The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-05-20
Political Pensions
Trom The New York HeraId-Tribunsl


Mindful Of the sordid and disgraceful history Of
the Civil war pension laws, the United States was
careful when 1t entered the World war to provide
in advance for Just and generous Naturalization Of
those really disabled, and true dependents Of those
killed in the nations service
The purpose double one first. TO make GER
tain that what the nation owed to the men called
upon for genuine sacrifice should not be frittered
away, as had happened after the Civil war. upon
frauds pension grabbers and political doesmen sec
ond, to prevent a repetition OF the scandals which
for generation had debased our government done
incalculable injury TO the country, and supplied
Of the darkest chapters in political history
With enlightened legislation enacted in advance,
it was supposed both the nation and the veterans
with just claims upon it would be protected from
the shameless political treasury raiding which had
done so much injury to both after the Civil
The expectation has not been borne out. Today.
even more rapidly than after the Civil war; the poll
tcians have driven breach after another through
the war relief legislation until what ought to be
system for the equitable recompense of those disabled
in service or for the support Of those dependent upon
men who sacrificed their lives, is becoming system
for political doles to people with real claim upon
the government at all
1t is becoming system for the gratuitous sup
port of special class at the charge of the remainder
of the country
Thus the house passed almost without dissent
bill granting pension to any INDECENT widow of any
veteran with ninety days more service. The vet
Grams service may have been spent in a training
camp or a swivel chair the widow may have married
him years after the war was over; the death may
have resulted from causes having nothing whatever
to do with war service yet the widow is in poverty
the United States would have to support her among
all the other unfortunate widows with exactly as
much claim upon the public treasury.
The bill would add s2O,OOOOOO a year Immediately
to the s1OOOooOOOO already going to veterans re-
lief Within five years the load would be climbing
and there is no of calculating to what peaks
of expenditure this bill would bring us twenty
five or thirty years hence-peaks which would be
piled top of the other peaks already being raised
by the natural operation of existing law.
The bill represents gross departure from the
equitable theory of pensions indemnifcation to
those who actually stood the loss and suffering of
war. Yet the house passes it by 3l6 to 16-and at
a moment when the strain upon the federal finances
has reached the proportions of national crisis!
The thing must stop, for the simple reason that
the nation can not stand continuance of this dis
astrous process More than that the jungle of exist
ing pension legislation ought to be attacked.
The tangled growths which already have dis
torted the whole purpose of the arrangement ought
TO be Topped OF. For at present men who were shat
tered by enemy shehre no better cared for (and
oftn cared for rather worse) than the political SOL
der whose nearest approach to heros death was
when he fell of q street in Salt Lake City
In justice to the men who actually fought ard
suffered the whole structure of veterans law should
be returned to something like the original and Just
basis upon which the men who made the sacrifice
we're to receive the support.
In the welter of political pension doles they have
become the forgotten men,