The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-03-25
AIr. BAnKsDALE sid:

fit Of ez-President U. S. Grant.
Mr.. BAHKsDALE said:
ME. SPEAKEE: t. state the case pre-
ciss,y as it is, tae obJsct Of the pending
bill. IS % create life Office requiring NJ
ser~Ice, and bestowing very large
salary upyn ex-presiIeut Grant. ItprO-
poss- 10 take uiul rom private life and
put him ou The ret.red-list Of the Army,
with the RANK and grade vi General Of
the Army OF the United States, and
with pay and emyium -nIs amounting 10
$4,000 vear Republicans who sup
port ic ara actuated by partisan and sec
tioaa. feelings Democrats VINO favor
ic are prompted, as they frankly 40
kn1vleIge, no. by devotion 70 sound
puucipl ol public policy, but 10 satisfy
an umus. g.amor which mas been raised
IN some Jl the Northern states in con
sequence %. p-cJniary reyerses that have
Oysfukeu the firm ci which General
Gmut w.l member, by reason OF rams
actions ot q. questionable character.
A similar b.4 was before Congress
soon aller Geueral Grant was tAwarted
In bis ambition 90 be elected President
fora jlIri .srm. Ju. needing the indig-
nant temou5traae Of the people ON
whom the uarI-u ai the proposed favor
itisu would have fallen, their represen-
taliy.. rejected ir Iue failure to pass
10 g1usl.u.d il 30 che 'ImbJo discarded
scheme, aud il was dism sscd from tie
puy.i. mind This is the condition in
winch c was placed by the judgme of
thc people win the members OF the
pre- -ut Congress were chosen. Having
reayaI the Condiments OF the highest
military Office under the Government
for term of years, having enjoyed the
puucsiy salary oI President Of the
United states ,Or eight years, which WAS
doubled iu I-s pay and quAdrupled IN lts
cont 4aeuL cmulumcutS tor hIs benefit,
having r,ce. ,nd voluntary contributions
from partial friends (soHe OF whom had
become millIuuaIre5 during his term OF
oiiIce) amounting to hundreds OF thous
au45 Of dollars, General Grant closed
bis public cIrcer rich IN money and in
all the goods OF this world. 1t would
seem that ho invested p part Of this
enormous wealth IN stOck-jODbing enter
prise. and lost by reckless endeayors 10
accumulate still more. in c3nseq
of this loss, and ayoweily to indemnity
him az the expense Of the people, the
scheme tD create life office with high
salary bus been revived. It's merits
depend solely upon the ground that IL is
the duty OF Congress to step aside from
is prescribed sphere of action, take cog
niZlucc of the private affairs of eX Pres
ident Grant, and insure his losses by an
appropriation from the public treasury.
This is the meaning of the bill; moth
ing more, nothing less.
lnasmuch as It's advocates have based
their support OF it on the ground that it
is q bencfJctiOu that should be bestowed
upon citizen who has rendered valua-
bic service 90 the country, and whose
condition ], neco-itous, 1t is proper to
state that they have not even that in
suilicicn. pretcxt. Ex-PresideUt Grant
has permanent investment Of $3.50, 900
which is entirely unaffected by the
wreck of the financial ventures Of
Grant. Ward q Co. in Wall street. In
proof of tui5 assertion, | will produce
She uucoutradicted statement Of Dir.
George w. Jones, ol New York, through
who's, efforts the fund oi $210,0JO yield
ing an annual interest of $4,000, was
raised. / will quote from the statement
of Mr.. Jones ln the New York Herald
of November 80, 1854
II has been extensively circulated that
the literary work of General Grant was ali
that the OK Pre- ijlnt had tn live upon dur
ing the coming yeGrs of his lie. and there
fore au interview was sougbt with George
Jones, editor and proprietor OF the New
York Times, Do whose eXertious the rais-
ing O.. trast fund of S250,OOO in behalf
OF General Grant some years back was
almost entirely due. Mr. Jones in a bust
uess-G5c way responded to all pertinent
queries.
IL taH you all about this" said Mr..
Jones, "Wh.n the fund OF S&50,OG0 was
complete. desiring % invest it in some per
mauent and safe way, / counseled with
ex-G1yornor Morgan, who advised that it
be invested i'm Wabash stock. | suggested
that atpsrh8ps Governments would be better,
as | could put II where a certainly OF q
per cent. per annum could be returned.
The Governor explained to me that his
suggcstion applied to 81 section only OF the
Wabash road. Which involved an invest
meul only Of some y 600 600, from which
che Income was almost certainty.
"'For what said l, would you guaran-
rec the iucumeF
file replied that . per cent. he would
guarantee $1,000 a year for ten cOnsecu-
tive wears Whereupon l made the ar
r3ugcmeut.'
"Has that been regularly paid?"
at has, down 10 cate
Without eXceptiOn?'
"WeU, there was one time wnen it was
not paid for few weeks, but, upon the
representation that it would be paid-as il
since has BEEHIVE did not press the estate
OF Governor Morgan for the guarantee. II
Is arranged between the executors, as 1t
was with Governor Morgan, that in default
OF the payment by the road the principal
and interest should be returned to us, in
behalf Of General Grant. That is as GER
tain as anything can be in life. The origi-
nal fund can not be touched and the per
annum income is assured
col one Thing the public may be certain
the money was raised by Grants friends
for Grant Ii has been safely invested
aud its income is abnndantly guaranteed
1t was raised Tor Grant and Grant alone
will have it,
Tais statement shows that if it is the
duty of Congress to create the proposed
sinecure for ex-President Grant on tht
ground OF his poverty, the cause does
not exist; hence, there can be no neces
sity for straining the Constitution t.
repair his losses by enforced taxation o.
the people.
The bin is in disregard of the rea
object of establishing q retired" list O
the Army. The policy of retired
list is founded upon the consideration
that the pay OF the officer is fixed at
rate 50 low as barely to afford him tn
means of living. Consequently whel
by long service or injuries received II
the line of duty, he is incapacitated TO
further service, il was deemed prope
10 place him on the list with enough pa
to support him in his declining years.
To "retire" an officer presuppcses hir
10 be in the service. The benehciar
of this bin is not in the services no
can it be said that fortune OF S250, ,Oo'
with an assured yearly income OF Sl5
600, is inadequate to his support.
far from being in the military servic
he retired" himself from il sixtee
years ago for a consideration SO valu
BILE that neither he nor the country ca
have forgotten it. Fie left the Arm
voluntarily, that he might be ciotnf
with the highest honors of the world
the Chief Magistracy of the Unite
States.
The proposed measure is without pr
cedent, rs it is without even the snadc
of Justification. 1t is said that &
Office of Commander in-Chief W
created for George Washington after
had been President, and had retired
the shades of Mount Vernon. But 1t
calumny upon the memory OF those "
did it, to assert thatit was intended
give him money, or to heap accumulat
honors upon the head of him who "
first in war, first in peace, and nrst