Columbia democrat and star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1867, 1866-04-25
TRUTHFROM THE RECORD OF 1864.
Shoddy Against the Private Soldier
CLYMER FOR THE SOLDIER |!


1864, before the Senate was organized. After
its organization, viz: on the 3oth of March,
1864, Senator Hopkins offered the following.
resolution (See Record, page 536.
ResozceR, That the Committee ON Federal
! Relations be instructed to bring In a joint
resolution mstructing our Senators and re-
questing our Representatives in Congress to
| vote for law requiring the payment of
non-commissioned officers and prfvates in the
service of the United States in coin or its
/ equivalent.
Upon their resolution Senator Clymer, now
the Democratic candidate for Governor,
spoke as follows: (See Record, page $685.
| did not know, sir, that the Senator from
Washington Mr. Hopkins) was about to
offer resolution Of this kind; had | been
aware of the fact, [ might have been able to
form more correct judgment as to his in
tentions in so doing.
JUSTICE TO THE SOLDIER
presume he designed to perform an act
of simple justice to those who, on the tent
ed field, are struggling for the maintenance
of this Government. 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 idlmg sunny hours in the courts Of Eu-
rope as our foreign ministers, while the sol
! der Is enduring the pains, the trials and the
dangers of campaign. Contemplate the
| picture; the one class clothed in purple and
| paid In gold, the other clad in homespun
and paid in greenbacks! theOnc surrounded
| by all the luxury which gold can buy, the
other IN their Individual persons and in
their families, 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 sin
lister or improper motive to one who at
tempts to equalize IN some degree the CON
dition of these two classes. Surely, sir, the
| disparity between one hundred and sixty
! dollars yeaT-the wages of the soldier
| paid in greenbacks-and the salaries of our
foreign ministers, ranging from seven to
twenty thousand year, paid in gold, is of
such magnitude that it should-not be dis
loyal to attempt to equalize it.
TALK AND NO WORK
To me, sir, it is strange, passing strlnge,
that those who profess 50 much love for the
soldier, who are eternally parading them
selves as the soldiers friends, who would
make the soldier believe that every one out
side the pale of their political communion
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 to-day resist propo-
sition so fair and just. By your deeds you
shall be tried. Honeyed words Of fattery
cost nothing. To sustain this resolution and
the enactment of its purpose into law,
might impose some slight additional taxa
ton upon your 'loyal" gentleman, and that
| cos Il
that OH nol Fulsome praise, laudation
without stint-that you can give; it is in
your line but when the soldier asks for the
means wherewith to supply his wife and lit
! tie ones with the base neceSsarieS of life
which, owing to the vicious system of finance
inaugurated by Republican rulers, have been
raised to fabuloCs prices-yOu turn your
sacks upon him and brand as -disloyaI
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 humble against the
rich and powerful; TO be In favor of the
soldier rather than OF the shOddy contractor,
then | am disloyal 1t Is kind OF disIoy-
atty of which you, gentlemen on the Repub-
lican sid Swill never be accused by those
who know You. Where the spoilsarc, there
will your hearts be also.
USURPGTIoN IN TIE SENATE.
Possibly. sir, the Senator from Washing
ton offered the resolution with an additional
motive-that was, to relieve himself and
| those who act with him politically, from the
base and Inf0unded charge that we were OPP
posed TO an iHcFea g of the pay OF the sol
dier. When this Senate was unorganized,
as we then believed and as you subsequently
admitted ly prOceedlng<0 elect Speaker.
a resolution was offered on the opposite side
of this chamber instructing our Senators
and requesting our Representatives in Con-
gress, to vote for a bill increasing the pay Of
the soldiers. We then voted against it, as
under similar circumstances we would to-day.
We told you then that By no vote of ours
would we ereT recognize yOur hieh-handed
act of usurpation. We told you we would
vote against any and every resolution, even
should you offer one asserting the divinity of
God himself. We stood up for principle,
and we triumphed. You offered the resolu-
tion as you offered others, for the purpose
ofmaking clap-trap pital against usamongst
the soldiers and Others. You paraded our
vote throughout the State as a high crime
and sin, when you knew in your hearts
that every representation You made, as to
our position, was simply false But the
resolution or the Senator from Washington
has unearthed you, 1t has stirred up
fearful commotion amongst the ranks of the
faithful. You grash your teeth in impotent
rage, and are swollen up with undiseharged
bile. You rave and fume and Sweat-all to
no purpose, gentlemen We intend to ex-
pose your dupHcty, and we have done it.
Hence those tears. | advise you to cover
your intentions in some more skillful way, or
/ shall again draw aside the fimsy veil which
shields you from open contempt.
PAY THE PRIVATE SOLDIER.
But, sir, what viii be the effect of the
resolution should Congress enact a law in
accordance with Its spirit2 Will it not be
precisely what YOU gentlemen forced Us to