Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 February 1904 — SERVICE PENSIONS. [ARTICLE]

SERVICE PENSIONS.

Newton county republicans will hold their county convention at Morocco, Tuesday, June 7.

Taxpayers of Jasper county are nowadays asking their neighbors how much sugar per head their their famlies, consume annually. At this writing none have reported who consume one-half 111 pounds.

Beuton Review: The township trustees held a meeting at Indianapolis a couple of weeks ago and among other things "resoluted” against publishing a report of their business. A trustee whoia ashamed to show the people what he has done with their money — well, what do you think of him?

It has been suggested that perhaps the members of the grand jury fill their pockets with “fudges" on their annual inspection of the county poor asylum, which would account for a part of the great consumption of sweets at that expensive institution.

We believe The Democrat echoes the 'sentiments of ninetenths of the tax-payers of Jasper county when it says that it wants to see the unfortunates at the county poor asylum comfortably clothed and fed at all timeß, but if one-half the supplies contracted for and paid for are consumed by these inmates they are far better clothed and fed than 99 per cent •f the peoplejjof Jasper county who have these bills to pay.

The report of the city [treasurer of Rensselaer for the period ending Feb.j 1, shows that there are protested city orders outstanding against the corporation fund and unpaid for want of funds amounting to almost $3,000, and against the road fund for about $1,500. The electric light fund is also overdrawn"[sßoo. No funds will be received until the June draw of taxes, and it would appear that it will not be enough to wipe out the protested orders that will accumulate before that time. This is a matter that the taxpayers of Rensselaer should think over.

Bear in mind, Mr. Taxpayer, that in our estimate of the consumption of 111 pounds of sugar annually per head for the poor farm superintendent and inmates, as made in ' these columns last week, we allowed 13 inmates — the highest number given in any quarterly report—two hired men, one hired girl and the superintendent and his wife —18 people in all—and allowed for the next two being no longer than the last two. It will be observed that the granulated sugar requisition jumped up 200 pounds in Febnrary, and our estimate of 111 pounds per based on the supposition that the next two requisitions will be only 400 and 600 pounds, respectively.

Indianapolis News: The service |tension idea seems likely to get a further boost in thia campaign year; enough at leaat to hold out a promise, and so a bid for votes. And yet one would think that a proposition of this kind would not make headway in a conscientious government. It must be borne in mind that no former soldier that deserves *it goes without a pension. The law already provides that every dependent soldier may have a pension. The servioe pension idea is to those that are not dependent. It is pure largess. It fails essentially to rest on a basis of fairness. This, added to the material facts involved, ought to make it impossible for Congress to pass the bill. We are paying already in pensions more than any nation on earth ever dreamed of paying, both in amount and variety. The pension bill this year is $139,847,600. Our army costs ns $77,888,752, our navy $81,876,791; our total war budget not counting the interest on the public debt, which we are still paying, is $299,613,143. And we are the nation of the world pre-eminently devoted to peace —peace is our mission. We commiserate the nations of Europe groaning under standing armies. Yet the cost of the British army, by the latest figure is $170,000,000 a year; the German army costs $160,000,000; the Russian $175,000,000 —and they are armies! Our army and pensions now cost us $217,000,000, a year —vastly more than the army cost of any of the three great powers. The service pension idea would call for at least $50,000,000, it is estimated. Our total expenditure for army and pensions would then be $267,000,000; and the navy costs us $81,876,791 besides.

The whole idea of pensions haß changed in recent years. Garheld, himself a veteran, said in 1872 that “we might reasonably expect that the expenditure for pensions would hereafter steadily decrease unless our legislation should be unwarrantably extravagant.” The pension appropriation then was $28,000,000 a year. Compare that with the enormous sum nearly five times as great that is poured out yearly now and which it is proposed to increase by nearly 40 jier cent. —and that, too, for the benefit of men that can not show that they are de{>endent.