The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1872-12-20

H1nntTN present tue l'ptlbltSl SUI
Iiers Of the country, and the officers OF the
rouutry. who are controlled by the railroads
and the nI0nop0lieS And when made the
charoe on the STUMP in my district that the
Goyernor-eIect of Pennsylvania had signed
such resolutions as these, and had forwardco
them to both Houses of Congress at the last
session, L was denounced by a paper in ms /
in terest in my district most bitterly as liar; /
aud vet my colleague presents those resolu- |
tiOnS today upon this floor, signed by Gtn- /
Hartrauft, when the man vino signed them, /
by the papers supporting him for Governor, /
and through his friends on the stump, denied
that he had ever indorsed them or knew any /
thing about them. They are presented here
as the EXPRESSION of the honest sentiment of
the soldiers of Pennsylvania: when in the re-
cent canvass in my State, General Hart
rantt's approval OF them was earnestly us
avowed.
Mr.. TOwNsEND, of Pennsylvania. 1fmy
colleague will allow me, | wish TO inquire OF
him what member of that committee mas ever
denied that he signed these resolutions!
Mr.. SPEER. l say the Governor-clect, by
the newspapers advocating his election, anu
through his political friends ON the stump IN
NV district and throughout the State, during
the canvass denied that he had ever signed
them. .,,
Mir TOWNSEND, of Pennsylvania. VIII
nv colleague allow me 4 moment merely to
saw that the Governor-elect OF Pennsy wanna
has never so far rs know, or so TAR as the
Gentleman can prove, denied anything that
ed them? And l wish to say III addition
that that convention was not a political con-
vention of soldiers, but was convention OF
soldiers without respect to party.
Mr.. SPEER. My colleague evades the
point He well knows that the Governor
elect of Pennsylvania neither asserted nor
denied anything on the stump IN the recent
canvass. He was not a stumPer-
Mr.. TOWNSEND, of pennsylvania. NOT
did the President of the United States.
Mr.. SPEER. 1 did not allege that the Gov
ernor-elect had personally denied that he
signed those resolutions. But do affirm
and repeat that the Republican press OF
PENNSYLVANIA for him did deny 1t.
Mt TOWNSEND of Pennsylvania. L
would like the gentleman, If he can, TO pro
dnce any paper under the influence of the
Governor of Pennsylvania that denied any
of these resolutions.
Mr SPESR. L name paper In my own
district known as the Radical, published IN
the city of Altoona, which charged me,
think, fourteen times, with Oeln8 a mar ior
making that statement among others IN
public speech in that city ana yet we nave
these resolutions paradeo here To-Day anu
read at the instance of my CO. t~aBue 'tS @Nl-
dence of the fact that the soidie-s that
sylvania are opposed to this bill l -.r,
the privates, the unknown and brave "a '"I
they who of all others deserve the name III
soldiers, are for this bill. But the officers,
the men who wore epaulcts and who never
suuffed the battle except in the dim distance
are opposed to this bill, as they are opposed
to almost everything else TO which the cor
pOrauOnS and land -grabOcrS or the country
are opposed
Mr. TowNSEND of Pennsylvania. want
to ask my colleague one question, and it is
whether the gentlemen who signed these res
olutions were not during the war on the field
of hattle2
Mr.. SPEEK I believe they were did
not saw they were not.
Mr.. TOwNSEND, of Pennsylvania. You
made the charge by implication.
nf Z he T,1n hO.
carried the musilct and the knapsack they
are not the men who stood upon the lonely
picket and did the actual duties in the field;
they are not the men whose orphaned chill
dren gather around the desolated hearth
stones of Pennsylvania they are the politi-
cal soldiers who are put forward by politi-
clans to represent them and to win their bat
ties.
Mr. KILLTNGFR. Mycolleague will allow
me to say that one of the gentlemen named
lost a leg III the war that he entered it as 9
private ard fought his way up, and now
holds an office of honor in the State.
Mr.. SPEER. To whom does my colleague
: refer?
Mr. KILLINGER. To Colonel Beath.
Mr. SPEER. All! he is now surveyor gen.
eral of the Slate of Pennsylvania.
Mr.. TOWNSEND, of Pennsylvania. My
colleague will allow me a moment to inquire
of him whether General Hartranft, against
whom he directs his remarks, was not in
seventeen battles during the war?
Mr.. STEER. He may have been in seven
Z ty times seventeen; make no charge against
his gaIlantry the gentleman seeks to evade
the point am making l onl y say that when
these gentlemen come to Congress with n
memorial opposed to the passage OF this bill
they do not represent the real soldiers of
PENNSYLVANIA, ard ask my colleague wheth-
er he can furnish me with the resolution of a
single meeting of private soldiers or the let
ter of single private soldier in Pennsylva-
MIA, or elsewhere, who carried musket and
L hot n NNaa
SYLLABLE of opposition TO this bill? If he can,
l pause for him to produce ii. The gallant
rank and file of our Army look to Congress
/ with anxious hearts for the passage of this
/ bill
/ Mr TOWNSEND, of Pennsylvania. I will
/ answer the gentleman's question by asking
/ him another, and it is whether this cOnven-
/ ton was not com posed of delegates who were
/ elected by soldiers, and whether some of the
members of that convention were not private
! soldiers who had carried the Inusket and the
/ knapsacll during the war.
! Mr.. SPEER. Mr.. Speaker, we all know
/ how these conventions are managed and ma
nipulated. This Grand Army of the Repub-
! lie has been run, as we all know in Penn
sylvania in the interest of a political party.
Mr.. MANSON. And everywhere else.
Mr. SPEER Yes, sir; and as my friend
suggests, everywhere else. 1t has become a
scmi-political organization. lthas been used
by politicians, and its leaders have been put
forward by politicians, and occasionally re-
warded themselves with NOMINATIONS 1or
their party services.
Mr.. TOWNSEND, of Pennsylvania. My
colleague will allow me a moment to explain
to the House why the Grand Army of the
Republic seems to be n political organization.
1t Is because it is composed of fhe soldiers of
the war, and the soldiers of the war were
Republicans, while the men engaged in the
rebellion were Democrats.
Mr.. MANSON. That is not true.
Mr.. SPEER. L denounce that statement as
unworthy of my colleague.
Mr.. MORGAN. l think it was entirely
worthy of him.
Mr.. SPEER. l denounce it as false in fact,
and as disgraceful 10 a Representative from
/ PENNSYLVANIA. The graves of every battle
held, and the widows and orphans all over
the land, declare it a foul slander.
Mr. ToWNSEND, of Pennsylvania. Allow
me 10 reply to the remark just made by the
gentleman. What mean TO say is this: the
rebel lion was got up by the Democratic par
ty OF the South it was carried on by the