Year: 1874




MEETING.


Low-SoLDIERs:-Why should we cut
loose from old parties? Because they have
deceived us from time to time and have
promised referm and retrenchnrent and
have failed in all. Shall we denounce the
administration, or shall we endorse it? We
think it the duty of honest citizens to speak
out and expose all frauds and CORFU ption at
all times, rather than surrender all our
rights and the future prosperity of this coun-
try, to this villianous control of mobilier
spectators and salary -grabbers and trea-
sury ringers. Will soldiers any longer con-
fide in those, our representatives in the ma
tional congress, after our frequent appeals
for our rights have met with the grossest
insult. Never. What are some of the in
suits? Answer: Fully nine years have
elapsed since the close of the war, and
though often called on so to do, congress has
failed and refused to equalize the bounty to
the soldiers. Many OF them served three
years, and many under three years. enlist
ment, and have received but 5000 bounty,
when in justice to themI they should
have received $500 when mustered out of SER
vice. But they tell you the law did not al
low them $500. Very well we admit it, and
here is one of the insults. Now, will some
of the admirers of the administration tell us
why they did not make the law so as to give
like benefits to all? No, they don't and can
not answer; so we have TO tell you the rea-
son, which is this: In the first place they
cared nothing for the rights of the soldiers,
and in the second place the administration
(Or rather those who controlled the head of
the administration were engaged in meas
ures by which they were fast becoming mill
lionaires. How were they engaged? In
class legislation, which of itself proves cor
rupt intent. Now, what kind of laws did
they make? In the first place they sold bonds
of the United States, which were obligations
10 pay money at a future time, with interest,
which made them very much like an ordi-
nary note secured by every acre of land
owned by the United States and not only
that, but every drop of blood in the veins
of the American people was bound to be, if
necessary, sacrificed in order to sustain the
value and dignity of those bonds, They were
sold, and how and for what reason were they
sold? The administration says, to procure
money to carry on the war. Well, who did
they want TO pay? They say the soldier
must be paid. Well. what of it, and why
did they sell them at discount when any
soldier would have willingly received his
pay in those notes, even if they had been
taxable? But next they say that we wanted
to sell them to foreign capitalists to get mon
ey to pay for arms. Why did you want them
free from taxation, if they were to go into
foreign countries, where they would not be
in any way subject to the laws of this gov.
ernment? They say they would have to be
sent here in order that the holder might be
able to collect the interest. Very well, this
could be done without subiecting
them to taxation, the same as we
would send a note to Illinois for COL
/ lection, through some express company
in which case the state of Illinois would
have no more right to impose or collect a
tax than they would to collect taxes of a
passenger who might be passing through
Illinois on some railroad train. Then show
me if you can any necessity for selling those
bonds


FREE FROM TAXATION.


will now try and show the reason, which
is, that those who were the originators of the
scheme and managed the same, might di-
vide the profits with those millionaires to
whom they were sold; that j. Cook Il Co.,
pets of the administration. might receive
large commissions for selling these bonds,
and divide the proceeds with those who be-
long to the treasury ring at Washington.
But now they say that the reason why those
bonds were sold free from taxation was be-
cause of the precedent which had been es-
tablished ever since the foundation of the
government. To this we say first, that
an unjust precedent never did become
Just law, and in the second place,
TIA. the United States never did,
at any time, issue bonds to an amount equal
to the amount sold during the late war, and
that the frivolous amount issued at
any time previous did not constitute pre-
cedent. In this last resort for an exclse,
they say that by issuing the bonds free from
taxation, they sold them for better price.
We admit it. But this don't cure the evil
for the reason that it interferes with the
rights of the poor taxpayer, in that it places
large amount of property in the hands of
the banker, on which he pays no state,





hand the poor soldiers, 'laboring men, and
the farmers have to pay the taxes to support
the state, county and city governments, that
are enjoyed as much by those who pay no
such taxes as by those who do. This
of itself is simply Infamous, and
that will continue such course.
And here want to say that, this internal
bond swindle has never been maintained to
this time without a vast amount of bribery
in high places; and hence, we can say, no
wonder that congress has not had time to
legislate for the soldiers and the common
people, as they have had something more
profitable to engage their minds and occupy
their time. Have we a remedy for this great
evil? Yes; we have two remedies. One is
just, and the other il a legal remedy. The
legal remedy will be to issue new bonds, and
sell them for what they will bring-be the
amount however small-and from the pro-
ceeds of the sale redeem the bonds and notes
of the United States now outstanding upon
which no taxes are paid. But we are met at
this point with the statement that the bonds
will not sell for much. Now in answer
to this proposition we deny the
truth of their statement, for the
reason that the credit and solvency of Un-
Gle Sam has ever been and ever will be good,
and the bonds will sell readily and tor fair
price. But suppose they should sell for


FIFTY. CENTS ON THE DOLLAR;


that would simply increase the amount of
taxable property, and in.a great measure re-
lease the poor from the now grievious weight
of taxation with which they are soreIy OPP
pressed, and would cause the expenses of
maintaining our institutions to fall equally
upon all classes, which is much to be de-
sired by all honest citizens. The just rem
edy would be to treat the bondholder as the
government treated the soldiers who enlist