Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1866-09-05
Equalization of Soldiers Bounty.
JUSTICE to IRISH PATRIOTS
THE PRESIDENT Bellies HIMSELF.
The Philadelphia Ark.The Beasts and
Creeping Things Therein-Tke
Great Prescribed.
The Convention Of Southern IOyalists.
Rump Congress-Rump President.


evening last, to hear their member o
Congress, Gen. Robert c. Schenck, rende
an account of his stewardship, and to dis
cuss the momentous questions now IN thu
hands of the people, to be decided at the
approaching election.
Ny FELLOW CITIzENs:-I have kept the
promise made to you on the evening o.
my arrival home, and you have more thar
kept yours. / do not know that l shall
be able with my voice tonight, not in the
best condition, to reach this unexpected
" large crowd, so that you may all hear
1 will, however, proceed to discuss ano
consider with you some of those topics o
greatest interest, just now, to the people
of this country. l have had neither leis
ure nor opportunity to methodist and con
dense the remarks which l shall submit
to you; and l may therefore be more dis
cursive and less logical than l would de
sire in my manner of presenting them.
JUSTICE TO THE SOLDIERS.
A number of my friends among the re
turned soldiers have asked me to briefly
explain what was done by Congress tt
eoualize the soldiers bounties. Here
again am compelled to manifest some
appearance of egotism, in stating what
have myself done in this connection, with
what was done by Congress. But l find
my excuse for it in the interest 1 took
from the beginning in the subject; and
partly because it is in response to very
kind and hattering resolution which the
Convention at Middletown, that renomi,
mated me, in which they gave me credit,
not merely for the general interest took
in the affairs of the country, and in mat
ters of local interest, but in taking special
occasion, as far as l could, to maintain
the interests of the soldier.
When Congress met, there began to
pour in upon us petitions from all parts
of the country, representing the Unequal
ity of the bounties that had been given
to the soldiers, operating with special
hardship, because they were not allowed
at all, or given in small amounts, to the
soldiers of 1861 and 1S62-the volunteers
who first entered the service, and who, if
any men throughout the war evineed zeal
and pure patriotism for their country
they certainly did it. The question was
how, by an act of charity, and not carry
ing out specific contract, but of what
may be called generous justice on the
part of Congress, equality in this matter
could be secured.
The matter was considered in the Com
mittee on Military Affairs, of which l am
chairman. l determined from the first,
that some such act of justice, if l could
accomplish it, should be passed. 1t was
soon ascertained that there were two
classes of bounties to be provided, and
that TO provide for giving 500 bounty, or
making UP that amount for each soldier
for each year of service, would greatly
embarrass the Treasury; would even, as
some claimed, bankrupt the Government.
From the best information / could obtain,
1 found it would cost something like
5000, ,000,0 Subsequent investigation,
and making proper deductions for those
who would not be entitled to it, found
that S200,000,000 would cover the
amount. | came to the conclusion that
whatever it might cost, with the ability
of the Government to pay, something
must and should be done for these men.
Cheers.
It was proposed by some to give them
land. but on reflection it was seen that
this would be merely to throw the bounty
intended for soldiers into the hands OF
land sharks, and result in no good to
those who needed 1t. Another scheme
was to issue it in bonds, and another in
bonds and lands; and still another, partly
in money and partly in bonds; but the
more the subject was investigated the
more by degrees the whole committee
was brought to the conclusion that the
simplest way would be to pay in money
directly to the soldier.
The result was that while there was a
conviction that we could not pay them
With perfect equality, we could approx
nate It most nearly in this way. Accord
ngly a bill was reported, drawn up by
myself, proposing to soldiers who had
ought or who had died fighting in the
var for the preservation of the country,
o deal as Justly with them as possible,
nd make them as equal as We could
We proposed to say to them: If you have
eceiYed bounty of rate of less than SlOO
year, or IS 80 a month, we will make |
lp to you enough to bring you to that |
tandard for every month between April, /
S6l, and April, 1865, when hostilities
.losed. If you were in but for one month, |
'ou shall get s. 33; if for one year, S1OO,
nd SO on, until it will amount to 5000, |
300 or $400. This, you observe, would |
lave provided for the National Guard or
Day Men of Ohio. This bill 1
ucceeded in getting passed through the
House by large majority 1t was op
,osed mainly by Massachusetts, New
York and other States, upon the ground
hat it would operate in favor OF Western
oldiers almest altogether, bacause we in
he West had not paid any local bounties
o any great number of soldiers of 1861 /
nd 1862, whereas they had.
Now, don't pretend to say our scheme
7as the best, or produced perfect equali-
y; but do say that proceeding upon the
rineiple of ascertaining what each SOL
ier had received in the way of bounty,
nd making him as far as possible equal
nth all the rest, was coming nearer to 1t /
han anything else. The bill went to the
enate. The Senate, under the influence /
f strong opposition to any bounty bill on
he part of the Administration, and |
Harmed at the amount that would be re-
uired to make payment of this sort to |
ur soldiers, shrunk from passing the bill;
nd after various votings in that branch |
f Congress, it was finally defeated by two
-otes. The House was dissatisfied, and |
We were dissatisfied. Just at the close of
he session, finding no other means of
controlling the Senate, the House were
determined to put to the bill which had
eported upon, some appropriation act, |
nd thus force the Senate to adopt it. |
The entire bill was accordingly engrafted
lpon one of the appropriation bills that /
anne back from the Senate by an addi- ,
ional amendment, and was returned to
hat branch of Congress. The Senate re-
ected it and substituted their other mat
er in its place. 1t came back, and the
Iouse rejected the Senate's proposition.
Committees of conference were success
ully appointed. The first had reported
Igainst accepting any amendment giving
,ounty to soldiers. Still they all agreed
o increase the pay of members of Con-
,ress. This was voted down emphatical- |
y, and l believe almost unanimously
Afterward the bill was returned in the |
hape in which it was finally agreed upon
mot the sections which we had first sent
,ut differing in their character. Being
he best we could do, We took them, such !