Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-01-17
Photos By American Pre-. Associates.

your part OF the contract? Go witness
the dying rebellion on the fields OF
Mobile and Petersburg; behold the
stars and stripes floating once more
without star effaced or stripe OBJ
secured; then you get the correct an
swer.
But how about the other party to the
contract? The standard American dol
lar in 1861 was composed of 171A
grains Of pure silver or its equivalent.
This Was the standard dollar and the
basis of all business transactions. The
government failed and paid the SOL
diers in a deprecated currency, ana
that without their consent, and never
made the dollar good. But everyone
who did business with the government.
except the soldier, was paid for his
wares on a gold and sil"er basis. The
contractor, the teamster. the mechanic
that built ships or bridges, the bond
holder Who loaned the government mon
ey were all paid on the basis OF the
standard dollar. The average yaiue-of
the Ereenback in war times was: In W,
$50; in '63, $50; in ga. 1872. The av-'
erage value Of the paper dollar: during
the four years OF the war was 67.5.
This writer received from the govern :;
ment for his four years service in
wa ges and bounties, all told, sl,254,
paid in paper averaging in, value 671
cents on the dollar. That was $407.55
LESS than what the government agreed
| to Day him, and the same is true of the
1000, 900 other men who served as en-
listed men.
| Another feature worthy OF attention
1 Is this: The government issued about
\ - NM m t.. Ic val ff
these fuctuated as our army and navy
brought every paper dollar to face
value Ultimate failure would have
bankrupted the nation for centuries.
Whatever the nation is worth. at this
time, over and above what 1t would
be had 1t been bankrupted in 1865,
Is attributable to the valor, on land
and sea, not of men writing their phil
)lipics against pension legislation. but
the enlisted men of 'S1 and '65. The
census of 1860 gave the value Of al
property in the United States al
SIS, 600, 0O4, 900. Seven billion dollars
worth of eproperty was destroyed during
the war, that would have left us worth
$11, 00O, 600. 900, provided nothing hao
been accumulated during the war. II
\ the absence Of the report Of the las
census, we can not. give an accurate
Il statement OF our wealth, but are con.
fident that we are within bounds wher
we place present value Of wealth a
$125, 000, 100000, and yet there il not
: dollar in national vaults nor any def
!. mite quantity Of value In any Of ou
; possessions which is not placed ther
i by tears Of orphaned childhood, tn
. 1eartbreak Of womanhood and tn
stains OF patriotic blood
u There are other features no
] ticeabie. In 1864 the govern
;. ment was hard pushed to plac
loans, when the heroic men in the fiel
: came to the rescue to about the mum
, Der OF 100000, and accepted the note
{ OF the government, payable some tim
in the future. provided the soldier
) made good, to an average amount {
0 about 1920 each, making s4S,000.00
that the soldiers loaned to the govern
{ ment.
Another item worthy Of note whic
q probably has not been thought Of b
r some Of the editors is this: Union 30
4 diers enlisted for three years or du1
& 4 irIs the war. The confeGerates for. hS
o years unless sooner discharged. It we
: a current belief in the south that II
i Yankee soldiers. would never fe-enlit
+ ana when the three years should. e,
Z nice the SeAe:.i army wns,ld 90
3 krieces. That thought was In the mint
d LOT Generals Sherman and Grant. VIII
= t,wape. flfe factaf In the last days 4