The National tribune., 1891-07-09
THE VETERANS AS BUILDERS UP OF
TIE NATION.


prcciate your splendid editorials IN defense Il the
| soldiers right to all the pension lac can get, aud
your cpustic replies 10 the solderhutcrs; but do
1 not think you or anybody else hss enlarged or
/ brought forward prominently enough the fact that
I TIE soldiers themselves, since returning 10 c!NH
lc, have been one 81 te great factors iu pushing
| forward National prosperity, aud have paid
thcr share 81 the bonoholdcrs' debt, and also the
pensions Of tlcir unfortunate comrades in adj
di'fon 10 pcriiiug their lives md throwing away
the Young minis chances of getting forward Ia life
1 us regards place aud fortune
! Who has done more toward settling and putting
/ in taNpUying shape the pIum Wcslg What class
/ OF men have been more prominent IN mercantile
on mechanical aud an industrial enterprises than
! the -s0idiuIs2
hope 10 see ilis subject enlarged and brought
/ prominently before thc people. This is the icAi'
/ They not only per,led lIie and fortune, but have
doue more than iler share toward r"sing the
! debt GUBEET d.. DE'WsG.
Co. j, I5,h y. a., sins sing, \. \.
Our correspondent is partly in error in
regard to our failure to impress upon the
country the work done by the discharged
soldiers in building up her prosperity and
making good the rayages Of war We have
frequently pointed this out, but that we
have not done it often or strongly enough is
/ altogether true. That would be impossible
for the ablest writer who ever welded
pen.
The fact is inccntcsuble that the survivors
Of the 100000 men who fought the battles
Of the Union formed the bulk Of the great
wcalth-producing army Of the country for
at least a decade after the close Of the war.
The people Of the Sou,h-white and black
did very little beyond supporting them
selves in a shidless, haqhazard way. Butthe
young men who had dcl,d the blue threw
themselves into every form Of industry and
trade with an energy that the world never
saw eg1alied. They deyelopt old farms and
opened up millions OF acres Of new ones.
They projected and built thousands Of miles
ofrailroads, they started towns, they opened
mincs and cut down forests; established
factories and opened up new lines Of pro-
duction Of vast importance. They were the
heart and soul, the brain and Drawn of every
element in the country's wonderful progress
in the years immediately succeeding the
war. Their service had given them conf
dence in themselves; il had widened their
mental horizons; given them larger and
more progressive ideas; had taught them the
value Of organization aud concerted effort
and made things seem possible TO them that
they would never have attempted without
that experience When the country's army
q producers was reinforced by their2 600 900
ardent hearts, the effect was magical, and
they were soon bearing The heat and burden
Of the peaceful struggle, as they had done Of
that in The field.
Another fact Of vast importance that the
country forgets is that these men. who were
the bulk Of the producers Of the country
bore The great burden Of paying The crush
ing taxes Of those years, aud Of placing tie
country In a solvent condition. The region
lately in rebellion paid but small portion
Of the National income. The revenue sys-
tenn affected them but little, while the dis
charged volunteer az the North was con-
tributing to the Treasury in some shape or
another every waking hour. He paid taxes
on the matches with which he lighted his
fire in the morning; on the kerosene his
young wife burned in the lamp while cook
ing his breakfast; on the steak she brolcd;
the salt size spliakled over il; on the vine
gar in the cruet; on the cup Of coffee that
she set before him, and The sugar ne put into
IL; on the clothes be and she and their child
wore; On the bed they slept on, the shoes
they walked out IN, The tickets they bought
az the railroad Office, and SO on through
their every step. Even the soothing sirup
with which they stiiod their babe at mid
night was taxed. The tax-gathercr was
ever present in some shape OF another
The internal revenue staraD Was almost
80. All a. AttiiN a III va VIC 8DtA1 AllkJ DuA-
chased as the selling mark. OGihis burden
the South bore but a small portion, because
they bought few manufactured articles there
in those days. The great sometimes
estimated as high as fourteen Gfecuihs-
was on the Aorh, and on those weIth-pro-
duccrs who had recently been IN the Union
armies. How ouerous ihose taxes were the
present generation has no conception. Yet
they were paid with "A cheerful, patriotic
spirit because il was felt that this was
necessary 10 the coun,ry's salvation. The
men who had fought four years to save the
Nations life were willing to give literally
Of the fruits Of their toll 10 save her financial
honor. The veterans felt that their patriotic
duty did not cease when thcy were mustered
outi it only changed in form Of action.
Az AMENDE.
The SoultreHsra Christian l3uooale Of
Ncw OrleqUs-lLc rryap ~ IA. ,,lr,s