses: fees- for ex-
surgeons: salaries OF PEN
lion agents and clerk hire aggre-
1905 $3,721. s32.2s
I906 .......... 3,523,269.51
.9O7 1909, 11O.44
.9O8 .......... 2,8O0,983.36
9O9 2,852.5S3.7S|
80 .............. 2,657,673.Se |
Oil ............ 2,517,127.0f
912 ........... 2,448,857.31
913 .........s..... ,2.543,246.5c
914 ............ 2,O66,5O7.1t
915 ...z........ TIE, 5000
No Injustice Is 80 repeliant to tn.