Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1884-02-27
"The Head of Column To the Right
Toward! March!''


Toward March,"
Mr.. Editor:-DEAR SIR Il saw in
your last paper a communication headed,
Halt About Face p Please allow me
small space in your paper to give my
views on the Hon. Milo Whites Great
Offence that is, to pension all old sold
iers of the late rebellion at 81 per mo lth.
Now, Mr., Veteran" it IS true, as you
said yourself, "that the soldiers went in
to the army through patriotism, and not
mercenary motives;' and it is also true
that the soldiers did not squeeze these
close bargains out of our PROSTATE coun-
try that the bond-holders did, viz take
the bonds at large discount, interest and
principal to be paid in gold, and also to
be exempted from taxation. Nay, he
offered his life free if necessary, but the
country paid him $13 per month, in de-
preciated currency, that was worth 40
cents on the dollar; and he pays his tax
on the only COW he has to help him to
support his eight little children.
Now, Mr.. Veteran" you will remem-
Der as we'll as I do, how the country
cheered him when he went to War, and
promised to take care of him, and that
the poorhouse should not stare him in
the face, nor the wolf lounge about his
door. Now, wnat are the facts? When
the soldier came home from the war he
found his place in the shop or factory
filled by other men, that did not care to
go in the army SO he was compelled to
look somewhere else for work. After
looking around he concluded to take Mr..
life anew but he soon found his neigh
bors who had been accommodating wealth
and experience in business, (while he, the
soldier, was fighting his countrys bat
ties y far in advance, and when the bust
ness reverses took place the soldier was
the first to go down, and then
to save himself, he got entangled
in those barbed hooks, usually
called mortgages, and the more he strug
gled to free himself, the deeper the barb
ed hooks would sink every move he
would make, those hooks would land him
nearer the road-where it is cover the hill
to the poor-housc." 1t is only week or
so ago that you might have seen hand
bills on our streets with this heading,
hot coffee and free lunch" at public
auction in the country. Moral, another
old soldier going down to the road; and
this is an every day occurrence over our
broad land, and these are able bOdled
men that you tell us about. Now, sir,
don't you think that if these soldiers had
staid at home in pla; Z OF going in the
army, and had perfected themselves in
their trades, and made money, while
money was made easy if they had done
withstood the hard times like their neigh.
bors who mostly deal in those barbed
hooks. With our country's Treasury
Vaults creaking and groaning under the
great weight of gold and silver, laying
there idle when we see that great army
of heroes of the battle of Black Friday
led by such warriors as Vanderbilt, Gould
and g. z. Huntington, marching in solo
phalanx, with covetous eyes on those
grooming Vaults it is then we are com
manded to Halt About face p Nay,
would say, ''to the head of the column tc
the Right Forward March !" Now
when our congressman, in looking
around, see the unequal struggle ou1
soldiers are engaged in, and knowing thai
it is caused by the services they rendered
their country, and that justice demands
that they be recognized, it is then tina
our Congressmen proposed to do that
1.-THE of justice that is due the soldiers
and for this they are called upon tc
Halt p Nay, l would say, God bless
and speed you, and we are coming five
hundred thousand strong to reinforce you
Mr. Veteran, l hope you will meet with
us at our camp fire evenings, and we viii
share our "hard-tack with you.
| OLD SOLDIER