The National tribune., 1889-12-05
THE RECORD OF TEN YEARS.


money to carry on the war, received in gold
as interest $13, 1o0,345. That year the men
who had been crippled by the terrible fight
ing on the Peninsula, at Bull Run, Antie-
tam, Fort Donelson, Shiloh and elsewhere,
received in pensions s52,170 paper dollars
worth IS cents each-or equivalent to S749,-
S4S in gold. That is, in the direst need of
the Nation, the money lenders drew from
the Treasury as interest more than IL times
as much as was paid to maintain those who
had been stricken down in the struggle.
In 1863 the interest paid the money-lend-
ers in gold was $24, TBS, 7O1, while the broken
warriors of Charlottesville, Fredericksburg,
Stone River, Chickamauga and Mission
Ridge received 1,078,513 paper dollars
worth that year, on an average, SO cents-or
an equivalent to 1874, 165 in gold. That is,
the money-changers in the temple received
35 times as much as those who fell fighting
for their safety.
| e
while the pension agents doled out to those
who were manned by shot and shell in the
Wilderness and on the Atlanta Campaign.
4,9S5,474 paper dollars-worth from 80 to
ga cents average 49)-or equivalent to
$2,411 $40. That year the money changers
got 20 times as much as the disabled fighting
men and the widows and orphans of the
dead.
In 1865 the gold payments of interest had
swelled to ST., 10000, while the pensioners
received 16,3l7,621 paper dollars, worth from
43 cents before Lee surrendered, to 68 cents
after the last gun was fred-average price
during theyear CD cents-which would make
the total payment equal to $10,298 1888.
The money-changers thus got "a times as
much as the broken-dow volunteers and
their dependent ones.
In 1856 the bondholders got $133 O67, 325
gold "a interest. The pensioners got S15,-
6O6,55O In paper dollars, worth about 66a
cents-or $1o,o45,324. That is, during that
year over IL times as much was paid the men
who lent the money, as interest, than was
paid the men who gave limbs and health to
save the country.
The next year, 1867, the money-lenders
were paid Si43,7s1 500 in gold as interest,
and the disabled soldiers received $40, 936, $50
in paper dollars. As these had now risen TO
be worth 70 cents, the gold value of the
payment was SIS, O74, $50, so that the money
lenders received between nine and 10 times
as much as the men who had saved the
Nation.
In 1868 the interest in gold paid the
money-lenders was $40, 424, 046, while the
pensioners were given 23,7s2, 3S7 paper dol
lars worth then II eents-or SIG $50, 433 in
all. Thus, in that year bondholders got
nearly nine times rs much as the men who
were crippled or disabled in fighting to make
the bonds worth their face in gold
In 1859 the interest paid the bondholders
lin gold-was s13O,694, 243, while the total
payment to pensioners was SIS, 470, 622-in
paper dollars, then worth IS centa-or ST.
352, $50 in gold. That year the money-lend-
ers received over six times as much as the
veterans
In 1870 the money-lenders were paid as
interest, in gold, sl29,2s 1913, while PEN
sioners were paid 2s,340,2o2 paper dollars,
worth 81 cents, or equivalent to sd, 655, 974.
The bondholders therefore received nearly
six times as much as the veterans.
In 1871 bondholders received In gold
$i25,576,566 as interest, while the pension
ers were paid S4,443,s95 paper dollars
worth 50 cents-or equivalent TO S3l, 654 $50
in gold. That is, the money lenders got four
times as much as the veterans.
Thus, in the 10 years Immediately follow
ing the opening of the struggle, the money
lenders received in interest on their loans
the enormous amount of $971 ,s37. 1913 in
Boi"t "HSlS bhc LncH VINO Hau suffered cru
ely in body and health, and the widows
and orphans of those who had fallen, had
received, in gold value, but $l33. SOL 500. or
less than one-seventh the interest paid the
money-lenders.
Even this startling showing does not begin
to tell the tenth of the advantages enjoyed
by the men who lent money over those who
gave the Nation life, limbs, health and de-
voted service.
In all, the bondholders lent s., 3s3, 033, 325
in greeHbacks. The average value of the
greenback in those years was about 66a
cents, making the total gold value of their
loans about $l,5ss,6ssss2. In 10 years
they received in addition to the In
terest above stated $423, 1874, 73e of the
principal, making the total payment
81 1896, l72,5 64, or with the increase in
the value of their bonds, more in gold
than they had originally lent, and the bonds
which they retained still exceeded in
value that of their original loan