The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-02-09

on. Ibis uuieteu my nerves 10 z
considerable extent for knew the
Union was safe when he is about
The first b;.l TO be acted upon in
regular order was one restoring Marx
Walker 70 his former rank in the
army and authorizing the President
to put him ON the retired list. He
was dismissed for drunkenness
That settled il and his bill passed.
The next one called raised tia
very old scratch. 1t was for the re-
lief of the widow OF Captain Page
Of the United States Navy. for the
hinge balance of s13S,s5 due thai
gentleman when he resigned hi:
commission at the beginning Of the
rebellion III order to cast his fortunes
with his native State, Virginia
Mr.. Goode the man from the Nor
folk district opened the ball with Q
statement in behalf of the widow
and with the usual indiscretion OF
the Brigadier when he refers 10 the
"wah,n said that Captain Page was
too old at the time TO enter the ser.
vice. but that he page would not
If alive, thank anybody for saying
that he would not have gone into
the service Of his native State had
he been physically fit to do so.
Mr.. Conger opposed the bill ana
drew a picture of Captain Page rais-
lag the sword, which had been giver
him by his country. to strike dowr
that country. Laughter on The
Democratic side, doaghfaces Joining
with but few exceptions
Mr.. Conger. Gentlemen laugh
and sneer; perhaps they did tht
same. | do not envy the smile
that gathers over the faces Of some
gentlemen on the other side-the
smile of derision at the picture
have dawn, II is n becoming ex
hibition of the contortions of which
the human face is capable undel
adverse circumstances.
daughter on the Republican side.
Mr.. Conger continuing. said that
he had never heard Of a propositio.
to repeal statute which prevented
the payment of the pending claim
except the remarks OF the gentleman
from Kentucky (Mr Blackburn
made inadvertently, he believed, tha
when the Democrats obtained con
troll of both Houses and the Presi
dency they would repeal the laws
"which. and which, and which &c.
This brought Brigadier Joe to hi
feet and q long andrunning coloquy
ensued between him and Conger a
to what heidi say about the IVY ping
out" of obnoxious laws from th'
statute book in which Conger fooret
him numerically
The scene got exciting. Old mar
Wright. from Pa, declared if tn
friends of the pending bill woult
withdraw il from the calendar h
would give the woman a check fo
the amount.
Sunset" Cox, in regular "spreaC
eagle" style aired himself, and ad
vertised himself to the country a
the funny man of the House. II
is always in for an appropriation
and favored the bill
Gen. Bragg, Democrat of Wis
consin, who commanded the "OlC
Iron Brigade" from that State dur
ing the war said that he had beer
charmed with the beauties of th'
speech of his friend from New Yorl
Cox; but that he regarded thi
question as being a question of prin
ciple, and he was not to be driver
from the views he maintained b,
anv generalities. lie compared thi
cause to the cause of Benedic
Arnold had fought nobly, brave
lv. and well, but lac had de
serted his country in the tryin.
hour. Captain Page had tough
bravely on Lake Erie. 1t had beer
better for him had he died sustain
ing the flag of his country in tn,
glorious battle of Lake Erie thai
have. in his last years, spat on tha
flag by rendering a resignation o
eommission in the hour of his com
try's peril. ]Applause on the Re
publican side If Congress die
away with the principles here, wher'
wasit TO end? If this woman wa
to be paid because she was old anC
poor, that was one thing; but i
Congress was to pay her because sh'
was the wife of an officer who hae
resigned from his country's service
that WAS another thing.
| A Democrat inquired whether a
the time of Captain Pages resigna
ton there had been any rule pre-
venting the payment of the debt t
him.
Mr.. Bragg. There was that lay
recognized everywhere that he VIII
deserts his country's flag in tn
hour of peril is entitled to no re
Ispect from that country afterward
unless what she may give him by
gratuity. | should say that tn
gentlemen who broke the Constitu
ton and fled from it are not tn
men to hold up before me. / an
anxious never to hear again tn
subject of the Southern rebellion
would fain wipe it out for ever from
my eye-sight and my memory, an,
/ say to my friends in the Soutl
who ask the people to do this, I'D,
not continue i on the claims cal
endar of this House, and keep it
live issue by constantly endeavorin
to get from the Treasury somethin
which involves the discussion of til
rebellion" The difference lies pre-
cisely there. Il is in vain you as
the people of the North to clos
their eyes when their ears listel
continually to the rnpping at tn
Treasury door / say let the REBEL
ion sleep where it does sleep
Mr.. Hawlev said that if he wer
asked whether he were willing t
pay the claim of a widow of usefu
officer he should very likely max
no objection bat when gentlemen
presented bills of this description
and said that they were as good
debt as any represented by an,
bond, and that nothing had bee
done to forfeit any obligation whicI