The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-01-12

is 1T ACCORDING TO AGREEMENT
The sOldier-hating papers and politicians
say that the Government owes the veterans
nothing, for it has paid them all that it
promised them, and even treated them with
lavish generosity.
We say that this is 1alse-absurdly, pre-
posterOusly false.
The soldier-haters base their arguments
upon the mean assumption that the armies
of the United States were raised like con-
tractor makes up a gang to do piece of
work-that is, that the men entered the
army because the pay and employment were
better than they could obtain elsewhere;
and that when they were discharged at the
close of the war, with pay according to the
pay-table of the United States Army, they
were in precisely the same position of
gang of laborers who are discharged when
the railroad they were hired to build is fin
ished, with their wages in full according to
the agreed-upon rate.
Nothing can be farther from the truth
than this belittling assumption.
At the outbreak Of the war the men who az
terward constituted the army were allin much
pleasanter and more lucrative employment
than bearing arms So little relish had they
for the employment and pay of soldiers that
the United States had the greatest difficulty
in finding enough men in all our population
of 100000 to keep fall the ranks of its
little Regular Army. Of 10000. Every man
IN the country capable Of carrying a musket
could find an abundance of employment
preferable in every material way to service
in the ranks even in time of peace-to say
nothing of war times.
There was no thought when the volunteers
were called for that the meager pay of a sol
der was in any shape or manner compen-
sation. 1t was distinctly understood on all
sides-it was constantly reiterated by the
press, by the Government officials, by the
public speakers-that every man who en-
listed made sacrifice. He was to sacrifice
not only the comforts OF home and the salts
faction of following congenial pursuit, but
he must also make a sacrifice of money
rewards and the opportunities of acquiring
a competence He was constantly adjured
that patriotic duty demanded this sacrifice
Of him. The young farmer was implored to
sacrifice the development of his farm, the
merchant the upbuilding of his business, the
lawyer his practice, the mechanic his factory
TO accept the poverty wages of common
soldier in order to save the country.
Had The Government had 10 rely upon merel!
uoney inducements to bring from their home
The 2, $4,000 men it put into the field. The publ
dc5t ,OouEd haze been quqdrap5ed, and the, cOan
try broken do.cn under It's enormous aoeighk
The country appealed to the generosity 0
its sons, and it promised similar generosit!
in return. There can be no successful denia
that it at least stipulated in the most solemn
manner to make proper provision for thos
who should become-by reason Of thei
: service iucapacitated from making thei
own livelihood as well as they did befor
entering its service. Let US see how it la
0 carried out this solemn stipulation. 1t ha
: to-day on its pension-rolls 297, 726 men VIII
+ have-after surmounting inconeeivable tech
q nical obstacles-succeeded in proving thu
T they were seriously injured in fighting til
4 battles which saved the country from d
; struction. Has it generously made good {
these deserving men, as far as money coul
e go, the impairment to their wage-earnir
e ability caused by their faithful service
But we viii not go so far as to say gene
ousEy--we viii only ask if it has even q
tempted TO do this justly. Let us see:
= OF the 297,726 "invalids on the ro
= ], 131 are given the ridiculous sum of 81
Z" month! One gets SIPS; SIX. get S1.s2 al
3G,s23 get 81 Is not the mere stateme
~ OF this fact sufficient to show the ridieulo
ty of any talk about "justice and layi
- generosity" Where is man SO brazen-fac
= as to claim that 81 month--less thar
&c cents day-to veteran who can pro
- physical injuries incurred in the service,
- anything but a dishonest and contemptil
evasion of the Governments obligations
- It's faithful seryitors2
Ve When we examine the list still farther
y find that the table runs as follows:
W. No. Pensioners. Monthly Peiss
ad s2.l2
.he a aa-