The National tribune., 1888-11-01
THAT COMPENSATION"


THAT COMPENSATION"
Said Mr.. Cleveland in his veto of the De-
pendent Pension Bill:
cannot but remember that the soldiers of our
civil in their pay and bounty received such
compensation as has never been received by sol
diers before since mankind first went to war.
What was this magnificent compensa-
ton which so fills the Presidential mind
with its OVERLOOKING richness? Let US con-
template this river of weaIth-this Missis-
sippi of money-which he saw flowing into
the pockets of the men who went forth to
fight for their country.
at the outbreak of the war the pay of a
private was 81 a month and this was all
the pecuniary inducement offered the 81 SIC
who responded to the Presidents first call
for troops. Eleven dollars month-363
cents a day-was an enormous temptation
to farmer or a mechanic to leave his COM
Portable home and take the hardships and
dangers of the field!
How his family would riot in luxury on
the compensation for military service" of
the husband and father!
But even this pampering did not satisfy
Congress 1t must surfeit them with good
things. So law was passed raising the
pay of privates $2-two great, round dollars
"a month; so that, instead of getting 363
cents day, they got 435 cents. In addition
they were to get 800 bounty for three years
service; but the prudent Treasury officials
fearful of the bad effect of such unstinted
wealth upon the young men, decided that
every one must serve at least two years be-
fore this bounty would be paid him. As
500 spread over three years is little over
9 cents day, it will be seen that the young
man who managed TO escape rebel shot and
shell, swamp-fever and consumption for SO
calendar months was in fair way to be-
come Vanderbilt or a Jay Gould.
After the war had been going on two years,
Congress inflated the gains of the men in
ranks still more by raising their pay to SIG
a month, with $500 bounty for three years
to new recruits and $500 to those who re-
enlisted. The main draw back to this gener-
osity of our lawmakers was that the paper
dollars in which the men were paid were
not worth more than two ffths as much as
they had been two years before. The aver
age value of the dollar then was about 40
cents, which would make SIG month in
1864'5 equal to about $6.4O in 1861, and
the $500 bounty equal in gold to $120.
A very large part of these men left wives
and children or mothers or other relatives at
home who had to be supported by this pay
How far did SIG month go toward support
ing a family, when -four was from SIS to SIC
barrel, butter go to rs cents pound, Goa,
$14 a ton, calico rs cents yard, moIasses
$1.75 gallon, beef and pork double and
treble the old prices? IF to-day a man were
to receive $500 bounty for entering the army
it would support his family comfortably for
say, four or 1--WE months. In 1865 it woulC
not supply them with the same necessarie!
for as many weeks.
But Mr.. Cleveland will doubtless say tina
he intended to include in this compensa
ton the enormous local bounties" o
which we have heard so much. He and thos
who have faithfully sneezed when he tool
snuff have worked this enormous loea
/ bounty" racket for all that it was worth
: They have studiously cultivated the impress
. sion that every man who enlisted receives
5 immense sums from State, County, TOWNSHIP
and municipal treasures, and from individ
c uals as stimulus to his patriotism.
? The absolute truth is, comparatively fe,
received any local bounty of consequence,
The war had been going on for more tina
r two years and nearly million and ha
men had gone to the. field before local bour
: ties began to play any part Even afte
f that they did not have one undredth {
L the importance that Mr.. Cleveland and hi
: crowd seek to give them. Forexample, Kar
sas sent 2O151 men to the field, and th
u local bounties paid aggregate $57, 407, G
t about $3.50 piece! Ohio, which paid
d greater amount for bounties than any othe