The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-04-21
EQUALIZATION OF BOUNTY.
4 Comrade Who Would Be Willing to Be Paid
with Silver Dollars.


EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: As have not
troubled you since July %, 1891, when you so
kindly inserted my article on the Equalization
of Bounties," which article desired to catch
the eye OF the Hon. w. s. Holman, of Indiana,
who has in this present session introduced a
bill with the above title, and hope he will see
to its passage, for | think every Senator or
member of the House should stand as sponsor
for all he introduces and not leave it to die, for
want of attention, in the different asylums
called committee rooms" The above bill has
now had long rest of about % years, and its
failure thus far has been shifted from one party
to the other; for the common soldier, like the
mule, is a beast of burden and has no friends.
In my article of July %, 1891, gave an esti-
mate of the cost of the additional bounty for
the Regulars and volunteers at S3i, 600; not
over that amount. Perhaps it is contended
against ON the ground that there is not the
money in the Treasury to pay it.
Now, know plan to pay this bounty with
out single dollar to be paid at the present
time. Let the present Congress- all votes are
welcome" from both parties, Alliance and In
dependent included-pass bill authorizing the
Secretary of the Treasury to issue bonds of
500 each, at $3.65 per annum to run for 20
years, 80 that the children's children Of the
present generation would not only read with
interest" the history of the great war, but
have the pleasure of paying the principal"
We soldiers also know that when anything
In favor of an officer or officers, or widow or
widows of officers is introduced there never
was lack of votes, no matter what party was
in power. l am entitled to 500 bounty, and
am even willing to take it in silver dollars, for
L am not worshiper of the golden calf" OF
Wall street, New York. Those men are the
enemies of all who work for their living; they
are vultures in human shape, robbers in broad
CLOTH They have their agents in the halls Of
A. n Al.
that the silver dollar IS worth only 70 cents,
when they, who want the gold dollar for the
only current coin, could not pay 10 cents on
the dollar now affoat in paper as.the represent
alive of that coin. Those opposed to free
coinage speak Of cheap money; there is no
such thing as that. Whether potatoes, apples,
or grain plenty or scarce, the bushel meas
ure is always the same, fixed by law the
price onl y varies. So it is, and should be, with
the gold or silver dollar. Congress prescribes
its weight and fneness aud 100 cents its valne.
The gold dollar has no right to be above 100
cents; it has never done duty as a circulating
medium in war or peace; it never has shown
its face outside Of lock and key, except to the
bondholder; its stock in trade is credit, conf
dence. and time.
l wish to say to my friends or comrades OF
the GAR who have listened to gold mission
aries like the Hon. NJ. ID. Harter, of Ohio, that
a pensioner, at the rate OF 81 would only re-
ceiVe s.. 80, gold value. If the Hon. M. ID. II
Is so worried about the pensioners being
cheated, why not turn about and let him intro
duce q bill, or otherwise by joint resolution
enact law that all pensions shall be paid in
gold coin-not gold certificates, but the solid
stuff, just to try his sincerity and love for the
soldier.
Another silly argument is that the Secretary
of the Treasury would be By law compelled to
pay $1.29 per ounce for pure silver which is
not so, for he is not buying bullion, and would
only give coin certificates for what the owner
of the bullion would be entitled to when the
bullion is coined into dollars, halves. or quar-
tiers, or dimes. And, furthermore, there is no
danger that this country would become the
dumping ground of the Old Worlds silver;
they need it themselves, for | have been there
and know 1t.
The free coinage act does not say that gold
will be paid but it says coin notes, payable in
gold or silver at the option Of the Government
So you see you cannot take what you want, but
take what you can get. Now, just for the fun
Of the thing, let Congress pass the free-coinage
act and give liberal pensions, and pass the
bounty act and remove the limitation of the
act of 1879 and pay it in coin notes
or silver certificates. / want to sec those |
Posts who oppose free silver make a do /!
nation to the Government of their share In
pensions, bountes, and back pay, and only ask
for marble slab over their graves inscribed,
I'VE died with gold promises."-M J. DEPONAI,
of James A. Garfield Post, Z, GAR, Washing
ton ID. c.