New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-16
THE BOUNTY BRIDE.
THE VICE-PREsIDENTs VOTE ON THE
BOUNTY BILL.


BOUNTY BILL.
AN EXPLANATION or THE POSITION OF SOLDIERS
UNDER THE BOUNTY LAws-INEoUAurY OF
EXISTING OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES FOX TIE
MEASURE FOR THE EQUALIZATION OF poUNrihs'
WASHINGTON, March l5.-The following letter mas
been written by ce-President Wilson CONCERNING
his casting vote on the Bounty bill
WASHINGTON. D. C., March Is, 1873
70 e Editor Of the National Repao,eans , ,v c.srne
eiR: In reply 10 inquiry touchiut nf V"'nns
vote In favor of the bounty bill nave 70 say mat
FOR nearly twelve Years Chairman o. sne sat
ittee OF tho Senate that most OF tne egsaton Ieat
Inc 70 the arnv during was framed in that Com
nittee, and that more tnsn .oO nun ,,s nS ~aye
me some knowledge OF the officers and men, thelr Iee-
dnring the first two hair years of the war about
75o men, who were to receive as compensation ,o
DER month and q bounty o. 800 The pay aud bounty.
when promised, at gold rates, when the currencv
was at par and when paid not worth more than %
cents the dollar Under the orders OF the war Depart
ment and the ar, OF 1864 increasing the pay. ana
act OF July Of the same year cynG bounty OF sIv
900 we're called for by the President hundreds
creased bouaties three times larger tnan toe veern
had received had enlisted during the nrst three
ihs rate of g. asa per month but they re.
ceived large local bOuntes. The veterans VINO haa
borne tho brunt burden Of the first three years
had suffered from the inexperienced Of their officers and
their owp want OF knowledge, ana mad fougnt many
iSess new men enter the army with National bounles
three times larger than their own, that justce ae-
with those raw recruits At the close OF the they
looked with confidence 10 the Government TO rgns
of Nasonai Souniies could do II. when the XxXIxth
Congress assembled Mr. NblocS Democratic me m ,o
OF bounties the 10Th OF March introduced Dill
month, that being the rate at which the eountles
had been paid during the last year on tae ~sr;
nyesiigaton ana on the 22d Of NAV reported
in favor tie passage Of the bill Mr. Schenck, from
The Military Committee IN the House. reported similar
bill watch passed by vote OF 139 TO ~ falling to pass
the Senate ii put by the House appropriation
bill. The Senate not agreeing 1t went TO C0mmittee
of conference prepared argument providing that
soders had served three years should receive an
additional bounty of $780, and placed 1t in tue hands OF
the Conference Committee. Pnis agreed TO. and
$50 were given those who had served not Lees than
two years, and the bill became law IN July 1865 pro
vding thought. in the aggregate about onehalf
Of what asked for Hostile presses insisted go
that it would take from N500oo,0Oo 70 s2ooooOo@
Mr. French Second Auditor put it at sOooOo0O0. and
Mr. Broadhead at still higher sum. Inc act EXPIRED
January last, at the end Of 81 years and the amount
required proved to be, instead OF hundreds OF millions
In 1870 u1der the lead OF MI Cobb, the House adopted
without division bill for the equalization OF bountles'
II acted upon by the Senate mainly for the rea
son that tie provisions OF the act OF 1860 Aa0 not Oeen
Knowing that the soldiers especially the old veterans,
National Conventions in 1872 OF the Liberal Republicans
and the Democrats resolved tna they would do nothing
70 detract 1roa the fui reward OF the soldiers ana
the Eepuol cans adopted a Tesoiuuon - ~
who had nade sacrifices; and surely the veterans who
had entered II. army, and fought three years for
gress chosen upon these platforms, the House
oy majority Of 1877. passed -, the
with nv record and after my expressed views, how
could nave done otherwise came out OF the war
with these four convictions buried into my BRAIN and
heart tina; this nation should do justice TO the men
bountT Or Win only bounty Of 500; that it should
keep faith any cost with those who had furnished the
means TO carry on the war, and those who
il shoult give citizenship and equality or rights
benedcent IN on It should strive to build up again
fhe errng but sIltten portion OF the country. which
still believe 10 10 be the nations duty and Its highest
interest have, therefore, no regrets TO express or
apolo.ies to make Tor my casting a VGte
which more $G2.OoOo 600 were paid, not dollar of
which, excepting their fees went into The hands Of claim
OF Decreased soldiers should receive the bounty TIE bill
lately passed dad not include the parents while many
OF the wuows have Deen remaTrld and many minors
save become Of Had It passed 1t could not have
been fully carried ont II ess than seven or eight years.
and IN amount IL cOdu not e1ceG Iee sum
required by the act Of 1866. BY no pos
tbsn SO c 90 or 3 oOoooS in the next two Years The
soldiers could sod their claims; claim agents
been paid ry the Pay Department. just as tho
money granted by tho Act OF 1866 was paid,
claim agent officers OF The Government and some
editors may nov as they did concerning me act OF 1870
wildly estimate mat II must cost all the way from
SOoOCOOOO 20 $0O0OO0co. They we're as greatly mis-
iAKen tnen as they would have been now THIS act
would have eled the bounty question forever on the
.osers could not nave taken rom he Treasury
$50 OO0O.0 II could not have affected the credit
Of tile Government. while thousands whose
yalOr saved the pailOn wOu.d feel that
the they saved had been just and generous too
Homes honorable, ana intelligent men may differ in re-
gard u :us they dd in regard TO the act OF 1856
That the President and his constitutional ad-
visers acted according 10 Their OF puO-
lie duty not entertain DOUBT; but fOL
myself am foS dong justice 10 the countrys defend
ers by cqualB n hOuGtes OF those who made tho
greatest SACRIFICES am Ter keeping full faith with
those VINO, with Ike nobility, came forward
with their means TO sustain the National cause.
Both 10 me are sacred, though / do not
forget that when the Nation promised the soldier his
bounty currency par but when 1t was PAID It was
worth less 60 cents on the dollar, while bonds
bought with THIS money are nov worth more tnau their
face valuc n CON. HENRY WILSON.