VOL. X.

No. 2.

S

OMEBODY (perhaps a disappointed office seeker) once said "Republics are always ungrateful," but so far as those who have worn the uniform of our Republic, it is not true. As the mighty column of marching men comprising the armies of Grant and Sherman passed the Capitol building in the great review of 1865, one of the conspicuous decorations bore the inscription: "The only debt this Nation owes which it can never pay is the debt it owes its defenders." Congress has always responded liberally to the claim of the disabled veteran and his family, and our pension roll is the marvel of the civilized world.

Various other nations have pension systems of some sort, but none approaching ours in liberality or extent. In some countries a pension is considered a gratuity and the amount paid for similar disabilities varies; with us, each has an established rate which is given as a matter of right. A line of Soldiers' Homes extends from Maine to California, giving shelter to thousands of veterans who would else be homeless, and last year $139,000,285.25 was paid to 985,971 pensioners, of whom 666,453 served in the Civil War. The system of pensions was of slow growth; it began in 1818 when $3.00 per month was voted to such survivors of the Revolutionary War as were in need, provided they had served nine months: In the Continental Army enlistments were made for as short a period as fourteen days, and two months was deemed a very creditable tour" as the period of service was then called, so

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the man with nine months to his credit, was considered a "long termer.”

The total enlistments had been less than 185,000, and it was estimated that not over 400 would come within the scope of the law. But as is often the case when a good thing can be had for the asking, the estimate proved far too low. At the end of two years, with 8,146 applicants, Congress became alarmed at the prospective drain on the treasury and amended the law by requiring those already pensioned as well as all future applicants to file a schedule of property, and if the total amount was $150, the name was struck from the roll if admitted, or rejected if pending, as it was not thought that a man with that amount of property was needy. A resident of this city has a copy of the list filed by one of his ancestors; a feather bed, table, four chairs, six spoons and some chickens are among the articles enumerated. The total number of applicants was nearly 19,000.

Fourteen years later provision was made for all survivors of the Revolutionary Army as well as those who had served in the War of 1812, and in 1814 the widows of these two classes were voted $5.00 per month for five years. Later the time limit was abolished, and so many old men married young women who became pensioners on the death of the husbands, that the last revolutionary widow died a few months ago, and the widows of 660 soldiers of 1812 are still drawing pensions, although there are no survivors of either of those struggles. Prior to the Civil War the general public heard very little of pensions; the highest

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rate paid was $8.00 per month, our little army of less than 12,000 men was usually kept at frontier posts and men grew old and died without seeing a man in uniform.

The first pension granted for a Civil War soldier was dated August, 1861, and was No. 9487, which shows the total number then profiting by legislation of this sort; in October of the same year the first claim for a widow of the Civil War was allowed.

But as the war continued and crippled men and invalids came home in increasing numbers, the question assumed importance and the promise of a pension if disabled by sickness or wounds became one of the inducements offered by recruiting officers. A few enterprising men saw an opening for a new and profitable business.

This was to create a demand for pensions, secure the necessary legislation, and then get a fee for collecting them. The first step was to procure from as many exsoldiers as possible, powers of attorney covering any and all claims they might have against the Government. To make these powers of any value it was necessary to have some claims to collect, and the next thing in order was to prepare bills to cover various classes of disabilities, have a friendly Congressman introduce them, and then urge those whose agents they were to bring all possible pressure to have them enacted into law. There were few communities in the North without some cripple or invalid, whose troubles could be traced to army service, and the general feeling was that the Government should contribute to his aid.

During the gloomy days of the war, as call followed call for men to fill the depleted ranks, communities desiring to fill their quotas without resorting to a draft had been liberal with both cash and promises to those going to the front, and in many places assurances were given that the families of such should never be allowed to want. It was very easy to get signatures to a request for a member to support a pension bill which would throw the burden of redeeming these promises upon the general Gov

ernment.

Men in either branch of Congress saw the political advantages which could be gained through the "soldier vote" and constituted themselves the champions of liberal pension laws.

For a time these were based on disabilities incurred in the service, but the scope

rapidly broadened; survivors of the Mexican and Indian wars, their widows and minor children, army nurses-all were included at various times.

The act of June 27, 1890, opened wide the door. This provided that any man whose service between the dates of muster in and muster out had been ninety days, and who was incapable of supporting himself by manual labor, could receive from $3.00 to $12.00 per month according to the degree of disability and also providing for the destitute widows of men who had served such a term.

