Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-09-26
Pension ALI OR NONE.

WHILE in Oregon last summer, in.
vestigating the Grover case, Senator
Morton made speech to the people
Of Portland, in which he used the
following language:
II the democratic party gets into power, do you
think they will ever vote dollar to pay the pen.
sions unless you pay the pensions of their soldiers
engaged in the rebellion9 When they get into
power. it will be pension all or pension none.
The above is q prediction which,
perhaps, is surprise to the larger
portion of the Northern people, and
one about which they are, and will
be very incredulous for some time to
come. We could most heartily wish
that there was no probability of such
action on the part of the democratic
party, should they gain power, but in
these days, when the authorities are
going so far in the pacification policy,
we cannot down with our fears.
When President Hayes goes so far as
to say of the war of rebellion as he
did at Knoxville, Tenn, last Friday,
GAS demand respect from the man
! found fighting against me, Iyield
the same measure of respect to him
who fought for his convictions" and
when Wade Hampton, of the Presi-
dental party, the day before, said at
Chattanooga, Tenn:
felt as southern soldier las a rebel, If you
ohoose-I could come back. l told the men OF
Illinois that fought them as long and as hard as
could, and Irould hare been fighting them no,c il
I had been ordered to do 80.
We say when we observe these
things, we cannot but fear that that
equal, mutual respect for each other,
mentioned by the President, that
bold defiant manner of Hampton,
who might yet be fighting the battles
of rebellion had he not lacked orders,
may in time ripen into that full fru-
ition of pacification which pensions
the MANNED soldier regardless of
which flag he fought under. But to
be more specific, and to show that we
are warranted in our fears, and that
Senator Morton is not talking at ran
dom, let us say that in all the states
of the late Southern Confederacy,
there cannot be found single demo-
cratic paper nor a single prominent
democratic statesman who has taken
the trouble to squarely deny the state
ment of Senator Morton, or assert
that the southern democracy will
never make claim for pensions fol
rebel soldiers. On the contrary, We
give the following extract from thu
Mercury, paper published at thu
important town of Meridian, Miss, Il
show that this prominent journal
supported by large mum bcr Of dem
ocratic readers, has the boldncss t,
publish its sentiments, in full accore
with what Morton says southern dem
ocrats will demand when that party
comes into power. 1t says:
Well, what objection con fair man make t
that's Don't the Southern taxpayer contribute hi
portion of the money to pay pensions to NOrtherl
| soldiers and their widows and orphans, while tn
| Confederate soldiers and their widows and or
phans are neglected? Southern members of Con
gress believe Is firmly in the justice of the Con
federate cause as the Northern members beliey'
! in the justice OF the Union, and they sink the
manhood aud eat dirt when they vote appropria
tons to pension Federal soldiers and their wild
ows and orphans, to the exclusion Of the C0nfed
crate. magnanimous Government should pen.
sion all. They arc all the victims OF . civil war
and pacified government cannet con sistently o.
safely discriminate between them In this matter
where the party discrimi mated against bears al
equal proportion of the burden. "when they,
1.-The Denocrats-''geti into power, F" II they will
do this wise and just thing, which Morton pre-
diets. to-wit: "pcnsion all or pension none, II
will do more to conquer the rebellious feeling Of
Southern people. which he took pains to portray
to the Oregonians. than Is in the power of Fc1er-
d guns he has SO much faith in. A kind and just
Government can only remember it's crippled sol
diers. whether they wore the blue or the gray, and
their widows and orphans alike; It is only ma
lignant Government that rcpels fealty. that can
discriminate. 1t is the part OF stAtesmanship to
sooth, not irritate the sores of the late war.