The National tribune., 1882-08-19

! clinatiOn on the part of the Senate to be Stan-
| peded by the pinchbec& elOquence of anybody.
| l have taken it to De deliberative body and
| imagine that its chief purpose in dealing with
| this as with every other claim is TO do SIMPLE
| justice, justice tempered with mercy, whenever
there is a serious question as to the proper limo
of aston to pursue.
Now this is not q case which can possibly
| lead to any thing like the complications OF the
arrears of pensions act. The Senator from Con-
necticut Mr.. HAwLEYJ appeals to the appre-
tensions of this body. [ ask him if he knows
within his entire range of acquaintance, anu
that OF course covers the whole country, ten
cases of soldiers children over sixteen years of
age who under this precedent would be likely
to call on the country for support.
have heard of but two other cases for which
this could possibly be made a precedent: one OF
these is child of an Irish Catholic who gave
his life fOr the country. and she has been an
idiot from her birth. She is now twenty-eight
years of age. Her case has passed the House
and come to the Senate, and | do not believe
he could be Il man of a specially sympathetic
nature who, after hearing the facts of that case
and listening to the story as it comes from an
old aunt who Is taking care of that idiot girl
by washing, by the hardest kind of personal
labor, would refuse to extend the charity of the
country, II you choose to call it that, to case
like that. There is one other case that has
come to our knowledge during this session, and
only one other, and l appeal to the knowledge
of every Senator here covering this whole broad
country if he knows half dozen within his
own personal knowledge?
Mr. PLATT. l know OF half dozen in my
own city
Mr. BLAIR. There are half dozen in the
Senator's own city. For Gods sake let the
country take care of that half dozen rather
| than the pOor-house.
This girl is prostrate with disease of the
spine; she is tending rapidly to death by con-
sumption; she cannot be long burden to the
country under any circumstances, and she has
not dollar III the world or the capacity TO
earn one. Her father was the first colonel OF
pennsylvania who gave his life to the country,
and she has no resources.
The voice of the soldiers, which has been
spoken of, has been heard in this specific case.
The petitions of the Grand Army, of all the
people in the vicinity where this girl lives, are
on the files of the Pension Committee, entreat-
ing that this pension be granted. There is no
question whatever of what the soldiers desire
In this particular case. There is no special
protest coming from the country, and if there
We're, the country ought to assume the burden
In the case of imbeciles, those who helpless,
those who have no other helper save God, and
to whom we are called upon to pay something
to exc out the existence OF this class of depend
entS. 1t cannot add GOO in the whole country
to the pension list, and the special advertise
!nent which is given by this debate undOubt-
edly VIII pour upon US some applications which
otherwise, however just, never would have
reached us. But let them come.
Some allusiOn was made y while ago by Sen
atOrs who opposed this bill in committee to the
appropriation of millions iii the river and har-
Dor bill, and fault was found with members OF
the committee who like myself were in favor
OF the pOstpOnement of the act which was
undertaken to be brought up this morning
until next December. Is it for that class of
men to deny this pittance to- this specific case
of distress? / take it not
Without taking more time, for L realize how
the session is passing away, l hope the Senate
will not, by reason of its apprehenslOnS, be
prevented from doing this act of simple justice,
which no man as an individual in the Senate
would fail TO do if the appeal was made to him
personally.
Mr.. PLATT. l only want TO say one word
more. This matter is important enough to stop
10 discuss it. The law gave to these two chill
dren up to 1870, when they arrived at sixteen
years OF age $50 month. The pension stopped
in 1870 Twelve years afterward this daugh-
ter, one of these children, demands $50 of this
Government. Ny colleague has protested in
the name of the soldiers against IL. want TO
protest in the name of the widows of deceased
soldiers in this country against this as an act of
injustice to them All over this country are
brave women who lost their husbands in the
war, their sole support; property also went with
tnelll, Illey were ICIU WIN young upon
their hands to support, and this country, IN its
munificence gives them IS a month. They
struggle bravely, and they do not besiege the
Halls of Congress asking for any increase of
that pension. | protest i'll their name against
this act of injustice 10 them, however this
single may appeal to the sympsthies OF
Senator's
The PRESIDING OFFICER, (Mr. Harris) On
the third reading of the bill the yeas and nays
have been ordered.
Mr.. HAWLEY. One single remark. / was
not aware of the especially pitiful and lament
able circumstances of this particular case. 1
was speaking only upon the general principle,
the beginning to pension the children of SOL
diers. In this case it is impossible for a man to
avoid feeling the very deepest sympathy, and
hoping and believing that that child will be
taken care of as she ought to be. spoke SIM
ply upon the cold proposition of giving PEN
sions to children because their fathers were
soldiers.
Mr.. BLAIR. l agree entirely with the Sen
atOr upon the basis on which he placed his
remarks If | thought this dangerous in refer
ence to the general pensionng OF the children
of soldiers, L would be as strongly opposed to
this bill as any one.
Mr. LOGAN. should like to asl, the Senator
from Connecticut if these circumstances change
his views whether he is now tor o. against the
bill?
Mr.. PLATT. I am against it.
Mr.. LOGAN. | mean the other Senator from
Connecticut. He says this appeals to him
strongly. / ask him whether he is for or
against the bill?
Mr.. HAWLEY. I will answer when my name
is called l Will take the meantime to consider
and decide.
Mr.. LOGAN. l have no right to ask the Sem
ator, but have sometimes seen bills opposed,
and then have seen them pass. Ii the sympa-
thy is SO strong that the bill is going TO pass
anyhow, do not wish to take up the time of
the Senate by talking about it. That was the
reason | asked the question. | supposed from
the speech the Senator made, and the yehe-
mcncc of it, that he was opposed To the bill.
Mr.. President, am opposed to this bill, ana
| will give my reasons, very briefly, why am
opposed to it, and there is no amount OF SYM
pathy that can affect me 50 far us that question
is concerned when it is BAD principle.
The children of Colonel Murray were PEN
stoned in 1852 at $50 month That pension
ran for eight years, until they drew from the
Government $3.50.
Now, after the children have arrived at the
age of sixteen aud over, they come III and ask
for repensioning. | do not know anything
about this child, and her condition should not
affect the question, for when persons have been
pcnsioned until they arrive at the age at which
the law requires pensions TO cease II the Gov
ernment is going to continue the pensiOning
Of them, then the Government becomes = chari-
table institution Tor that class OF people. We