The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-03-23

IS 33 per month, that being the rate at which
oountes had been paid during the last ear
OF the war. The Senate military commit tee
made u oss thorough investigation, and on
the I'D of May reported in favor of the pas
sage OF the bill. Mr.. Scbenck, from the mill
ltary committee in the House, reported a
similar bill, which passed by vote of I39 to
z. railing to pass the Senate, il was put
by the House on an appropriation bill. The
senate not agreeing, II went TO a committee
OF inference. l prepared an amendment
providing that soldiers who had served
three years should receive an additional
bounty of one hundred, and placed il in the
hands OF the conference committee. This
was agreed to, and fifty dollars were given
TO those who had served not less than two
years, and The bill became law in July.
1850. providing, it was thought, in the ag-
gregste, about one half OF what was asked
tor. hostile presses insisted that il would
take from one hundred and fifty to two hum
dred million dollars. Mr.. French, second
auditor, put il at SlO0, 900, 900, and Mr.. Broad
head at still higher sum. Tne act expired
in January last al the end of eight and a
ball years, and the amount required proved
to be- instead OF hundreds of millions, $62-
5l7,2l4 9S. ID 1870. under the lead of Mr.
Cobb, the House adopted. without division
a bill for the equalization of bounties. 1t
was not acted on by the Senate. mainly for
the reason that the provisions of the act of
1886 bad not been fully executed. Knowing
that tho soldiers, especially the old vet
Grams, still demanded action and the equali-
Zation of bOunties, the national convention
IN 1872, of the liberal republicans and the
democrats, resolved that toev would do
nothing 70 detract from the full "rewsrdo
Of the soldiers, and the republicans adopted
a resolution in favor of additional bouuties,
especially 10 those who had made ''sacri-
ticss." And surely the veterans who had
entered the army and fought three years TOR
bounty OF only 500 did make sacrifices. In
the congress chosen upon these platforms.
the House, by majority of l37, passed the
bounty bill. gave my casting vote for the
Dill, and with my record, and often ex-
pressed views, how could have done other
wise? L came out OF the war with
THESE FOUR CONVICTIONS
burned into my brain and heart: that this
nation should do justice to the men who en-
tered tho war in its early years, without
bounty, or with only bounty of one hun
bred dollars; that it should keep faith at any
cost with those who had furnished the means
to carry on the war, and those who held the
obligations of the government; that it
should give citizenship an equality of rights
to the freedmen; and that, by generous and
benehcient legislation, it should strive II
build up again the errIng but smitten por-
ton of The country. Such / still believe TO
1 have, therefore. no regrets TO express or
apologies to make for my casting vote for the
bounty bill. The act of 1865 by which more
| than So, COS, 600 were paid, not dollar of
which, excepting their fees, went into the
hands of claim agents provided that widows
aud minors and the parents OF deceased SOL
diers should receive the bounty. The bill
lately passed did not include the parents,
while many of the widows have been re-
married. and many minors have become ''of
| age" Had it passed it could not have been
| fully carried out in less than or 8 years,
and, in amount, it could not exceed the sum
required by the act of 1866. BY no posi-
billty could it have taken from the treasury
more than Sl0000.OOO or Sl2,OOO,OOO in
the next two years. The soldiers
claim agents could not have bought them;
the money would have been paid by the pay
| department., just as the money granted by
the act OF 1866 was paid, directly TO the.
owner only, his fee going to the claim agent.
| Some officers of the government and some
editors may now, as they did concerning the
act OF 1866, wildly estimate that it must cost
| all the way from SlC0 5000 900 to $500 600 600.
They were greatly mistaken then, they
woald have been now. This act would have
settled tho bounty question forever, on the
| basis of eight and one-thiTd dollars per
month 10 all honorably discharged soldiers.
Il could not have taken from the treasury
more than did the act OF 1866,
not moro than S63 600, 0000. It could
not have affected the credit of the gov
eminent, while thousands, whose valoI
saved the nation, would feel that the nation
they saved bad been just and generous, too.
| Honest, honorable and intelligent men may
differ in regard to this bill, as they did in
| regard to the act of 1866. That the president
and his constitutional advisers acted accord
ing TO their sense of public duty, 1 do not
entertain doubt. But for myself am for
doing iustico 10 the country's defenders by
equalizlng the bounties of those who made
the greatest sacrifices, as l am for keeping
fall faith with those who, with like nobility,
came forward with their means to sustain
the national cause. Both to me are sacred;
though do not forget that when the nation
promised the soldier his bounty currency
was at par, but when it was paid it was
worth less than sixty cents on the dollar,
while bonds bought with this money are
nov worth more than their face value in
coin. HENRY WILSON.
WASHINGTON, March 10, 1875.