Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1866-04-18
TRUTH FROM THE RECORD OF lse.
shoddy Against the Private Soldier.
cLymEn ON rua SOLDIERS rAYi

Inc uls-uhnon pfeis ~ lull OF NtS IN
regard to the action Of Democratic
Senators in 1864, before the Senate
was organized. After its organiza-
ton, viz on the S0th Of March, 1864,
Senator HOPKINS, Dem, offered the
following resolution; (See Record,
page 53G.)
Rcsolred, That the Committee on
Federal Relations be instructed TO
bring in q joint resolution instructing
our Senators and requesting our Rep
rcsentatives in Congress to vote for a
law requiring the payment of non.
commissioned officers and privates in
the service Of the United States in
col or its equivalent.
Upon this resolution Senator CLY-
MER, now the Democratic candidate
for Governor, spoke as follows; (See
Record, page 53s.)
81 did not know, sir, that tho Sen
ator from Washington, (Mr, Hopkins
was about TO offer resolution of this
kind; had l been aware Of the fact, |
might have been able to form q more
correct Judgment as to his intentions
in so doing.
JUSTICE TO THE soLDIERs.
/ presume he designed to perform an
act Of simple justice to those who, on
the tented field, are struggling for tho
maintenance of this Governncnt He
himself avows his intention TO place
this meritorious class of our fellow
citizens, so far as relates to their pay,
upon a footing with those sleek, well
paid, well fed, truly loyal, and most
discreet gentlemen who, in this time
of trial, are idling sunny hours in the
courts of Europe as our foreign minis
tiers, while the soldier is enduring the
pains; the trials and the dangers of n
campaign. Contemplate the picture
the one class clothed in purple and
paid in gold, the other clad ia home
spun and paid in grccnbacllsl The
ono surrounded by all tho luxury
which gold can buy, the other in their
Individual persons and in their fami-
lies, enduring all the want and misery
which paper money ever entails An
unprejudlced observer sir, would not,
it seems TO me, be likely TO attribute
any sinister orimproper motive to one
who attempts to equalize in some de-
gree the condition of these two classes.
Surely, sir, the disparity between one
hundred and sixty dollars year-tho
wages of the soldier, paid in green
backs-and the salaries OF our foreign
ministers, ranging from seven to- TWEEN
ty thousand year, paid in gold, is OF
such magnitude that it should not be
"disloyal' to attempt to equalize it.
TALK AND NO WORK.
To mo, sir, it is strange, passing
strange, that those who profess so
much love for the soldier, who are
eternally parading themselves as the
SOLDIERS friends" who would make
the soldier believe that every one out
side tho pale of their political COM
munion is his enemy, whose whole
stock in trade is to yell that they are
"loyal,' and to boast that they love
the soldier better than wife or child.
should here today resist a proposition
so fair and just. BY your deeds you
shall be tried Honeyed words of
flattery cost nothing. To sustain this
resolution and this enactment of its
purpose into 4 law, might impose some
slight additional taxation upon Your
"loyaP' gentleman, and that would
cost something. You cannot afford
that. Oh no! Fulsome praise, lau-
dation without stint-that you can
give it Is in your line but when the
soldier asks Tor the means whcrowith
to supply his wife and little ones with
the bare neccssaries of life--which,
owing to the vicious system of finance
inaugurated by Republican rulers,
have been raised TO fabulous prices
you turn your backs upon him and
brand as "disloyal' every man who
dares to advocate his claims. That is
a species of disloyalty Of which |, for
one, am neither ashamed nor afraid.
If it be "disloyal' to. stand by, guard,
protect and defend the poor and hum.
bic against the rich and powerful to
be IN favor of the soldier rather than
of the shoddy contractor, then / am
disloyal. 1t is a kind of dlsloyalty of
which you, gentlemen on tho Rcpub.
lican side, will never be accused bv
those who know you. Where the
spoils are, there viii your hearts be
also.
UsrRpATIoN or THE SENATE
Possibly,sir,th Senator from Wash
ington offered the resolution With an
additional motivo-that was, to relieve
himself, and those who act with him
politically, from the base and unfound.
ed charge that we were opposed to an
increase Of the pay of the soldier.
N hon fllc Sapafn tt..o