The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1878-06-07
The MonSir0us Allowance the Ar.
my Officers are ifi ghting For.

fDg VuACcIS stFc i !. ntlAt = ~ OF.
Kew York sun.
The present pay Of army officers wa.
fixed when tile premium on gold wa,
lC7. Gen. sherman. III letter addressed
lto the House Military Committee IN
February, 1876. said that when paper
aud gold became equivalent. all military
salaries could ana should be reduced
from fifteen totwcnty percent. Green
back and gold have met in value. Bul
llhc General ofthe Armv, with every Of.
lfircr III Il. iiefccly resists The cndeavOr.
OF honest representatives Ill Congress ii
rr*ii.ce the excessive pay Of our military
officers. This scliishnesS, this undemo.
cratic inaistance on privilege. in the
height OF the hard times which oppicss
lall the labor and impair all the invest
inents III the ration, arc int0lcrablc N
The people out OF whose hard earnings
comes every dollar Of this army pay
" hu are those officers. thai they should
lnot share, with al other Americans. the
Financial depression OF The country
Not mechanic. not farmer, NOT d
lawyer. merchant, sailor. cIc'gy lyman
phN sician, scholar mot a vi low or ward
mo, an old man or woman, living on the
income or accumulated earnings or in-
lheriiel property; 40 American what
ever. escapes liis or her share oi tho
national misfortune Of collapsed indus
lirias ana sininken values. except ths
Favored few who have attained 10 Coy.
lcrnnent salaries. Not oLly are these
exempted from the direct effect OF hard
times 10 Lessen incomes. bui they thrive
un the misf0rtunrS ut All others ~ ihciI
y. un,rymcn. Their secured income.
lpaih out of our taxes huN twice as much
IN hard times ~ IN vopd times.
Think of Congressman constrained
IN fhc pressure ~ thc-c anvry sinccur.
list ~ ianl WI The fiour oG the House oi
ErrrrsoniatiNrs and almost apol0gi
foi WA committees triiling reduction Of
lthe arnv ray which leaves the General
l~I5. coca wear: the Lieutenant General
lSli .EfS: Maior-Gcncral. $s.l4S; q
Illriuader-G General. 5000 and proper
Itionally down through the grades till 4
'hovish second lieutenant Of cavalry.
lust oul Of West Point, green rs grass,
aud not worth one ccit 20 fight Indians.
receives S239I. And the while people
are starving 10 death IN this peaceful re-
public for want of employment! The
BAY OF our army proposed in the Hewitt
bi.l il the largest in the world. Blu. in
the midst or bankruptcy. idIeness, and
poverty. so general rs "a bc national, our
army officers fight against that pay.
They insist on more. They have begun
Ia howl about an invasion oftheir rights.
They even talk about the ingratitudc Of
the nation.
The case Is unparalleled for its impu-
dcncc and sellshncss. Consider 1t. The
army officers will not suffer their absurd
claim 10 hold Office for life 10 be ques-
toned. They insist that the Govern
mcnt il bound 10 keep and maintain
them tin they die. Their proposed
regular pay is greater than that Of the
officers Of any army in Europe. To this
II added "longevity" pay "A ten per cent
increase for every five years Of service.
ia addition 10 this. they have the right
IA purchase from the Government food
and clothing ~ cost. In addition TO this,
they have medical attendance and mcdi-
cincs. free, for themselves, their wives,
ana children. In addition 10 this, they
rei their quarters free. If on service,
they get from the Government forage
fer their horses. They have the privi-
lore, too OF buying the best ~ hickory
ana oak wood for three dollars q cord.
no crown nil, they ret pensions for life
when they stop drawing full pay on The
.activer list, which IL the most inactive
and idlc outside Of mndturtlcdOm.
Their retired pay II scvcnty-fve per
cent. OF their regular pay. la al Euro
pcan armies retired pay i half pay al
ihe best. and generally much less. Now,
this favored body Of enormously over
paid sinccufsis- why have we seen II
lighting Mr.. IIcwitt's cxtravagant Army
bill. 10 maniicstly framed il its interest
and against The interest of the people?