The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1876-09-14
Waste ofCapital.


tbuuleNlic tOillhtlclhl, aug. y.
Gov. Itlden says, in his elaborate
letter, "a waste OF capital has been 60
ing on ever since the peace of 1868,
which could only end in universal dis
aster. The Federal taxes cf the last
eleven yearsreach the gigantic sum Of
81, 800 900, COO"
In order to alarm the people, Gov.
Tildcn starts Il by overstating the
federal taxes to the gigantic sum of
1852, 900. 900. Having thus ialsiiied the
record, he proceeds to stigmatlze the
whole sum of Federal taxes, without
discrimination, as Il "waste OF capital"
why call it waste? To collect taxes to
pay the salaries of public officers, to
build ships and lighthouses and public
cdiiices, to make land surveys and I'M
prove rivers and %har5ors, is no more II
waste of money than for IN individual
TO spend money in building houses or
buying food and clothing for his family.
But this Democratic retormcr d]enoun-
ccs the entire national taxation Tor clev-
en- years rs "a waste OF capital"
1t did not suit his purpose to discuss
in detail the taxation which he dcprc-
Gates, but the items are of much inter-
est to all who wish to understand this
subject. 1t appears from the records
that during the last eleven years there
were paid in pensions to the wounded
soldiers of the Union the large SUI Of
500 AIS, ijl, the pensioners ut the close
of 1861 numbering 1886, and gradually
increasing to 23S.ill in 1873. being
23i,S2l 1T the end of last year. OF this
number III .S32 are clasScd rs widows,
orphans, and dependent relatives If the
brave men who lie in the national Gem
]etcries and in other gravc-yards over
the land. So much human suffering
and household drSoIation have resulted
from the great Democratic Rebellion.
Let us look again at these figures, and
see how the pension payroll of nearly
three hundred millions of dollars is dis
tributed among the nations poor. With
ont going too infinitely into details, it is
sufficient to state that Il lieutenant colo
mel receives n pension OF $50 II month :
major S2j: first lieutenant 2l7, and
noa commissioned officers. musicians,
and privates 81 II month. These small
pensions are paid III every three
months directly to II G pensioners,
without any deduction or commission
whatever. No distribution ofmoney in
like amounts, could possibly be devised
which would be of greater benefit to the
recipients, the most of whom belong tn
the poorest class OF society, and nearly
all Of whom are in needy circumstances.
Another feature of this distribution is
that It goes to persons whose poverty
compels them to pay it ont almost i'm
mcdlately for the neccssaricS Of life
for house.rcnt, food, clothing aud mcdi-
cine. The money goes back ut once in
to the ordinary channels Of trade, and
benefits the merchant and mechanic. 1t
seems Il piece of dcmagogism rs foolish
as it is unfccling to cali the payment oi
pensions, which Gov. Tildcn includes in
his bill of indictment against the Re-
publican party, "a waste of capital
OF the pensions paid for the year ending
June 30, 1879. Kentucky received $685.
709, 80, and Of this sum widows and or.
phans received SjSi, 800 90. For the
same time Indiana received -, ISIS. l05,-
o., the widows and orphans receiving
Sl,2iS, 1861 ga. Tennessee received
$679,O 46. AZ; West Virginia S4S5, G3l.3 80.
Missouri l,039.75. This pension fund,
thus distributed and SO pre-eminently a
grateful nations bounty TO the poor, the
widow and the orphan, is rebuked by
Gov. Tilden, n millionaire. who V
gave II dollar 10 the war. as II "waste OF
capital" 1t was Judas, who, n short
time before he betrayed his Master,
asked. ''why this waste"p