The advocate., 1891-07-29
WHO OWNS THE CORNR


We find the following selection In the V1'd'-
Gator, Of Valley Falls. It is about the best
presentation Of the pension question we have
seen:
Colonel J. W. H. Reisinger, editor OF
the Meadville Gazette, himself a gallant
soldier from start to finish during the
war, presents the pension question to his
readers in a recent article, which he has
headed, "Who Owns the Cornw He
says:
A number of men once uron time went
into the woods to make settlement. They
took up large farm, cleared it off and pre-
pared to plant it in corn. About this time
the Indians appeared in the vicinity and it
became dangerous to work in the field. The
settlers divided their force. One half OF
them took their guns, went into the woods
surrounding the clearing and patrolled,
while the other half planted, hoed, gathered
and husked the corn. Now can there be
any question as to who owned that corn?
It may be said with some show of fairness
that the men who kept off the Indiapa
owned 'arger share than those who took
the safer place in the corn field, but GER
tainly they don't own any less.
The above may, or may not have occurred,
but the following did certainly occur, as
many living witnesses can attest: The
United States government was threatened
with destruction by something far worse
than Indians. A million aud upwards of
the citizens took their guns and went into
the woods and kept a line between the
northern states and the hordes of rebels
who threatened the destruction of the gov
ernment and of the lives and property of it's
people. They pushed the line south as far
as possible and finally compelled the ene-
mics of the government to disband.
In the meantime the people who stayed at
home planted, hOed and gathered corn.
They built railroads and manufacturing es-
Establishments. They put up fine houses and
dressed themselves in fine linen and purple
and Jared sumptuously every day and Sum
days. They became bloated bondholders,
and the government was filed to overflow
ing with what they were enabled to gather
together by the fact that the soldiers were
in the woods Watching the Indians. Now,
who owns the corn2
1t has been decided by Congress time and
again that the fellows who stayed in safe
place and worked the cOrnaeld own the en-
tire crop, and that, when the other fellows
ask any of it the granting of il is public
charity, something like bunk at the poor
house or a cold bite at the kitchen door. In
that war some men loaned the government
money, while others loaned their services,
and many loaned their lives and never got
them back. Wives loaned their husbands,
fathers and mothers their children, sisters
their brothers and girls their sweethearts;
and, though three hundred thousand Of them
were never brought back, there has been
little attempt to make the loss up and no
"act to strengthen the public credit" by
putting their claims on gold basis.
The question of pensions is simply ques-
tiOn of the division of the corn, and when
any party arrives to that pitch of patriotism
or good sense which shall prompt them to a
promise of fair division Of the corn, and
the half million survivors Ct the men who
watched the Indians are going to vote with
that party. There is another point in the
programme which ought to be looked after.
The various acts TO strengthen the public
credit and to pay the interest on certain
claims in gold may or may not be night, but
they comport badly with the absolute re-
pudiation of the soldiers pension claim If