Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1912-03-28

| Ane opportunities Tor making money
unparalleled Contractors for sup
plies OF every kind waXed fat and tho
manufacturers who were subject to
war taxes We're given special tariff
legislation enacted for the avowod
| purpose OF offsettng the amounts
paid by them Tor the support Of tho
government, but for the real purpose
OF enriching them at the expense OF
the people.
The government promised TO pay
The soldiers Sl3 q month, which was
afterwards increased TO Sl6 The con-
tract was to pay them IN dollars.
They were paid In currency, so dopre.
ciated as 10 be worth on the average
less than 90 cents on the dollar. so
that instead OF receiving the contract
price OF slS and Sl6. They actually
received from about SO TO s. per
month. Prices for the neCessaries of
life were correspondngly high ana as
result the families of the soldiers
In many instances were supported
largely by public and private charity.
Preserve Nations Honor.
''Sirs we heard much I'm recent
campaign about flfty-ccnt dollars and
the infamy OF a government that
would discharge contract obligation
calling for the payment of dollars
with money worth only 80 cents on the
dollar. The mere prospect of proph-
ecy that government creditors would
be compelled TO receive silver dollars
In payment OF their claims stirred the
financiers of the nation into a frenz-
led action and resulted In a great cru
sade in behalf OF the nations honor,
which was at once grotesque and trag-
ic. On every stump and through the !
great newspapers it was declared that
the payment Of a just debt in depre- /
ciated money was the acme Of nation |
al perfidy.
Let today, these same fiuancicrs, |
with the same earnestness and zeal, /
with which they shouted for national /
honor in 1896 are denouncing as a
raid on the treasury a proposition 10 /.
pay to old soldiers who saved their /
country for them the pittance Of a
dollar day, that they may have food /
and shelter in their old age, and that .
some measure of just,"e be done them .
because in those dreadful days of .
Civil war they We're paid dollars worth .
less than 80 cents for their heroic .
work.
Mr.. President during and at the .
close Of that war there were two gem
eral classes of government creditors,
the holders of the government bonds .
ana the men who had given up tho .
best part OF their lives on the march,
in camp, in prison and in. battle for
the restoration OF the Union. The
first class remained at home and en-
gagged in money making while the
second class had endured during all
those long years all the priyations
incident to the greatest war Of mod
ern times The bonds issued by the
government were for the most part
bought with greenbacks. The bonded
debt of $2,049, ,975,7O0 cost the pur-
chasers of the bonds at the time they
were issued only $1,871,424,2SS in
money of gold value, The kind Of
money in which they were paid.
There was no question but that the
bonds for which greenbacks were paid
We're payable in the lawful money Of
the country.
Nice for Bondholdcrs.
John Sherman so held, and the re-
publican party Of Indiana, then led
by Oliver r. Norton so declared in
It's state platform in 1868. And yet,
'ir, The government was so jealous Of I
is honor that in March 1869, by the
famous coin act, all such bonds were
made payable in coin, thereby Civ
ng to the bondholders "A clear profit
IF more than $67S,OOO, ,0O0-a naked
'peculation-something for nothing.
When little later, measure was
offered in congress to protect the ma
ional honor by paying to the soldiers
he difference between the amounts
which the government agreed to pay
hem and the amounts actually re-
'eived by them from the government,
[ failed of "A respectful hearing, its
author being denounced as a dema-
sogue for bringing a proposition so
preposterous into the halls of ma
ional legislation.
Mr.. President | now call upon
hose men who were so solicitous for
he national honor in 1896, and whose