The National tribune., 1904-01-07
TIE SIMPLE JUSTICE OF A SERVICE
PENSION.

In its dire need for money, the Govern
ment could make scarcely any return to the
men whom it called to its rescue. It sore
|ly needed every cent that it could get to
pay for their food, clothing, and ammuni-
ton; to equip battleships, and to pay
principal and interest upon the money it
had already borrowed. 1t appealed to it's
sons to sacrifice everything in order to save
it. and to look to it's justice and gratitude
lafterward.
As the war progressed, and the greater
number of the active wage-earners of the
country entered the army in response to
the Nations call. the sacrifices they made
became very much greater.
| Before the war the wages for unskilled
labor were from so cents to Is cents day.
and the men of this class who went into
the army at $11 per month, receiving there
with food, clothing, lodging. and medical
attendance, did about as well, if not lit
tie better, than if they had stayed at
home and worked on the farm or a railroad
grade. In fact, this was the basis upon
which the pay of the army was arranged
Therefore, in accepting this pay, the volun-
teers at the outset had to make great
descent from the rewards they received at
home for their work. very large pro-
portion of them we're skilled laborers, re-
ceiving high wages. Those who were farm
ers were equally skilled laborers, and
ranked with mechanics, artisans, superin-
tendents and professional men, for they
were managing their own farms, from
which they received profits and emolu-
ments greatly exceeding those paid to the
average "hired hand"
Even in those days of small incomes
theirs ranged from $50 to $4,000 year,
which would be equivalent to double that
amount to-day. All this they gave up in
order to enter the army. AS the war
progressed the wage-earners became scare
er. Those who resisted the Nations inl-
portunities and remained at home got an
enormous increment, for wages went up
by leaps and bounds. A skilled mechanic.
who would have done well to work for 81 80
per day in 1860, turned up his nose at less
than $3 in 1863, and was presently receiv-
ing So day in 1865.
1t was the same with farmers. Where
a farmer was glad to sell his wheat for
81 bushel in 1859. he wanted about SD
a bushel in 1855 Some of it actually
sold for S345. Wool had been q cents
per pound; it became 80. Mess pork sold
for SLIGO barrel in 1859. 1t brought
$43.25 in 1864. Corn was worth 4S cents
la bushel in New York in 1861, and $1.97
in 1864. Mess beef sold as low as $3.50
= Al
close of the war brought $2S. Butter sold
as low as 8 cents pound in 1861, but
brought 60 cents at the close of the war.
Oats sold in New York for 80 cents a
bushel in 1860, and for $1.02 at the close
of the war.
In the meanwhile the money in which
the volunteers were paid went down nearly
as rapidly as the home wages went up. In
1851 the pay of the private soldier was
raised to- $13 per month, but the depreeia-
ton of the greenback in which he was paid
soon reduced this value to S11. Congress
made feeble effort to adjust matters in
1864 by raising the pay to Sic per month,
but as the greenback fell during the year
to 50 cents. this did not represent more
than Sc of actual value.
This burden of the difference between the
wages the volunteers would have received
at home and what they actually received
in the army, amounted to billions of dollars.
and was borne wholly by the soldiers
who were fighting the battles of the Union.
1t amounted to even much more than the
| money which the bondholders lent to the
Government to carry on the war. That is,
where the bondhoIders lent money to the
Government, they were eventually paid
baek-four or FIVE, possibly six, times their
iendiAsns swhile the men who enlisted to
| fight the battles of the Union made none
tary sacrifices incomparably greater than
was represented by the actual lendings Of
the moneyed men, and they received back
nothing. In making this statement it must
be borne in mind that the amount paid
| for pensions is no Offset whatever. The
pensions are paid in consequence of con-
tract, allowing for. the physical impair
ments which the soldiers received while in
the service. No account is taken of the
financial sacrifices made by every man who
left farm, shop, an Office, or a work
bench to enter the army.
We have heard much of the big boun-
ties paid to induce enlistments. As a
matter Of actual and indisputable fact
these bounties were paid to very small
proportion of the men who enlisted. The
great body of the volunteers got nothing
beyond the 500 bounty offered by the
Government.
i 1t may be well to reproduce here table
which We have before given of what the
average private soldier actually received
for his three years service:
Eighteen months pay at $13 per
month .................. $2340O
month ..'... @ 2ssoc
Three years clothing, at $3.50
/ year lZG.Ol
Three years rations, at % per
4 DAY Zt4.W
Bounty ..................., 10000
Additional bounty .ss.Is>A.>- 1OO.O(
4 Total Observation-Disclosures. 81 yO82.5f
i As every man, who entered the army was
officially certified to by the Surgeon 81