The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-05-10
Remarks Of Mr.. McMahau In Congress on the
Appointment Of Crippled Soldiers. Z

it is paraded in public on numerous small oc-
casions and upon small provocations, it be-
comes tainted with the hideous leprosy of hy-
pocrisy which was so stsrnly denounced
eighteen hundred years ago by Him whom
we regard as the fountain of all high virtues.
do not come forward at this time, Mr..
Speaker, claiming any special prominence as
the soldiers friend or the advocate of his
rights. try TO do my duty in this particu-
lar, as most of us do. But come forward
because the wants of my constituents make
Inc more familiar with the record of the dem.
ocratic party upon these questions than any
other man probably upon the floor of the
House. And DO NOT want that party gross
ly misrepresentod | want it Judged by its
record as party, not by the mistakes or mis-
fortunes of its DOorkeepcrs or subordinate Of |
fcers. And its fidelity to tie Union is not |
to be tested by the question, Who shall be |
elected to the Office Of doorkeeper? Nor do |
we need to fly in apprehension when the
enemy propose the election Of General Shields
to this small and petty office. We propose,
at the proper time, to do more for this gal
liant officer. He was twice Senator Of the
United States. He would have been a mem
Der of the lower House some years ago, if
his republican lovers had not turned him out,
notwithstanding his large majority. We do
not propose to dishonor him at the bidding of
republican politicians by asking him to ac-
cept the subordinate position of opening and
shutting the doors of this Hall and bowling
obsequiously to an army of Congressman who
shall be his masters No; he is too great
too old, too venerable man to have this af
front put upon him. He deserves better of
his countrymen; and when this election is
over, if our enthusiastic repu blican friends
will only keep their enthusiasm at fever heat,
we will give them an opportunity Of helping
us in great and good work and we will put
this devoted friend of his country in high
position and far beyond the reach of want or
the vicissitudes of party.
I have said this much, Mr.. Speak er, to
show that the record we will make on this
side of the House in the coming election is
not record against the Union soldier, but
will be a record in his favor. The party, |
have said, can stsnd upon its record in Con-
gress. And | wish to devote my attention
for few moments to the comparative records
of the republican and the democratic parties
upon the question Of justice to the Union sol
dier, not some particular Union soldier he re,
but to the grand army of Union soldiers scat
tered all over the United States for all the
stuff we have had on this question for some
days amounts to nothing if does not prove
that the democratic party is hostile to the
Union soldier, In 1865, at the close of the
war, the republican party was naturally full
of love for the Union soldier, and it passed
the following law, to be found in the Revised
Statutes, section 1854. 1t has become so OBJ
solete in practice that'I doubt if many men,
bers have recollection that such a law was
ever passed
Sec. 1854. Persons bonorably discharged
from the military or naval service by reason of
disability resulting from wounds or sickness
incurred in the lines of duty shall be preterr-
ed for appointment To civil offices, provided
they are found to possess the business capaci-
ty necessary for the lroper discharge of du-
ties of such offices.
How las hat law been kept ? Go through
the department., or the Government and see
for ourstlf Oit If the ei ,hty-tive thousand
men IN th employ Of the republican party,
how many are disabled or crippled veterans
/ ventu,r to say that, compared with the ar
my II ,>t' 'o'iticians that are to be found
ST. aea aNay III he fat places, you can almost
count he disabled soldiers on your fingers and
toes
| ~ hrt ona-half of those in the EN-.
pl ,u, n1 "i the Government are not Union
soldiers and ii the gentleman will go round
val me- some summer afternoon and count
the eiphty.hve thousand, we will see who
is - IL aud reitera,e my statement, that
of these eighty five thousand men, so few
are disabled soldiers that you might, com
paratively speaking, connt them on youl
fingers and toes, My friend from Maine the
other day laid great stress upon the absence
of crippled soldiers from the soldiers roll
What can he say about their employment
not only under this administration but un
der that of Gen. Grant He made much
sport the other day about diseased demo
Gratis | say to him it would be well il
there were more of this class of men in YOU
public Offices The gentleman is not wei
, posted in the troubles that afilict the men o
an army. And it is easy to be seen that h,
never set squadron in the field. Ifhe had
. L. E,ll
that soldier can be disabled only by tn,
loss of a leg or the loss of an arm. He new
er would have made light of diseased
soldier. The trouble with our friends upol
the other side is that they always want some
thing conspicuous. There is no merit t.
them in diseased man. He may hav
been a gallant soldier and have lost hi
. health in the service of his country. Blu
he does not show off well.
. They want a man without an arm or
: leg-one that gets around with some trouble
Then they sit back in their chairs with al
% the JUNCTION Of men who have performed
% great and a noble work, and say to the worlt
See what we have done. See the fourtee
" cripples we have on the soldiers roll. w
: are not like those bad fellows on the othe
side And with this their love for the Ur
ion soldier becomes exhausted and they ne,
:, ertake pains to inquire how many of the eigt
:. ty-hve thousand of their own officehoidei
:, are disabled or diseased men, when the la
- requires them all to be, for | take it ft
!, granted that for every Office in the gift (
= the Government there can be found d
% abled Union soldier competent to fill it VI
der the provisions of the section | ha,
- read.
m Now, let US pass from the consideration {
:. republican unfaithiulness to this law, an
see what else they have failed to do for Ii
~ Union soldier Their party had power
." | hoth Houseg from lSAh IN lg7h tan yaa,