Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1871-05-20
Pastor Of the Cong. church, Wayne, o
JUSTICES LAST.

JUSTICES LAST.
For the Telegraph.
When will we get over the lessons the war
taught us?
How our hearts chilled and almost ceased t.
beat when the news came to us that the gallant
Col ELLSWORTH had been shot down in the
city of Alexandria, va. When the wires flash.
ed the news to us that the Cleoeldnd GreyS had
been drawn into an ambush and fired upon
from II masked battery, and half dozen kill
ed and wounded. How horrified we were by
the appalling news andyCt these were sim
ply the introductons to lessons the war was
destined TO teach us. We soon learned to
look upon battles with no degree of satsfac-
ton unless soldiers were slaughtered by thou
sands, and human blood delugcd the land like
floods of water. Congress lelt their way
when voting men and money-75,0 900 men
and S5O0,O0O we've considered ample TO carry
on the war which was then just dawning upon
our people. How soon they learned that this
view of the stupendous character of the com
ing conflict, was simply a child's idea, and
they launched out into the conflict of war by
voting millions of dollars and hundreds of
thousands of men, Greenbacks began TO
food the country, and men who had scarcely
ever seen "a ten dollar bill, were found with
$50 and 500 bills in their pockets. Extrava-
gancc ruled the hour, and visions Of wealth
became the dreams of the people. Debts ac-
cumulated until they amounted To billions of
dollars, and no one thought Of the day when
all these bills must be paid, together With the
inter, ST. DIR Weber" could charge from
500 TO $500 for amputating limb that could
be done quite as well in our own town, by
surgeons belle aging to US, for mere fraction
pf the price. "Beecher' could pocket 20 to 25
thousand dollars, for years labor in the SER
vice of his Master, who, when upon the earth,
had no place upon which to lay his head
These are among the lessons taught us by the
war. When peace came il found us in the
midst Of the extravaganza caused by such an
inflated state of the money market. Gold had
gone up to premium of 200 per cent, and
everything in proportion, and our ideas as
people, were carried away with false views of
political economy; we had got the idea that
the day of reckoning would never come. 1t
did come, however, and when it came, it
found us in debt over three billions of dollars,
an almost inconceivable amount. But, thank
God, our spirits as people, were not crushed,
and American like, we began to tnink about
paying the debt
These remarks may seem to be out Of place
in this, my fourth article, upon the lavish eX-
pendilure of the peoples money. Yet think
it lies at the foundation of the whole question.
In looking over this matter of spending
| nj al m n pf pu
public affairs, found that 1t required to meet
the expenditures of the village of Ashtabula
during the year 1870 about $4,000, and at the
close of the year. found our Indebtedness to
be between 10 and $11 ,000 which VIC still owe,
and which must be paid by tax. found it cost
about 100000 TO run our Schools, making
in all about $22 900. This does not include
the tax we pay to the State and county This
is what ii costs to defruy the expenses incur
red in the management of the governmental
and school affairs of this village of 1000 in.
| habtants ] saw the extravaganza of our of
ticers, and that it was high time some one
should raise his voice against it. In doing So
do not wish to be severe OF personal, for
know these parties are more or less influenced
by the lessons learned during the war.
No one can dislike II personal controversy
with our Superintendent of the Schools, more
than do, and had he stated in plain Ian
guage, at the time he made his report, claim
ing that the book business was not costing the
tax payer single dollar, that he had his sala-
ry increased 500 the past year, and had ap-
piled to have it raised the coming year 500,
to pay him for his service as book seller-thrn
there would haye been no question between
us. AS a teacher, give the gentleman all
credit, to which he is entitled, and as long as
he confines himself to the business of teach
ing, he shall have my support His remark
that had, or probably would, receive pay for
writing these articles, was rather stale, COM
ing so soon after reading my statement that
had mo interest in the book business and
aCas not writing in the interest of any book
seller" l am not aware of any of my friends
passing around the hat to pay me, but it they
should, hope they will not ask to have any
money taken out of the School Fund, for to
be serious, knOD it would be Just as legal
and right to use the school money to pay me
for these article, as it would be TO pay him for
service rendered as book seller.
In looking over the history of the school,
and learning the amount of salaries paid diff
erent Superintendens, find that our fellow
citizen, GEo. w. WAITE, became Superinten.
dent, and served four years. He received the
first year $700, and the last year $1,000. There
has never been better or abler teacher in the
school, or one who gave better satisfaction.
d iring the last year of his service, gold stood
at $3.50, -four sold for $25 er barrel, pork for
$50 per barrel, hams 80 cents per pound, but
tcr40 to so cents. beef 25 10 80 cents cotton
cloth 90 cents per yard, prints so cents per
yard and all other things in proportion. We
thought, at the time, Mr.. Waite received fair
compensation for his service. Which, when
compared with the price paid now for the
same service, ought 10 have been not less than
$4,000, and basing it upon values, rs they
stood at that time, and MS compared with the
present, what he should have received is still
more apparent. This difference in our ideas Of
salaries has grown out of the lessons the war
taught.