Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1893-06-23
Some Pertinent Remarks Made BY
Senator Worst In His Address
Decoration Day.
No Space For Them Then, But Too
Good To Be Lost, They Are
Published Now.
Various Items of Local Interest For
the Perusal of Readers of the
Tribune.
Regarding Pensions.

.
In his splendid address to the old sol.
diers on Decoration Day, Hon. ]. n.
Worst spoke at some length regarding
the pension question, and in a hammer
that brought forth much praise from the
old soldier element and other loyal citi-
zens. Space did not permit of but a
brief mention at the time, but the sena-
tors remarks on the question were too
good to be lost and they are therefore
published at this time:
I will venture n step further to-day,
and assert that this government owes
her surviving soldiers, as we'll as the
widows and orphans of those who fell in
battle or were victims of the prison pen
and hospital a debt, deeper, more tan
glble and substantial than can be paid
with mere expressions of gratitude.
When u government was tottering
and ready to fall-two things were abso.
lutely essential to its survival-money
and soldiers.
Millionalres who lived in splendid
mansions, and who Jared sumptuously
every day, loaned the government money
at a high rate of interest-as a business
speculation-while they themselves re-
manned in safe places and clipped their
coupons enthusiastically. That was
their contribution toward saving the
government-motive and all-and no
sane man will question it's vital i'm
portance. q
These men and their comrades left
their business, their loved ones and
every earthly comfort for the dangers of
the battlefield and all the horrors of war
as an act of patriotism-to supply the
soldiers. Their joy was only nominal.
They did not enlist for purposes of
speculation but as patriots. For four
years they endured every hardship,
braved every danger and faced every
peril until our flag triumphed over
rebellion and the nation was purged of
treason. That was their contribution
motive and all-toward saving the union.
When the war was over this govern
ment owed her b%ondholders almost three
billion dollars and to her soldiers-many
would have you believe, she owed a lot
OF panegyrics, eulogies, songs, tafy, and
other valuable truck of that description.
Shortly after the close of the war
when u public debt was enormous and
the country was impoverished and shat
tered by the %desolation of war, there was
talk Of repudiating the public debt in
some unpatriotic quarters. Some would
be public leaders argued that the rich
bondholders could better afford to lose
their money than we could afford to pay
it.
It was then that the soldier element
came to the bondholder's rescue, aud
practically said: "We saved this union
from it's enemies; now it's friends shall
not disgrace it through reputation.
Pay every dollar the government owes,
principal and interest, precisely as the
government agreed to. We will wait"
Our government then grappled with
that enormous debt and bore it like a
young Hercules, until 1t has been prac.
tically wiped out of existence, and that
enormous creditor that helped to save
the government-as a business PROPOSE
tion-is about satisfied.
But how about that other creditor
the patriotic creditor-the soldier.
In 1867 the interest on the public debt
was about $147, 100000 per year, while
the total pension roll amounted to only
s20,000,OW per annum. The business
creditor as against the patriotic creditor
had the best of it by about 127, 1000, 900 a
year.
To-day, the fiction Of national suicide
on account Of enormous pension rolls is
simply q reversal Of conditions, for now
the soldier gets about S167,OOO,OO O per
year, and the bondholder only about
$~25,000,000 per annum.
With our enormous increase in wealth
and population 1t seems strange that the
burden should seem 90 much greater to
pay the soldier s16O,O0O,O0O in the form
of pensions in 1893 than to pay an equal
sum to spectators in the form of TO-
terest in 1867.
But the government has demonstrated
her gratitude and honor by repudiating
neither the soldier nor the bondholder,
even if the soldier had to wait until the
last.
But the debt to the soldier can never
be paid; it is incompatible; it cannot be
calculated, and yet there are those who
complain even now Of the pensions that
are paid. If could collect all the 3D.
ponents of pensions-all who are in
favor of repudiating the soldier after his
dangers are over and the bondholder is
paid, I would submit these questions.
Where we're you during the war?
When these men were tramping
through the southern camps in search
of rebels, what was your mode of con.