The Indianapolis journal., 1898-01-31
GOVERNMENT OBLIGATIONS.
Fair Treatment for the BOndhOIder
and for the Soldier.

To the Editor Of the indianapolis Journal:
1mo very important questions are now
being seriously agitated finance and pen
sions. / use the word agtated because
think much of the discussion partakes of
the nature of agitation rather than sensible
argument, and because it tends to build
UP one and pull down the other. This gov
ernment must deal fairly and honorably
with both questions, and any attempt to
exalt the one and belittle the other will
result injuriously to the honor ard integrity
of the government and the people. l can
not see any more sacredness hedging about
the obligations of the government to the
bondholder than to the old soldier, after
dinner speeches to the contrary notwith-
standing. We can, if we will, discharge
every obligation to the entire satisfaction
of both the interested parties without op-
pressing the people, and in the full dis
charge of these duties the people will be
more prosperous and the government
strengthened with itself, with its citizens
and with other nations. Our people are in
dustrious and intelligent, energetic and pa
triotic, honest and fair dealing, and we have
everything within ourselves to enable us to
discharge every obligation and make and
Keep US prosperous and happy. Mugwumps,
->AAS5oNCS d1lO ISluSGeS SnOulQ never De al
lowed to dictate party policy or national
legislation. But 1 am very much afraid this
class of people are intimidating both parties
and Congress. The great Republican party
can much better afford to pass out of power
forever and live on the glory of its past
achievments than to be false to its record
and false to its trust, and finally pass into
obscurity, in infamy and disgrace 1 am
thoroughly convinced that the man who has
no political abiding place, no party home,
mas no business to thrust his opinions and
hotlons upon others any more than the
nhdeI has to dictate creeds for the Chris
liaI. we nave been listening to this class
oi people TOO long, until we have brought
ABOUT a condition of things that borders
upon the serious. Our personal independ-
ence is beginning to partake largely OF the
nature or klngIy perogra ives. This class
OF people, because they have been listened
10, are Degmnng to assume the role of
1nanlpulators and dictators, and are trying
20 MI the minds of the people with all sorts
OF notions, breeding distrust and dissatis-
iactlon everywhere. We have a paper in
lnis CITY claiming TO be independent, having
neither politics nor religion, yet finding more
fault and doing more debating and more
Dossing than all the other city papers put
tosether. ms paper takes pride in talking
about the sacred obligations of the govern
ment to the bondhoider, and publishing the
nst of pensioners of the last war as a black
nst, treasury looters. Esq. Pease who had
ms right thigh bone shot away at Gettys-
ourg, whose blood was shed upon that
glorious battlefield and who mas suffered
All theSe long years untold pain and torture
Tor all of which the gold of the Klondike
eouid not half repay him, is in this would
be blacklist. Shame on such contemplate
dirty business Mr.. Editor, | am inclined to
swear little right here, but you are quite
mandy with your scratch pencil, and [ will
content myself by asking the reader saint
or sinner, TO raise little hell in his own
mlnd nlnd when he comes to this part of my
letter Nose McLain, Dan Ransdell, Cap
tam webster and others whom 1 know and
loVe so well, with arms and legs gone MANY
years ago, now ridiculed and held up as
treasury looterS. If this is fair treatment
common decency, why not also publish side
by side with these men the names of the
men who purchased government bonds dur
ing the war at 33 cents on the dollar, and
VINO all these years have been drawing
ana per cent. interest on 100 cents on the
dolar, and are now clamoring for the pound
OF nesh? II this dirty sheet doesn't care to
DO TINS Will 1t please publish a list of the
names of the men who purchased govern
ment bonds during the war as a gratuity.
and not as a speculation. And for every
name so published [ will show you a crown
IN glory. L want the government to meet
every obligation in full with 100-cent dol
!arS; l want it to be supreme and perfect
IN every particular; that is what we fought
for, but also want it known that the OBJ
ilgatlon to the old soldier Is just as sacred
and binding as any other obligation under
the sun, and but for him we would not
nave any government or government bonds
Their limbs and their blood made sure the
payment of every obligation and gave our
government supremacy and authority it
had never known before. may have more
GEORGE w. SPAHR.
Indianapolis Jan. 30