The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-04-09

average it was assumed to be at
the top.
In 1893 the Civil war veterans alb
sored more than a third of the na-
tional revenue. Four years of treas
ury deficits and five years of bust
ness depression followed.
Investigation of these cycles indi-
Gates that soldiers who have served
in national emergency ask, and
get, increased bounties when there
is a treasury surplus, although at
the same time business generally
is poor.
No Aid to Economic Conditions
There is no evidence that eco
nonic conditions improve with dis
tribution of these huge government
funds. On the other hand, business
appears to get worse and it is not
until veterans relief is reduced that
improvement sets in.
Until the United States began
writing new theories into such re-
lief, the history of caring for old
soldiers has been the same. It has
been based upon disability received
in the service and the need of the
individual veteran.
Careful search revealed no cases
until the nineteenth century in
which expenditures in behalf of old
soldiers we're permitted to cripple a
nations treasury.
Rome had the first carefully Or
ganized veteran relief system. 1t
levied a 5 per cent inheritance tax
On all legacies not to direct heirs
and l per cent sales tax on goods
sold at auction.
Each disabled legionnaire got a
proportional share of these two
taxes. When economic conditions
were generally bad, he received less.
In boom times his share was larger.
He shared with the taxpayer the
adversities and advantages of bust
ness conditions in the empire.
Church Gave Relief
In medieval times, the church
cared for veterans. In exceptional
cases, princes made desultory grants
for this purpose, but most of the
wars were of religious nature and
the bishops assumed the relief obi
cations.
During the reign of Queen Eliza
beth, the British government for
mally took over the aid of ex-
soldiers and in 1892 the first statute
was passed. 1t provided for the
disabled who had served since
March in the year of the defeat OF
the Spanish armada.
Only those who "adventured their
lives and lost their limbs or disabled
their bodies" got the pensions
which amounted to 10 pounds a
year to a private and 20 to a
Lieutenant.
This theory was brought to
America and in 1876 the Mas
sachusettS Bay colony appointed a
permanet committee to care for dis
abled soldiers for life at expense of
the colony. Maryland followed two
years later, simplifying the Mas
sachusetts plan to include depend
ents of those who died in the
service.
With the outbreak of the
Revolution, the Continental Con-
gress Immediately provided for care
Of wounded soldiers and dependents
of the dead
Washington Writes Plea
Then, in 1778, Washington wrote
congress, urging that revolutionary
officers be granted half-pay for life
at the end of the year. He was
frank in declaring that this was
necessary as an inducement to hole
his officers in the army and keep g
fighting force in the field.
Confronted with increasing de-
SertionS and designations, he tolc
the congressman in desperation %
do most religiously believe that the
salvation of the cause depends upon
it, and without it your officers will
molder to nothing, or be composed
of low and illiterate men, void OF
capacity for this or any other bust
ness"
Under great opposition, the law
was passed. but it promised half
pay for seven years only. After the
close of the Revolution, the New
England states rebelled against
these payments, riotous meetings Of
protest were held, in which it was
charged that the pensions were
against the whole theory of Ameri-
can government in that they set uI
a favored class. Finally, the Off
GERS had to settle for five years
half-pay.
Lever for Veterans
Despite the fact that Washington
urged the pensions as a specia
measure to meet unique and grave
situation, the precedent was estab-
liShed that uninjured men who hao
served in war were entitled to gov
eminent largesS.
1t has remained as a fulcrum or
which veterans of all other wars
have rested a lever to pry money
from the public funds.
In 1918 all needy men who served
in the Revolution were granted pen
Sions. after discussion in congress
of which the following grafton j;
typical:
Permit not him, who, in the
pride and vigor of youth, wasted
his health and shed his blood in
freedoms cause, with despondine
heart and palsied limbs, to tottel
from door to door, bowling his YET
untamed soul to meet the frozen
bosom of reluctant charity"
Pressure for additional pensions
increased after this act and in 1856
Senator Hayne of South Carolina
launched an attack in which he sale
pending legislation would admit q
multitude of mere sunshine anC
holiday soldiers"
His argument was of no avail. fol
pensions by 1888 were costing foul
and a half million dollars. havins
quadrupled since 1929.