Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 6, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 March 1884 — JUSTICE VS. EXTRAVEGANGE. [ARTICLE]

JUSTICE VS. EXTRAVEGANGE.

Mr. Editor: There are a great many men who, in summing up the whole matter, seem to think that there is only one class of men in this country trying to bankrupt this glorious government, and that is the ex-soldier in the way of sending petitions to Congress demanding additional pensions, land-warrants, equalization of bounties, and other measures of justice to the soldiers and their .. idows. Let us see about this business. How did the bond-hold-er settle with the government? HI am not mistaken, it took thirty-one hundred million dollars to pay him, and he was paid $2 50 in good money for every dollar he loaned the government, and is exempted from all taxation on his bonds, while the soldier was paid about 60 cents on the dollar of what was promised him. — What do a great many of the men who remained at home during the war and accumulated money, say? “Go west, soldier, take a homestead, and have the time that you were in the army applied upon it. Let me say that I have had the benefit of that law. I lived on my land one year and when I proved' up, my the holy Hoses, I didn’t have but one shirt left, and you couldn’t cover the smallest hole tn it with a government hard tack. These same patriot^say very little about the government fiving so freely to railroads. ‘or instance, the Pacific railroad land grant is to-day estimated to be worth two thousand millions of dollars.—l can safely say five times as much as it would take to pay>tno pensions honestly due the ex-solder.

Now kt us nee if our senators and representatives practice what they preach in the way of economy. I have in my possession two interesting documents—Senate Miscellaneous Document, No. I, and House Miscellaneous Document, No. 8. They can be procured only through Senators and Representatives. Senate Miscellaneous Document, No. 1, page 86 —For washing and ironing 151 dozen towels for United States Senate during the month of March, 1883, $75, 50. For 21,150 pounds ice for United States Senate fnrnished during month of March, 1883, $105,75. For 300 quarts Appollinaris water during Feb. and March 1883, $45. Page 46: Foi upholstering in red leather 8 large Senate sofas, $300; for 78 small Senate chairs, $624; for 48 Ballons lard oil, $50,40. Page 84: Here is an old army dose—so 2 grains Q. pills, $10; there are 78 miscellaneous items on this page —for sweet oil, pulverized borax, tincture arnica, ginger, chamois skins, insect powders Italian cosmetics, essential oils, etc. Cost of items on this page, $3,618 64. Page 50: Lunch furnished to Seriate during an executive session, $175. Page 91: For uniforms furnished the capitoi police force, May, 1883, sl227,s2;capitof polioe pay rolls for January, 1883, captain, $137,80, lieutenants, $103,30, privates, $94,70. Page 27: For 4 dozen Bats pencils, s2l; for 4 dozen Urns pencils, $27; for 4 dozen No. 4 barrel pens, $31,49; for 10 papertieres, decorated, $50,82. Fage 22: For 90 days service as clerk to committee on patents. Dec. 5, ’B2, to March 4,83, $718,02; on same page, Aug. 16, for one gold charm, $4. Page 42: For 3 doz gold pens $51,17; 5 doz. gold pens and holders, $115,20; 84 doz. pencils, assorten, $246,07; 44 doz. pocket books $128,25; 24 doz. portemonaies, *109,03Page 78: Bethesda water during the month of July, ’Bl, *121,60; washing and ironing 2414 doz. towels for United States Senate during month of July, ’B2, 8120; 137,800 lbs. ice for U. S. Senale during month of July, ’B2, - 689. Page

180; Two raw hide traveling ; boxes and trays for use of com- | mittees of the Senate *Bo. Page 20: 32 days service as clerk to committee on contingent expenses, >192. Page 85: Washing and ironing 249£ doz. towels for U. S. Senate, Jan. ’B3 124,75; 42,815 lbs. ice, *211,57; 9 obes for Senate committee rooms, *148,50. House Miscellaneous Document No. 8, page 59: 102 buckets paste, April ’B3, *23,80Page 67: Funeral expenses of a congressman '3OOO. These bills, and others like them, too numerous to mention, for charm, gold pens, pencils, eatables, drikables, etc., for individuals, were paid out of the people’s treasury, and some of these same individuals oppose doing justice to the ex-soldier Comrades, we are on the eve of another Presidential and congressional election. I think it would be well to investigate this matter a little, especially before we join torchlight processions and parade through the streets whooping and yelling like hounds on a tiger track. Ten chances to one, if we don’t look out we may vote for men that are opposed to giving the soldiers widow anv more than 48 pelmonth. And if there is any one under the whole canopy of Heaven deserving a pension of 25 or 30 per month, it is certainly the soldier’s widow. Swamp Angel. 39th Ills. Vet. Vol.Juft.