Year: 1870

The One Hundred Dollar Bounty.


The question as to wha. class of soldiers
are entitled to the one hundred dollar
bounty under the recent decision of the
United States Supreme Court, is at pres
ent eliriting much interest throughout the
country. The following points have been
submitted to the Second Comptroller for
his decision.


"Under the act July %, 1861, soldiers
who were honorably discharged to accept
promotion, after having served two years,
were paid the 500 bounty. Why, under
the recent decision of the Supreme Court,
are not soldiers who enlisted prior to that
act, under the Presidents proclamation Of
May ), 1866, entitled to 500 bounty,
whether thsy served two years OF not. and
whether such service was an enlisted man
or otherwise? The, contract with the
Uaited States was that they should re-
ccive 500 bounty when honorably dis
charged p


The Comptroller answers the above
question: as follows:


"The decision of this Office was against
payment of bounty even in the cases
urising under the act July %, 1861, on
the ground that when one party releases
the other form the obligation of a contract
for the benefit Of the latter, there is the
end of the agreement: for it would be
one sided law that would hold one and
discharge the other. But as many pay
ments had been made before the subject
was brought to the notice of the Treasury
Department, the practice was net disturb
ed. In the cases now presented the decis-
ion was made in imine, and payment of
bounty to officers promoted from the
ranks, the Government yielding the serv.
ice it had right to demand under their
contracts of enlistment for the benefit of
the officer, was held to be ineQuitable and
Illegal, and it is sanctioned by the opinion
of the Supreme Court"


We clip the following from an exchange,
the name of which we have lost. Our
recollection Of its being part of speech
Of Col. Foster, seems vivid enough, but
it is not much matter who is the author
it is well said and as true as gospel.


Before closing, wish to make few
rewarks as to to the effect of the protect
i've system on the development Of the
west. would not make such reference
if | believed that this system was calcu-
lated to increase the prosperity Of all class
es and all sections, but do not. We have
increased unprecedently in wealth and
population, not in Consequence OF this
system, but in spite of it. Our cheap
land and productive soil have made this
the favored seat Of Agriculture and the at
tractive home Of the emigrant Agricul-
ture then is, and will be for a long while
to come, the pursuit which will absorb the
bulk of our people. While the price of
nearly all agricultural products is deter
mined by the foreign market, the price OF
nearly everything received in exchange is
80 per cent above the market value of the
world. The purchasing power OF 100
bushels of wheat in the New York market
is from 80 to 70 per cent less than in 1859,
when we had what the protectionists call


81 II la
seen that the beauties of protection are
not appreciated by the western farmers.
The average rate OF wages for farm hand
is SIC month with board. or S25 without
board. Would the coal miner Of Pennsyl-
yania or the iron miner oi Michigan be
content with such remuneration ?


Until the introduction OF railroads the


prairies Iepelled settlemenlA-Ihe matcil'
ais fer the construction OF holses and
fences could not be obtained. Now, so
soon as road is built, stations spring up.
an agricultural population flows in and


the country becomes snbdued and is rem
dered productive. The tariff operates as
a restraint upon emigration, by retaining


population in the seaboard cities, which


would otherwise seek homes among US


1t retards the construction of railroads


aud the consequent Development OF The


country, by adding nearly two,loid tt


their cost, and enhancing for all time th'


rate of transportation on every article


received or sent to market. This systea


Of class legislation, sprung upon th


country during the terrible strugg


for national life, cannot much longer stan'


the test Of an enlightened public senti
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