The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-02-14
EQUALIZATION OF BOUNTY.
The Obyious Purpose of Congress Views OF
Senator Ingalls,.


To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
The obvious purpose of Congress in the en-
actment of the statutes OF July %, 1861, and
July %, 1866, was to. pay boan;ies to the sol
diers in the war for the Union at the rate of
800 per annun. This intention has been
affirmed and emphasized in subsequent legisla-
ton, and the Government has actually dis
bnrsed more than $780, 900, at the rate of
$50 for six months service. 500 for one year.
5000 for two years, and $500 FOR three years, to
honorably discharged soldiers.
BY technical rulings and forced constructions
of these laws at the Treasury and War Depart
ments, the benevolent design Of Congress has
been frustrated and many thousand soldiers
in each arm of the service have been denied
the bounty to which, by every consideration of
equity and justice, they Were entitled. These
arbitrary interpretations may have been in
accordance with tho letter of the law, but
they have violated its spirit, which unques-
tionably requires that every soldier should
receive eight and one-third dollars per month
for the actual duration of his service, without
regard to the day of enlistment.
Argument is not necessary to show the injus-
tice of the decision which gave $500 to those
who enlisted for three years between Septem-
Der 23 1862, and April l. 1864, under the act of
July d, 1864, and only 500 to those who en-
listed prior to September, 1863, thus rewarding
those who came in at the eleventh hour more
than those who bore the heat and burden OF the
war.
Many who enlisted between July and De-
cember, 1851, and were prevented by disability
from serving their full term of two years. were
held not to be entitled to bounty. Others who
served nearly the entire term of three years
received but $50
A large number who enlisted as pTivates, but
were promoted for gallantry and merit before
the close of their enlistment, have been denied
their bounty. In some cases, men served as
privates twenty three months out of two years,
or thirty-f months out of three years, being
promoted at the close Of their term, and thus
lost more in bounty than they gained by in
I crease Of pay. Others have been excluded by
the neglect of mastering officers to properly
| date their rolls a large number who enlisted
cause they were held to be militia and not
| voluteers. Cases also occurred in an Iowa
regiment where the soldiers were enrolled and
! Immediately ordered beyond the limits Of the
| State, so that they were not regularly mustered
! till several weeks later. A singular case oc-
CURED in Connecticut, where the soldiers enlist
| ed in June and remained in camp. waiting for
a mastering officer, till August g. The Auditor
/ held that they were not entitled to bounty. a
| Representative from that State procured an
amendment to the law providing that any
soldier mustered before August should receive
a bounty, whereapon the Auditor held that az
these men where mustered son August 6, and
not BEFORE" they were still without remedy,
and they remain unpaid!
Before the call for three years men
the State Of New York anticipated the need:
of the Nation, and her legislature provided
for thirty-eight regiments, which were mus
tered for two years under the call of tht
State. They served with distinction and
were honorabIy discharged, but have beer
refused their bounty because they did not come
| under the specific terms of the call Of the
| United States FOR three years.
/ Such instances of injustice and bad faith
might be indefinitely multiplied. Add to then
the disabled who were discharged before tbs
expiration of their term Of service, those whit
enlisted between two calls, and the widow
and orphans of those who have died, and tn.
aggregate Of these sacred creditors of the Ma
| ton is too large 10 contemplate without shami
that justice has been so long delayed.
The bill TO equalize bounties, which passed
both Houses of Congress in March, 1875, failes
to become law by the refusal of Presiden
Grant to approve it. As it reached him at tai
close Of the last day of the session, his reason
were not made public, but it was general,
understood that he thought the finances Of tn
country were not in condition to meet tn
demands that the bill would make ON the Treas
ury. The crash of 1873 had deranged the reye
nuesand lowered the national credit. but there
no doubt that the requirements of the bill yer
purposely exaggerated by its enemies. The sub
ject vas vigorously debated IN the House, wher
the vote was 1T TO 40, aud in the Saaat,
where the yeas were 80 and the nays 30, tn
Vice President, Henry Wilson, giving the dc
cisiye vote in the affirmative. Various est
mates Of the amount that would be require
were submitted. ranging from $10,G00,Go0 t
$50 100000. Senator Sherman placed itat 81 10
100000. 1t was the opinion OF Viee-Presden
| Wilson, who had given the subject very carefu
and patient consideration, that S10,009, 900 o
$I2,00O.000 was liberal computation. Prot
, ably this was too low, though there are so man
elements in the problem that accuracy is in
possible. An elaborate tabalated statement
, furnished by the Paymaster- General in 1871
fixed the amount at about Sl37, 600. 600. Comp
troIlcr Brodhead estimated it at S162 goo. 90;
But it is worthy of mention that under a prt
vious bill. a similar official computation fxe
the amount at 5000, 100000, while the entiF
amount paid under the provisions of the la
was less than $70060,00 1t may, therefore
fairly be assumed that the amount due by oh
, Government would be found, upon final settle
ment, to be not less than $50 000, 900, nor mon
than S50,000,00o.
? The basis of adjustment should be the sam
! as that which would be adopted between pr
? vate citizens in ascertaning the amount du
under contract for hire. Ii a laborer is en-
: pleyed upon a farm at 800 year, and ats
? working six months dies, the employer wouI
not be allowed TO refuse to pay his heirs becaus
the full term was not completed. The sam
: principle should be applied to the Governmen
and bounty should be paid for the time serve
e at the rate fixed for the year
$ 1t has often been urged by the adversaries
this measure that if bounties are to be eaua
. lied the States will have a claim upon til
Treasury. to be reimbursed for the amour
paid to their own troops as local bounties du
d ing the progrcss of the war; Twenty-tg