As in all previous cases the number of those who would be found eligible under this law, was largely underestimated. The highest guess was 100,000 of both soldiers and widows, but on June 30, last, there were 461,078 soldiers and 175,237 widows (the latter drawing $8.00 each) on account of this law. A feature of this Act which has been much criticised is that the disability need not be traced to the service, but that the man who enlisted late and never left the rendezvous stands as well as one who carried a musket for years, and was in a score of battles, but never was wounded and kept his health. This was further enlarged in March, 1904, when the Department decided to consider age a factor of disability, ruling that at sixty-two a man should be considered one-half disabled, and rated at $6.00 per month, increasing until at seventy he should be given $12.00, the full rate of disability under this law. This brought last year 4,747 claims, which were allowed, and when added to those already passed, a total of 89,240 is reached which were either admitted or had the rate advanced under this amendment. Of course more applicants and more liberal laws meant more attorneys, and last year nearly half a million dollars was paid in fees to 23,815 claim agents. At first the compensation was as agreed upon by the interested parties, being generally a liberal per cent of the amount allowed, the attorney making his own collections. So many disputes arose and so many complaints were made to the Department that a plan was devised and enacted into law by which the attorney's fee is sent him direct by the Government Pension Agent, who deducts the amount from the first payment due the applicant, a fixed sum from $2.00 to $25.00 being paid for each class of claims without regard to the amount involved. Many do

not employ an attorney, but deal direct with the office, but if the case is complicated, one familiar with rulings and precedents is an important help in preparing evidence. Congress has always dealt liberally with the soldiers, and in voting the immense sums necessary, political lines have been little observed. The amount due each pensioner is sent to his address by mail quarterly. In sixty-nine foreign countries are men who are periodically reminded that they once wore the blue; there are 5,268 of these, nearly half being in Canada, while in far-off Australia are 79, in China 17, in Ireland 495 and in Germany 602. Formerly rates were as low as $1.00 per month, but in March, 1895, Congress provided that not less than $6.00 monthly should be paid in any case, those who were then getting less to be advanced; this sum is paid to 80,142. From this the rates advance to $100.00 monthly, which is paid to 131 who are totally blind or have lost both hands or both feet. Seven widows draw from $1,500 to $5,000 each by special legislation, those to whom the highest amount is now paid being the widows of Presidents Garfield and McKinley. The contest with Spain and its Philippine sequel has furnished 17,646 invalids and 1,094 widows, with many cases pending. Highwater mark was reached in 1905 with 1,004,196 on the roll, but the line is rapidly shortening last year 43,300 died and as time passes the mortality must become greater.

Since the first Act of 1818 to June 30, last, the disbursements for pensions had reached $3,459,860,311.23, to which must be added over $103,000,000 for expenses of administration, not including the cost of supporting the Soldiers' Homes. This is an enormous sum, but it is a long stretch from Lexington to the isles of the China Sea, and a number of men who have worn our uniform from the days of the Continental buff and blue to the modern khaki is 3,354,933, making no note of the temporary organizations for home defense, such as Indian uprisings or threatened invasion.

And whether the flag bore the rattlesnake,
The form of the old pine tree,

Or the red, white and blue - the stars and stripes, 'Twas the emblem of LIBERTY.

From the time of the minute man with his flintlock, to the man of to-day with the deadly Krag, the call of the bugle and roll

of the drum has been answered in a way which has shown that the fighting spirit has not died out. An insult to our flag sets the country ablaze.

The total enlistments of the Civil War were 2,778,304, and in the recent affair with Spain the Government could not use all who volunteered, the number of enlisted men being 213,218.

But it must not be assumed that all that is necessary to get on the National payroll is to ask-the applicant states his service, where he received the wound, or the date and nature of his sickness, and gives particulars. The records of the War Department as to service and hospital treatment are consulted, and if they do not fully sustain the applicant, further proof is required, and in any case a board of surgeons examine the would-be pensioner and certify as to his physical condition. This examination is made in every original case or increase asked, except where age alone is the factor. Last year there were 82,938 rejected, many of them being for increase.

