The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-01-27
General Van WICK and the Gettysburg
Soldiers Homo.


zaa,ously in Congress to destroy the enterprise
for giving homo to our disabled veterans, Is
an excellent type Of that destructive class who
may pull down but are unable to suggest the
first idea for erecting better structure. He
is displeased win the Gettysburg plan for
building the needed asylum, but gives no hint
Of any better manner In which the desired end
can be reached. He says the diamonds in the
project are worthless stones-though the
greatest diamond dealers In the country say
the reverse-the farm a deluslon, the yacht
Henrietta not worth an old song. and that the
several large purses Of greenbaoks will prove
mere "fairy money" to tho fortunate captors-
glittering enough over night, but turning to
dried leaves before the morning He does not
say, however, that the charter Of incorporation
for tho enterprise said to have been granted
by the Pennsylvania Legislature last year, Is
not q binding and valid charter; and failing to
say this, ell the rest Of his objections are mere
leather and prunella. Here we have charter
for raising money to build Soldiers Home on
the battle neld of Gettysburg; and to accomplish
this authority is given for the distribution Of
prizes In the manner now proposed by Gone
rails Beaver, Siokel and the other directors 1t
is against the manner, therefore, and not
against the matter Of this movement that Cen
eral Van wyck, If at all, should direct his
wrath. The finds any of the prizes worthless,
| let him urge that they be thrown overheard
and others substituted. II the diamonds are
only paste. kick them into the gutter and let
| "gems Of pursst ray ssrens"-pure and spark
ling IS Van Wyck's own virtue-taks their
place. If the money prizes are not enough, let
| them be doubled or trsbled. II the yacht
Henrietta should only be rated at 80 much old
junk, let her be scUttled wherever she may
now lie, and lot the finest steamer aAoat DO
purchased to occupy her position. All this
can be done within the limits Of the incor-
poratiny charter, and tho people will not
grudge the increased expense that gives as
surance our disabled soldiers will be taken
care Of; but when General Van Wyck assails
the charter ITSELF instead Of the prizes now
offered under Its provisions, he Is striking at
tho only practical plan now before the coun-
try through which the people may express
their gratitude to those who were crippled In
defence OF the flag.
Il the United States were = monarchy
or empire the matter Of creating q
Soldiers Homo would be extremely
simple, taking tho form Of an edct
directing 50 much money to be raised by tax
for that purpose; but here this cannot be
done, owing to State jealousies, local rivalries
and the inveterate spirit Of corrupt jobbing
which now infects every public work. Every
delegation In Congress would only consent to
the measure provided Its own State should be
assigned az the location for the new asylum !;
or even il the bill weye to pass with the requi-
site appropriation, the spirit Of job cry would
interpose such delays that all T., sufferers
would be dead before the promised 'elief could
reach them. What private enterpr can ac
complish in year public jobbers ", Id take
twenty years and twenty times t,- same
amount OF money for completing m, II Is
eminently proper that In work OF n; onal
the matter left entirely In their own | ,nds.
every member OF the community being 10 to
make a personal assessment Of from one dollar
upward, just ~ each may sec it, according TO
his or her means and wishes.
Lotteries, like everything else, are not good
per 80, nor bad per So, but must be judged in
connection with their object Spain, Austria
and Prussia still raise . large portion Of
their revenue in this manner, and scarcely
. civilized government on earth but has
At ono time or other rcsorted to this
means Of raising money for its necessities
or grander Notwithstanding IL by oil odds
the least Odlous manner in which taxation
can be imposed 1t makes every man his own
taxing master, so that whether dollar shall
be given or ten thousand can be decided by
no other decree than that Of tho individual
donor Looking at home also. Is there to-
day charity fair or fair for building a
church Ia which, under the sanction OF che
clergy and with the faircst and most pious Of
the gentier sex acting as ministering angels,
the visitors are not requested TO take chances
in some very extravsgsnt ''rahles" for the sake
Of promoting some plous obiects at Is the
cause, my soul It is tho cause" that gives It's
complexion TO everything; and white We
earnestly applaud the activity Of ths postal
and police authorities In breaking up the
sTindling lottery aud policy schemes con-
busted by sharpers for their personal profit
we cannot In any manner divine how . be-
nsvolsnt project, regularly chartered and con-
ducsed under. responsible auspices for build
| Ing soldiers home at Gettysburg, can come
10 be classed under tho same condemnation.
| Turning back TO our dies we see that on the
| 2oth OF January last an enterprise precisely
similar to this Gettysburg project but less
than one-fourth Of its size, was drawn at the
Cooper Institute in this city, tho net proceeds
being devoted to founding homo for soldiers
| orphans. The distribution was made under
the personal supervision % Major Generals
Van vllet and Barlow, the latter then Secre-
Aarc as gtata I.dra lnarI.a Dali