My John, – A – screw – ing cot – ton –
By the day, My dol – lar and a half a day.
Poverty...those days were poverty days.
And after this war is over we will have greater poverty in the South. Poverty will be a pestilence in the South. It will require years of work to wipe it out. Poverty will breed treachery and crime. What police force will be able to contend with it? I will urge Congress to pass an aid bill. I will propose groups of citizenry who can advise.
The White House
Saturday evening
Here are some interesting figures I encountered:
Less than one-half a day’s cost of this war could pay for the slaves in the State of Delaware, at $400 per person.
| All slaves by 1860 census: | 1,798 |
| Cost of these slaves: | $719,200 |
| One day’s cost of the war: | $2,000,000 |