The National tribune., 1897-06-17


average, for his three years service:
Additional bounty 10000
Eighteen months pay at $13
month 23i.00
Eighteen mnnihs' pay at SIC =. 2s6.0o
Three years clothing at $40 so 1880
Three yeors' board at % cents day 273 IS
Total s1,123.25
Now, each one of these men was an
exceptionally strong, vigorous youth, of
much energy of character. The Sur
geons made a careful examination as to
his physical soundness before he was al
lowed to be mustered in, and the battles
that he fought, the marches that be
made, the hard=hips that he endured
are sufficient testimony both as TO his
physical powers and his force of char
acter. Consequently, had he staid at
home he would have commanded the
highest wages in the market.
Those wages ran all the way from 50
and $3.50 day for unskilled laborers
to So and Sc for skilled mechanics, such
as great portion of the Union soldiers
were We shall not go far amiss if we
assume that the average Union soldier
would have earned 500 month if he
had stayed at home, or So, $40 for the
three years IF we allow literally for
his food and clothing, we shall still find
that the stay-at-home was yet at least
81, 500 ahead of the soldier in the way
of wages received at the end of three
years, without counting as anything the
superior pleasantness and safety of life
far in the rear of the stormy battle-line.
Therefore, it is easy to see that every
man who served bis country three years
made an actual donation to the Govern
nient, in addition to fighting its battles,
of at least $1,000 in wages that he
voluntarily surrendered. The great ma
jority Of them gave much more than
this, for they surrendered business
chances, opportunities for settling them
selves in life, for gaining an education
or experience, ETC., that represented far
more than that figure.
But if We take the average of 81, 800
for each man and multiply it by
2,320,272, We get the enormous total
of So, 400, 100000.
Now, the highest point reached by
the bonded debt was $3.50, 900, 900.
So We can at once see that the soldiers
of the Union donated to the Govern
ment they saved more than billion
dollars more than the Jondholders
lent It.
For the s2,350,o00,ooo in depreci-
ated paper dollars that the bondholders
lent the Government they have received
back more than s5,ooo.OOO,oOO in gold,
or its equivalent
1t was right and proper that the Gov
eminent should literally reimburse the
money-lenders for the sums which they
advanced it in its hour of need. AS
Senator Hawley pertinently said at the
time, "Uncle Sam must be gentleman. u
He could not afford to haggle and
quibble when the day of settlement
came, but must pay principal and in.
terest according TO the face of his notes
/ The veterans themselves, who had re-
turned home and become the great body
of the producers of the country, cheer
fully accepted this view, and proudly
bore the most onerous taxation in order
to pay the bondholders in gold to the
last cent of the stipulated principal anc
interest. 1t was their unanimous senti
ment and their solid votes that sustained
the Government in its determination t.
maintain the highest standard of fnan
cial honor and that gave the bondholder
such ample remuneration for their a.
sistance to the country.
! Having done this-hayipp contributed