Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1864-01-23
A Good Project for Disabled Soldiers

| What provision shall be made for the fu-
| ture of those soldiers of the Union disabled
| BY the accidents of war: Who shall take
care Of them and how shall we make their
declining years comfortable without making
| them paupers? One of the officers Of the
| Sanitary Commission, if we mistake not,
proposed some months ago plan for great
National Asylum, but there are many and
evident objections to such an establishment.
For regulars perhaps it would be proper, be-
cause the care of these belongs in an especial
manner to the General Government; they are
as general thing, homeless men, with no
claims on States or smaller communities.
But if anything is to be done BY Government
for disabled volunteers, the office of benevo-
lence pertains to the individual States. 1t
would be a ,pity to make them objects of
charity. We must avoid that, If possible.
Americans do not like to taste of given bread,
and hospital for invalids would be avoided
BY the better classes of men, and would be-
come shelter only for the idle and di,solute.
A home for the honorable disabled soldier
must be place where he can support him
self, where his independence is not lost, or,
in other words, he must be helped to help
himself.
Such project is not without difficulties;
but Frank Moore, the well known editor of
the Rebellion Record, who was for some
time given this question consideration, and,
indeed, has had it forced upon him BY his
frequent intercourse with returned soldiers,
is aboul to lay before our merchants plan
which appears to US to possess unusual mer-
its. He proposes to purchase, by the sub.
Scription of our wealthy citizens, a tract of
good farming land in the vicinity of New
York; to erect upon this farm proper build
ings for the accommodation Of such a num-
Der of disabled soldiers as are likely to have
claims for admission, and to accept them as
inmates, on the condition, that they assign
to the Treasury of this Soldiers Home their
annual pensions. In return for this sum,
which amounts to about ninety dollars per
wear, the institution is to clothe, feed and
lodge the soldier, or provide for him every
thing which he requires. In this way it will
be Self-Supportiag, after first cost OF the
grounds and buildings is paid; and, as con-
sequence, each inmate will have the SatiSfac-
ton of knowing that he actually pays his
way that he is supported in Comfort BY the
pension which he has honorably earned
Moore proposes that such men as choose
to work upon the land shall have the faci!i-
ties for doing so, at regular and proper wages,
which will serve them as pocket money and
for such as choose to practice their former
trades, workshops will be provided, where
they can labor at will, paying small per-
centage of their earnings to the institution for
the accommodation. The stay of each man
will, OF course, be voluntary. He assigns his
pension for but one year at time; ut the
end of the year he renews it if he chooses; if
he can better himself, he is at liberty to go
elsewhere. Such plan, faithfully carried
out, under the auspices of our best known,
responsible and judicious citizens, would be
worthy monument of their regard for the
brave men who have periled their lives in the
tcld.for their country.-N. Y. EreniRy Post