Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1863-12-30
The Pay OF Private soldiers
and the Salaries of Ohhcers.

explained why priVate soiuiet s"V"" "
ceivc only thirteen dollars per month for
doing picket duty, aud undergoing all the
fa,igucs and exposure incident to military
service. whilst commissioned company
officer whose duties arc not halfso onerous
or dangerous should receive from eighty To-
one hundred dollars per month.
The disparity in pay between soldiers
ana officers is borrowed from the Euro
pean service. where the commissioned otii-
GERS are reserved for the younger sons OF
the aristocratic classes. II should have no
application to the American armies. There
is very little difference, If any, between tho
capacity, intelligence and social position OF
the great mass ofprivatc soldiers and their
officers. ..I.
There are thousands of individuals now
holding the rank of lieutenants, captains
and field officers, who are receiving annual
salaries ranging from one thousand dollars
MP TO five thousand and who never before
in their lives could command an income of
four hundred dollars yearl--whilst there
are soldiers, by the thousand and ten
thousand who now receive but thirteen
per month, who in the various branches of
mechanical industry regularly made their
six to ten dollars per week before the
breaking ont of the war
These facts are too notorious to bo de-
nied-and they furnish the reason why
hountics have to be raised to four hundred
dollars, and why the price ofsubstitutes, If
the exemption clause should be repealed.
would be raised from five hundred to q
thousand dollars.
1t is not to be wondered at that there are
but few men in the community who are
willing to sc into the ranks kat thirteen
dollars month when they SEQ thousands
who are in no respect superior to them-
selves in capacity, enjoying salaries of a
thousand dollars year, besides the dis
tinction and comforts incident to their Off
cial position. Besides these gentlemen
when they become tired of the service,
can send in their resignation-whilst a
private is held to his bond.
If this war is to be carried on, we ave
in favor Of increasing the pay of private
soldiers to from thirty to fifty dollars per
month, and reducing the pay of officers
one half The reduction in the pay OF
officers would more than pay the increase
to the soldiers. There is neither sense nel
Justice in the disparity that now exists.
The life Of private soldier is as valu'
able to him and as precious to his family
as that of an officer. Why should moi
this universal public sympathy for the sol
dicrs and their families take this substan
iial shape ? Why make them dependen
upon public and private charity, when a
reasonable increase of their pay woulC
leave their families comparatively comior
table Why shonld the government pay
to the widow of dead soldier with
family of destitute children, a piti(ul pen
sion,of only eight dollars per month, and Il
the widow of q commissioned officer will
influential connections, from thirty to
hundred ?
! Ii this is a peoples war" as it is claim
, ed by its advocates to be, why this mon
strous and unreasonable discrimination
against those who bear the burden an,
heat Of the contest.
1t is an ancient adago that "the bloo
of the soldier makes the glory of the Gen
eral.p The private soldier, however gal
iantly he may behave himself in the mo.
desperate and deadly conflict cannot b
honored with a personal mention in til
reports of his commanding officer. How
: ever nohly he may bear up under che IA
tigues of forced march, the commendS
ton he receives is given in terms thu
can have no personal application. Iii
duties are constantly severe and danger
ous-oiten exActed by tyrannical and br
i tai superiors, against whom ho can hay
= no redress The incentive which promp
= the commissioned officer 30 conspicuor
4 ! l,aJ ,f Jar;n,, IL tyithhai1 from him