The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1866-02-07

McGREG0R, IOWA, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 7, 1866.


Bountiss.
The Chicago Triblne deems the question O
bounty equalization . "played" one; the ex
pense is teo great to add to the already nam
moth debt of the country; the amount required
to equalize is stated by the Tribune at 70O, 900,
OOo dollars Having used the soldiers to pu
their home patriots in office, and seeing ne
probability Of retaining them as political at
s"esments to their machine, the soldiers are
bidden 'adieu" with intermingled grace ant
curtness. A writer to the Tribune of the 2Otf
thus states the case; his reference to "swarms
OF ofiiceholders" and other things of the pas,
and present, is decidedly ssropg
KEwANEE, ILL.,, Jan. 26. &c.
Editors Tribune
The manifest justice of law rrantino n
the soldiers of 1861 and 1862 bounties at least
equal in amount to those paid to the soldiers of
looS'4 and 20. will not be questioned by anv
minded man. If any discrimination il to
De made, it should be in favor of those who
have "borRe the heat and burden of the day'
through three and four years of the severcst
marching anu fighting, and to whom the coun.
try IS indebted for victory, freedom, peace and
to thus equaize the bounties is so great as to
"entail financial ruin on the countryw
Suppose the war was still in progress, and
The enemy still graphing the throat Of the ma
ton, and threatening its life, and that thous-
ands OF our sons and brothers were langusb.
ing and starving in southern prisons, and large
armies OF traitors were about to invade Iii.
nois. Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and sweep
with slaughter. desolation and sword, all this
land. And suppose $4,000 men were needed
ut once to rescue the nation from the grasp
OF the traitors, release our suffering prisoners,
and to hurl the mnion, Of slavery and treason
back upon their own traitorous soil, and there
grind them together. would men hesitate to
pay bounties? Would they shake their heads
and gravely and solemnly talk about financial
ruin! On the contrary would not their fears
II not their patriotism cry out, "men and
brethren. what shall we do TO be saved 7" and
to thrust their hands and their arms up to their
elbows into their pockets, and if need be, to
uniform Nth greenbacks the men who would 90
and do the work.
And have they so soon forgotten their obli
cations to the men who have just done this
work, and done it we'll, and who now ask for
simple justice?
Talk about financial ruin.' Why the grass
has not yet grown green over the graves of
shS SA"sC hCu VI 1COi-$, WHO ISiI That tletr
country might live, and whose widows now
pine in sorrow and want. Talk Of financial
ruin when millions are lavished without com.
plant to pay the liberal salaries of swarms
OF officeholders. who never smek gunpowder.
to carpet with the costliest materials the floor
OF the capitol, and to decorate its walls with
gaudy splendOr, to refu-nish the White House,
whose carpets and furniture ia said to have
been worn out by pardon-seeking traitors, while
the widows and orphans Of the heroes they
have slain cry for bread, within earshot of the
Presidents door! And this, too, where but a
year ago the armed legions OF the rebellion
would have turaed the Capitol into a stable
for their horses, and driven the President and
his cabinet in exile out of the city ard country
but for the men of 1862
Financial ruin," we notice, never stands in
the way OF expendiag millions for all sorts of
purposes. Shall it stand in the way Of justice
t" the men who have saved the country7
But again it is objected that spectators have
bought up soldiers discharges, aud if such a
law was passed, the spectators and not the
soldiers would be benefited by it.
10 this it may be answered first, that CON-
paratively few soldiers have sold their discharg
esi noae-proDably. but those who were com.
PEELED to to provide Tor their immediate wants
Secondly, even it it were so, does not every
man OF common sense know that the law may
be SO framed as to exclude speculators and in-
clude only those who faithfully served, and
were honorabIy discharged and who are able
to present their discharges with their applica.
ZION for bounty.
Messrs Editors. no justcr claim was ever
made upon the American public. Will you
not advocate il? If need be, let the govern.
ment postpone other projects for the expeadi.
ture OF money, but let it not for a day postpone
justice to the soldiers OF 1862. l24th.