The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1886-02-03
SOLDIERS PENSIONS.


army 5 per month. \ correspondent, who
failed to give his name, Is indignant at what
he seems was concealed in the burlesque to
mean that we are utterly opposed TO any
pension law. Soldier tells us that unless
We can explain the matter 80 as to satisfy
all classes we shall be held responsible, etc.
Soldier. you have no idea what you are ask
ing US to do. To satisfy all classes is quite
beyond our power, although We are coming
to it Just as near as we can. The particular
bill referred to would make an expense to
the people of S5OO00O,O0O per annum. As
things stand it is out of the power OF the
people to pay this without imposing many
additional taxes. We are in favor of any
! legislation for soldiers within the power of
the Government to fulnll or the people to
pay. Soldier is indignant at the Govern
ment for giving railroads enormous
| bodies OF land and great sums
of money. So are we, and we
will agitate as we have agitated that these
| spoils be taken from them and given to the
soldier and to the people. Does Soldier re-
| feet that this Government is poor, that the
people who pay taxes are poor, and that both
have been made poor because the Govern
ment has given all their sustenance to the
corporations; that to pay taxes to the rich
bondholder on money that the bondholder
| loaned at thirty-three cents on the
| dollar has made them poor? Will
not Soldier reflect that several king
/ doms in lands have been taken from the
soldier, from the people, and given to the
wealthy railroad companies until the people
have little more to give VIII Soldier reflect
1 that financial jugglery. worse than the meth
/ DDS of highwaymen, has compelled the peo-
| pie to pay not only heavy interest bill, but
I twice the entire National debt without re-
! ducing it? besides. this has forced loss on
! $12,0OO, 100000 of property through shrinkage
/ due to this expansion of debts? Is it any
wonder that America has got 100000 more
| tenant farmers than the whole of Great
/ Britain, including Ireland, and that the great
masses of the people are pOverty-stricken,
| and like Soldier are indignant and threat
/ ening?
/ We are in favor Of bill to equalize the
| pay and bouuties. soldier" very Justly, is
/ indignant that while he was promised $l3
per month in gold, was paid that amount in
I paper worth thirty-three cents on the dollar.
| He is also justly indignant that the early
I soldiers of the war. who did the heaviest
/ lighting and the most of it, have suffered,
I while the men who enlisted later get bount-
/ les amounting to 81 900 or 5000 and $l5 per
/ month. This is all wrong. The soldier who
/ enlisted from patriotism should have been
| the one to get the large bounty. and now
/ Congress should pass law giving all soldiers
/ who did not receive bounty lump sum,
and should also increase the amount of his
( pay to the gold standard promised. The
/ Government has not failed TO give the bond
/ holder gold for a thirty-three cent dollar.
Z and on a scale that has ruined the country,
I and soldiers do well to be indignant at their
neglect. Soldier is also indignant that the
/ land warrants promised him were never
1 given. This is another thing that demands
/ legislation. Either the land warrants should
/ be issued or their value in money given. We
are also in favor of pensioning every soldier
/ who is disabled, or become unable to take
I care of himself, through any cause induced
/ by his army life.
Now, soldier, how are we going to get
money to give nearly 5000, 900 OF men 800
/ per year. You know that the people who
stayed at home are poor, that they are get
ting daily poorer. You know that they,
like the soldiers, have been forgotten by the
Government, and robbed by the Govern
ment. You know that gigantic monopolies
and wealthy corporations and individuals
control affairs and exact taxes that have
l.. 81 IL.
made the people poor. You certainly will
not claim that bounty-jumpers are entitled
TO pension, do you? Yet they would get
( one under the provisions of the bill that we
satirized. Yet we do not offer objections
even to this if the way is made clear to pay
it, for this money, even if in some cases it
were wrongfully applied, would for a time
stimulate enterprise. Yet we do not see
how to get it, except by raising the whole
amount by taxes on the rich. The poor can
not pay any more. We do not care how
much the soldiers get if the poor people
Soldiers neighbors. some of them, whom
YOU know can not afford to pay more tax
DO not have additional and unbearable
burden placed on them. We do not think
the soldiers want new burdens placed upon
the poor. Now, then, if you are struggling
for 50 much, a tax must he placed on In
comes. The lands given to railroads must
be taken from:.them and sold, or the railroads
taxed to pay this sum. Taxation on all cor
Porations and individuals must be doubled,
and much more than doubled.
But these corporations control the laws
and the powers of government; through Con-
gressional committees they control legisla-
ton, and they control the courts Soldier
Will see that we have heavy labor to do be-
fore we can get the powers OF Government TO
place taxes on these powerful corporations
and wealthy individuals. The soldier and
the artisan and the farmer are unit on the
necessity to do this. We have been ham
-meripg on it for years. and making some