Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-08-04
alaiun aud smtritau.
THE sALERY AND BOUNTY BILL
SWINDLE.
- IL - 20 World.l

From the New York World
In its closing hours the Rump Congress
c0nsuummated az one stroke the huges. Of
swindles and the meanest Of jobs in q session
full OF both. With a debt of ?, 700 millions
weighing down the energies Of the people
and taxing their property and their labor
almost unbearably, the Bump voted TO in
crease their own saleries 66 per cent and 10
add a whole ninth to the public debt rails
ing il from :, 200 millions 10 5000 millions.
All the internal revenue duties under
which we groan, with their entire receipts
for a whole year, will not pay the cost Of
this gigantic bounty swindle. The estimat-
ed receipts for the year ending June 80,
1867, are from customs, 100000, 600; in
ternaI duties S275, GOO, 600; lands 81, 900, 900
other sources, $40, OOO, O00-total, S396 0OO,-
600, which leaves a surplus Of Sll 100000
over the estimated expenditures Of the year.
In these figures the tax paying and voting
citizens has a ready standard Of comparison
by which TO judge Of the enormity OF the
crime perpetrated by these jobbers and steal
ers Of the Rump Congress.
The bounty swindle which according to
Senator FEssEEDEB, will cost S350,000,O0O,
purports to be a bill for the equalization Of
bounties." Il is defended as a debt, as a
moral obligation, as generosity due from the
Union 20 its preservers. 1t Is neither Of
these in fact.
RS not a debt Where is the evidence Of
it?-where is the law where are the papers
in proof? We do not owe this S350,O0O,00O
70 anybody, or anything.
u Is not a moral obligation, Soldiers we're
paid by a bargain 20 which they we're free
parties. They agreed to perform military
service for certain sums for which they have
been fully paid. Those who went first were
paid the least bounties, and those who went
last were paid the most in bounties. And
this is just as it should be, precisely; it is
such justice as CHRIsrprOached in the para
bic Of the householder, and it is the justice
upheld by every sound economist to-day.
Those to whom the sacrifice was the easiest,
went first and were paid their own estimate
of the value Of their sacrifice. Those TO
whom the sacrifice was more and more diff
cult and costly, went later, and latter still,
and we're paid their own estimate Of the val
ne Of their sacrifice.
To equalize bounties, therefore, is as alb
surd and as unjust as II would be 70 eqGalize
the price Of Government bonds by vote OF
Congress, paying over 10 the purchasers, IN
these easy times, enough bonds TO make their
price 10 them no higher than that paid by
the purchasers in the dark days Of the war.
In the 7-30 three years bond which the
government gave in the spring Of go, 1t
contracted 10 do identical things IN return
for receiving needed money. Butthe buyer
of 81. like the soldier of '6l, and the buyer
Of '65, like the soldier of ga, paid very diff
ferent sums Of money and Of time for their
bonds or their bounty. But the huctuaton
Of the bounty. like the fuctuation of the
bonds, represented exactly the relative value
Of the same service rendered in the different
cases. Will the Rump, at its next session,
eaualize the rewards of those who lent money
10 the government during the war, as it has
now undertaken 10 equalize the rewards OF
those who lent it their service in the field
during the war?
lis not cUen generosity. In the hrst place
Justice takes precedence Of generosity. BE
lust before you are generous, is an old max
i'm and a sound one 1t is not just 20 toll
ing taxpayers to add a whole ninth 10 their
crushing burdens. Il is cruelty if it were
necessity; it is crime when neither necessa-
~ nor lust Nor is the bounty bill even
handed in its generosity, we have seen were
every dollar Of its $500 600 70 60 where
the law assumes 70 place il. But the fact is,
three-fourths of it viii go to the hands Of
bounty-swindlers, land sharks, and Congress
sional thieves. The soldiers claims have
been bought mp in great part-thousands OF
them will be forged.
The association Of the two bills was not be.
cause strong interests were opposed to each
which could only thus be conciliated. Who
believes there were any Rump Radicals OPP
posed 20 raising their own salaries 90 per
cent. The vote shows there was no real
hostility, but only an anxiety 10 deoderize
the odious bill. No Rump Radical pretend |
ed 10 oppose the bounty swindle.
The deliberately acted pretence Of COM
promise was no compromise at alli for there |
were no hosblities to compromise. AZ that |
the thieves and political gamblers on the |
foOr Of the House took such pains to ar |
range an exact majority Of no more than |
one, Is open confession that the Salary bill |
was helu back TO be deodorized by the Boun-
" bill.
But the Bounty bin will be a worse stencil |
in the n0strils of tax-ridden people than |
these players for soldiers votes ever dream |
ed Of Wait till November and see if |
Congress with absolute maiorities can safely /
60 to the country on S350,000,O0O swindle |
70 bride soldiers votes, and demagoguing |
pretence at changing neutrality laws TO bid |
for Irish votes, and without one solitary act |
70 restore still divided Union, without one |
solitary act to Tighten our gigantic burdens, |
and with scores of acts 10 heap new burdens |
upon the old.