A form of granting pensions which at first was designed for a small number has grown to large proportions. The law and the regulations of the office fix the rate for each disability so far as possible, but there are wounds which occur so seldom as to be in a class by themselves. In one, an exploding shell carried away most of the lower jaw of a soldier; another lost part of his tongue from a ball through the cheeks. In cases like these, as in some others with special features, or where the necessary evidence could not be had, Congress was appealed to for special action. For years there were few of these, but recently it seems to be the custom to allow each member of Congress a certain number of pensioners for investigation by the committee, and not to raise many points against the case selected, but to report it favorably. Special evening sessions are sometimes held to act on these cases, and several hundred can be passed in a few hours by unanimous consent, few members taking the trouble to attend, it being understood that no objections will be raised to any claim favorably reported. It is sometimes said that the standing of these claimants among party workers is a greater factor in the case than the disability, as in almost every case the amount given is in excess of the rate allowed by existing law for the same trouble.

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Of the 10,417 of this class, 3,507 may be charged to the recent session of Congress, at an average of about $24.00 per month, many being increases from a lower rate. The figures given above include the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, whose pensions are appropriated for and paid through the Pension Office. The disbursements are made by eighteen agents located in large cities throughout the country, each paying all in a certain area. The cost of these agencies last year was $507,000.00, the largest being at Topeka, Kan., from whence $15,957,754.30 is disbursed to 113,597 persons. Besides those mentioned there is a class of well-paid citizens who are not called pensioners, although they receive comfortable sums regularly from the Government. This is known as the retired list of the Army and Navy. In 1861, with war in the land, General Scott, far along in years and in feeble health, was at the head of our Army and other officers of high rank were incapable of exercising active command; and in August of that year a way to enable them to honorably make way for younger men was provided by establishing a retired list. By its provisions an officer can be relieved of active service after a certain number of years or if incapacitated in the line of duty, and, while not being called upon for any service, receive three-fourths of the pay of his grade. There have been several changes and modifications of this law since its passage, the most important being that in reaching the age of sixty-four an officer must be retired for age, and that any officer who served in the Civil War shall be advanced and given the allowance of a higher grade than he then holds on being retired.

As the pay

of a Colonel in active service is $3,500.00 and that of a retired Brigadier-General is $4,125.00, each officer of that class is anxious to retire as soon as he reaches high rank. This list now contains about 300 Generals and 700 or more of lower grades, the amount needed to pay them this year being $2,700,000.00. It has happened that a Colonel would be made a General to take effect at noon, be confirmed by the Senate and resign the same day, to be succeeded by another next morning and the operation repeated. Not long ago seven Generals were made and six of them retired within ten days. A disabled volunteer Captain would draw $20.00 per month against from $112.50 to $133.00 for a Regular retired

for any reason. There have been added to this list by special legislation on occasions, men who have left the Army to try business or politics, but who had been unfortunate in their later years. The most conspicuous examples have been those of General Grant, for whose benefit the rank of General was revived, he retiring immediately on being confirmed, and Fremont, the "Pathfinder," who was confronted by poverty in his old age. Both these men had been in the Regular Army. Recently

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a popular member of the Senate, who had failed to be re-elected, was retired as a General, he having held that rank in the volunteer service in the Civil War. other noticeable case is that of a foreigner who came to America to enter our Army in 1861, reached the rank of General, and at the close of the war returned to Europe. A couple of years ago he came over long enough to get himself placed on the retired list and promptly sailed for home, to draw $4,125.00 per year for life. The Navy also has its long list of retired officers-the last report shows forty-nine Admirals who receive over $4,000.00 each.

In February, 1885, a list for noncommissioned officers and enlisted men was established, and after 30 years' service a private can retire at about $30.00 per month.

Do the facts as shown bear out the statement of the professional patriot that our Republic is ungrateful?

The Pension Office Building stands in one of the public parks in the city, and is worthy of notice.

Built after the general plan of an Italian palace, it is said to be the largest brick structure in existence, covering one and nine-tenths acres and containing 15,500,000 bricks. It is four stories high, measuring 152 feet, and the rooms number 175, with a basement under half of it.

Surrounding the outside of the building, about 20 feet from the ground, is a terra cotta frieze showing a column of marching men of the different branches of the service, while the Navy is represented by sailors in row-boats.

The rooms are all outside, the windows overlooking the park, and opening into an immense court, 316 by 116 feet. In the center a fountain plays. Occupying about one-half of the handsomely tiled floor are cases containing the files which are needed for constant reference. In a glass case by