The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-17


TO the Editor of the indianapolis Journal
just now there seems to be a widespread dit
ference of opinion among our wisest and pest
citizens as to the best way of reducing the sur
plus now in the United States Treasury. and al
so as to what changes should be made in our
tariff and revenue laws. The old soldiers-the
friends of the government in her days of peril
and danger, those of US who not forgetful
of al the promises made at the time when we
were young and in the very prime of life, we
were urged to enlist in country's service.
when each State and county were hard pressed
to furnish their quota of recruits for our army
We say to you who would this day cut off all,
or reduce in part our revenue, that you had
better stop and think, and think seriously OF
what you are doing. II you are honest men-if
you mean to be true to yourselves and true to
the men who came to your rescue when you were
in distress, we say look before you leap We old
soldiers came to your rescue-we did our
vhole duty and saved our country from desola :
ton. We did not enlist in the army for So or SO
month-yet that was all we got in good money.
We heard from every newspaper, every recruit
ing officer, and from every minister or the
gospel throughout the Northern States that the
government would take care of US and our
f antilles in we were killed or disabled.
But alas! where are our newspapers to-day, and
where is the pulpit AS dumb as a stone as to
what this glorious government owes u.s.
Where the sermons we used to heart
Suppose some speaker or newspaper or preacher
of the gospel had come out in public an told us
at that time-us who went in the army and got
disabled and worried along for twenty years or
more and then made application and got q
small pension, and that only from the date OF
application, and not from the time we were dis
abled Every h ofs ,st man or woman who has
remembrance of those days, knows that had a
man made such statement at that time-say
from '61 to '64-he would have been promptly ar
reated and DrOsecuted for dlScOuraglnE enlist
ments, and we all would nave said it was right
and now that the government has got squarey
on its feet again, and money in the watts to make
good ali these pledges, We hear nothing but
bubble and claptrap about the surplus. and
how to spend il. We say now, pay the honest
and pledged OBLIGATIONS all classes of creditors
and above all pay up the arrears of pensions,
and when this is done there won't be such .
large surplus after all. We want every news
this little piece of solid truth and every minis
ter of the gospel who has remembrance OF
these things, to acknowledge the truth of them,
deny them If he dares
Who, in Gods name, is hardened that he
cannot stand 1t little while longer, until the
honest debts of the government are paid? 1t is
unmitigated nonsense to talk of the great bur-
dens of taxes, we mean government taxes; no.
body is burdensd except those who have loaned
the government service and never been fairly
paid for that service. 1t is useless to argue
these things. Our sol der enemies not all
confined to the Southern States members of
the Democratic party We have thousands CT
good and true honest meaning men both in the
South and in the Democratic party but the
main trouble is with those throughout the
North, who ought to be, and would be friends
to claims if they were honest themselves.
But they are so internal selfish and deceitful
that they cannot or will not be true to them
selves anyone else 1t is burning shame to
have to say such things of our own people, yet
it is true. Everyb body knows that all things
now are in f1ourishing condition and any
tnkering with changes means financial
trouble Can't we as good Americans let well
enough alone? We want tariff reform,
demand prompt and sure payment OF the public
debts, and now. not next year, but this year;
be able to pay our debts. and this will bring
more happiness to the masses of business
people than all the revenue reformers in Chris
tendon.
We say to our Fiftieth Congress, repeal the ac
cursed Limitation of arrearage act, and make
such other laws a will place the government in
the attitude of honesty and equal justice to all
its defenders. j. H. s.
TERRE HAUTE Ind Jan 1883.