The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-11
The Soldiers Monument.

The Soldiers Monument
To the Editor of the INDIANAPOLIS JournaL
Is there anything that can bs proposed
to beautify and benefit Indianapolis that
will not be interfere with or criticised by
some of it's citizensi It does look that way.
AS an example. the News is throwing cold water
on the proposed Soldiers Monument in Circle
Park by proposing an utterly impractical change
of location to Military Park. Why not to the
Southern Park which the News was largely in
strumental in saddling on tho city. The location
is fixed by the law in the center of Circle Park.
by far the most appropriate location in the
State and any attempt TO change it would be to
endanger tho building of the monument in In
dianapolis at ALL there is strong prejudice
in other parts of the State against it's being
built here and disposition divide up the
fund in building several monuments in other
cities of the State. we'll as Indianapolis. The
idea that monument In the center of Circle
tible about it, would be in danger
OF being destroyed by fires is too ridicu-
lous even to discuss. 1t would be in
as much danger from storms, lightning and
earthquakes, matter where located. There
is not in the wide world spot better adapted
for the construction and display of great work
of art. such this monument will be if let alone
by croakers and mischlef-makers. 1t is not true
that the commissioners cannot go with the
monument until there is further legislation, and
they do not contemplate any such delay. The
contracts should be and no doubt
will be made and the work
going on before there is another Legislature and
element and the people generally. expect it. and
certainly it will be better for indianapolis.
Delay In this case, or any change of front, would
certainly be dangerous. AS to Morton's monu-
ment, it is to remain IN the Circle, utilized and
harmonized with the soldiers monument, where
it will be seen and admired by vastly more peo-
friend of Mortons memory will object. 1t is. in
fact, peculiarly appropriate that the monument
of the great war Governor and the grand sol
diers' monument should be together.
GRAND ARMY.
A Defense of Gen. Hovey's 40 Per Cent. Bill
To the Editor OF the Indianapolis Journae
In your editorial upon the fourth page of the
Journal of Feb ], wherein you take occasion to
criticse that gallant old hero General Hovey)
for the bill he has presented in Congress to re-
imburse the soidiers of the late war for their
losses upon the green back in which they
paid, I. as lifelong Republican and sub
scrioer of your valuable paper, beg leave,
through your columns to raise dissenting
voice.
General Hovey's BILL as understand it. is to
pay to each soldier an additional sum of 40 per
cent. npon all payments received by them for
their service. The Journal falls into the error
which has SO often entrappe6 many of our very
best people, and which, with Others has we'll
nigh wrecked the grand old Republican party.
The journal says all contracts. of that period
(having reference to the period of Depreciation
were made upon the basis of fuctuating cur
rency. and 1t Is too late now to substitute new
The Journal makes fearful break here,
which 1 am sorry to be called upon to correct,
but shall do it. nevertheless.
History tells us that on the Sd day of May,
1861. President Lincoln called for SO. 900 men,
to serve for three years, or during the war, and
Immediately after the first battle of Bull-Run
the President called for 800, 600 more men, 10
serve for three ears during the war. These
calls were promptly responded to. Had they
not have been no others would have been neces-
sary) So you see $50, 900 men called into
the field before Congress assembled And we
have knowledge of a greenback having been
thought of until after Congress met on the 4th
of July. And it will be remem bered that moth
ing was legal tender but gole and silver until
the Congress passed the act authorizing the
issue of Treasury notes. The first Treasury
notes issued were made payable demand.
upon which there depreciation but
these were of short life. March, 1862, found the
army. receiving its pay in the depreciating
greenback.
were upon a deprecated basis There
deprecated currency at the time these $50, 900
men went 60 the field. There was 60 change
made in their monthly pay until the first part
of the year 1864. when the scarcity OF labor had
raised the price of labor upon q gold basis, from
$13 per month to SIC per month. This rise had
been gradual from the beginning of depreciation
up to this time; so that at the time of the ad-
vance in our wages we had already Loaf much of
this rise in the price of labor the gold basis
But how was it with greenbacks and the COM
mercial interests of the countryl Instead of the
government paying 25 cents per bnshel for corn
in 1862, it paid 90 cents, and as high as go in
some instances By the first of 1868 it was lay
ing advance of 100 per cent. upon everything
we ate, and large advance upon the clothes
we wore, as well as the ammunition we used
Hay that would only cost upon gold basis $l1
per ton. was now worth in greenbacks 500 per
ton. Why was this advance IN prices of every
thing bur the soldiers wagesa Simply because
these contracts We're made upon basis of de-
probation and fuctuation. But it was not so
With the soldiers contract; that was unchanged
by fiuctuation- 1t was a contract. and the only
contract made by the government upon gold
basis and adjusted with a deprecated currency.
said that everything had advanced but the
wages of the soldier. It's true as il is that
at that time, which you should remember is true
You even paid the advance to your boot black
and your barber. Everybody received the ad-
vance In prices caused by depreciation but the
soldier. Even the citizen who took the place of
the soldier as teamster, as early as 1862 was
paid $40 per month. and continued until the
and township, well as government clerks
advanced as the ersenbacks deprecated. You
should remember, too, that it was optionary
with these men 10 CT vii Offices, and who held
situations in civil life. whether they held on to
their situations or not. If sheriff. or a coun-
ty surveyor. or a citizen teamster didn't want
resign or quit Not with the soldier. His
contract was for three years. IL he lived or was |
not discharged on account of loss of health. 1t |
he wished to quit service, the only way to get /
out honorably to sput himself in the |
way of the rebel ball. and get |
shot out, or march day and night,
sleep out of doors and endure other hardship |
until he had lost his health and was good for |
nothing. and then, like old horse, be dis /
charged and turned out to root hog die.
Sir, tell you in all candor, there is parallel
to the case OF the soldiers of the late No I
other claim has any right TO readiustment. be-
cause in the whole catalogue OF claims there is
not one like the soldiers. 81
The Journal says in this gard the soldiers
have no higher claims upon the government T
than that of others That depends upon how
man looks at it. l suppose. used to think it
depended upon who looked at it. but the
Journal is the ons being handled must not say
hat The soldier placed In jeopardy his life
md limbs. his health and comfort and for the
Time being his liberty. None OF these can be
bought with money. Then is not our claim of
higher order than any othersi This point