Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1896-10-01
THE PENsIONER.
A Complete Answer to One OF the Special
Pleas Of the Goldites.

sioner Is perhaps the most reprehensible.
From whatever standpoint we approach
1t the plea is not only devoid of merit
in economies, but it is open to the se-
verest condemnation because of the
spirit in which il is made.
In the first place the millionaire
bankers who, the world over, are at the
head of the gold standard movement
endeavor to delude the old soldier into
the belief that they are peculiarly and
exclusively his friends Men who vir-
tually control the worlds limited sup
ply of gold, and who realize millions of
dollars profit on single bond dicker,
seek to make it appear that policy
which gives them such advantages is
just the thing for an IS per month pen.
sioner The fact that all of their inter.
ests lie on the side of appreciating gold,
while the pensioners $8 per month is
generally but a small part of his inter.
ests, is studiously kept out of sight Let
Us make a comparison. A mans wealth
consists mostly Of money and money OBJ.
legations, and it amounts to- we will
say, 81, 900, 900. If that money can be
so appreciated as to add 10 per cent to
its purchasing power it is equivalent tc
adding 800, 900 to his wealth. The
same process will, of course, increase
the purchasing power of the old sol.
dier's pension. His $S will be enhanced
nd hannn,a u
the millionaire says to the old soldier:
''Pard, our interests are identical. We
are both of US benefited by big dollars.
make 800, 900 on my money invested;
you make 80 cents month on your
pension. Hurrah for honest money
Shakei"
But it so happens that the pensione,
owns a little farm worth perhaps So, 900. |
As the money goes up the prices Of his
products go down. A crop that was
worth last year $500 shrinks to $3.50, |
and the farm itself drops in the same
on his pension and lost 81 a month on
his crop Ultimately he may lose his |
farm through inability to pay the mort
gage, if there happen to be one on it. |
"Oh," says his banker friend, ''that |
cannot be helped, it is simply the vicis-
situde of fortune. You see there is over
production Of the things you are raising.
Hence the low prices. But don't think
of that Just look at the big dollars
you are getting on pension account
But" replies the pensioner. ''these
big dollars will not pay any more
debts or taxes than they used to when
they were not SO big, and as result
have lost my home. WELL" answers
the banker, that is too bad, of course,
but then you know we must have hon
est money, and we are determined that
you shall not be swindled by these sill
yer knaves on your pension. That must
be held sacred"
Again, this plea to the pensioner pro-
ceeds upon the theory that the old sol.
dier is thoroughly and unconscionably
selfish. That no matter how blighting
the effect upon the nation, how de-
struetive to the prosperity of his friends
and neighbors the gold standard may
be, the veteran who risked his life for
his country's salvation is perfectly in
different to it's prosperity now and ut
terly callous to the suffering around
him so long as he can get his pension
Of SO, SS or $l2 month in appreciated
money.
Every pensioner in the country ought
to. and every really deserving pensioner
will, resent such an imputation upon his
patriotism.
The pensioner is entitled to ''honest
dollars" but he is not entitled to any
thing more. A dollar that is growing
bigger all the time is not honest, and
neither the pensioner nor any other per-
son has right to exact pay in such
money.
The writer is not himself a pensioner,
but he was AN humble member of the
army of the Union, and his heart beats
in perfect sympathy with every just and
proper measure for the benefit of his
comrades in arms But he knows that
an appreciating standard Of values ex-
torts from every debtor more than he
owes, burdens every taxpayer with mort
than he ought to pay, and robs every
honest producer Of portion of his just
due. A system that leads to such results
must be destructive of national prosper
ity and cannot be defended upon any
principle ever taught by the Saviour of
man.
If, in any case, the old soldiers pen
sion Is too small, let it be increased, but
it should never be allowed to increase
by rise In the purchasing power of
money, for rise Of money means a
fall in the prices Of those things out Of
which the pension must be paid.
If the pensioner expects to retain his
hold upon the affections of the Ameri-
can people, who so ungrudgingly con-
tribute to the payment of his monthly |
allowance, he must place himself on the
loftiest plane Of patriotism and prove |
by his actions that he loves his country
as we'll now as he did in the days of
long ago.
Every day men come into this Office
wearing free silver buttons and Grand |
Army badges side by side on their |
breasts. and it is pleasure to believe
that in this great battle for struggling |
humanity the veterans of the Union |
army will not be blinded by gilt edged |
rhetoric, by appeals to the war spirit of
former days, or, what is infinitely worse !
than either, by arguments addressed to