Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1886-03-20
II 4. the misfortune of this weak human ma.

the attcmpt to gain or retain power Dy means
of eStrayagant pensions. mpugn no mans
motives; criticise the vote of no Represen-
tative: but history reveals the dangers whlcn
lie in wait The expendi urc Is startling ana
destructive of every present hope OF deve.
gpmeut retrenchment and revision. Dut
thisis not lis worst effect. 1t emasculatesth the
courage of our public men; II tempt. 20 low
views concerning public moneys, ana u JOS
tiers n spirit of dependence on Govcrnmept
bounty. II may be years before-Hod grant
Il NAV be never-that stalwart men VIII OIL
the air with shouts OF pdnsm &c tuos'
bread and game!" but this has been and
may be. Let US appeal 20 the loftier spirit OF
self-dependence.
These soldiers are our brethren .bone OF
our bone, blood of our blood-apd want US TO
he frank and just To them conndentiy sp-
peal from the clamOrs made ostrnslply ~
their name. With them am persuaded there
Is no desire 10 see heavier burdens aid on
other people; they are not clamorous to i've
on the sweat Of their neighhors and friende,
of men as brave and as poor as they.
receive with some incredulity statements
as TO the poverty and sad necessities OF any
considerable number of the benehc' c'ar es OF
these pensions. That some OF them are IN dis.
tress is undoubtedly TOO true ms m trus a.ht ht
persons OF every vocation in lie. The nxht
to keep the wolf from or. the strite
to make tongue and buckle meef. the
ce seless battle against sickness. misfortune:
weakness, no doubt has gone against some OF
the most worthy. This is the not uncommon
lot of humanity. But that any consideraoie
numberof the Federal soldiers or their fam.
lies are objects of charity or inmates or
poor.houses can not believe II is not so IN
my section never knew a Federal soldier in
q poOr-house. As a rule they are well 10 10,
fairly successful. and more than usual,
thrifty. The qualities which as RUE urged
them to volunteer and tn perseyere-tbe en-
ergy, earncstness courag,', enterprise, when
made the Federal army what II was-charAc-
terzes them In peac and brings their usual
reward.
~ ~ ,,,th hs,. ha a
slander on the army of conquest. ] recall
another disbapded army-the army OF the
conquered whose soldiers have received NO
pensions. These had borne four years OF
march and battle had stood in the opp sing
ranks exposed to the storm Of shell and shot.
They returned not to prospcro IS communi-
ties, rich and happy, not to homes or plenty
but to a land desolAtc, conquered, IN ashes.
without pensions they have fought the hght
of life.
Mr. Chairman, all these soldiers were OF
common blood; to-day they are brothers. and
] will not believe, can not believe that those
who we're victorious in war have not been
fairly successtui in peace.
For the brave soldier have naught out es-
teen. 10 h IN VINO IT. m convlcuon oHereu
his life on the wager of the battle ! uncover
my head and offer my hand. BY tie ot com
/ mon manhood and ike service we are broth
ers TO day between us there can he no other
rivalry than for our countrys goodIfor her
glory. He who gave his services TO ms coun-
call halt in this wild chase for pensl MS. The
day of reckoning must come the day of pay
ment will be the day of Judgment:
The sober, solid, grave mass of the people,
| | confidently believe, agree with these views.
| For one, here b II.
| do not mean to say, sir that am not will
| ing to put in lividuals on those rolls who Tor
| some technical or other reason can not he
! placed upon the pension rolls; nor that IN
certain specified cases, where the disability
! IL of nm exceedingly grave and painful char
acter, lfght not be willing TO increase the
rates received, or in some gwen case for
reasons peculiar to IT, that would not glad.
" vote whatever might seem TO be just; and
| / am wiling and more than wiling, 10 give
to the veterans who IN the Mexican war won
for us an empire so vast ana so rlch aha
! Ouened to us the gateway TO otfer and not
vet realized benefits, some testimonial not
only of gratitude, but of The justice of the
! country whose area they so greatly increased,
] and whose pathway TO hlgher uestny toey
| so glOriOusly widencd.
! And entreat that from this time forward
that YOU marry indissoluby in the same bill
| increase of pensions to the mode OF raising
| the necessary revenue; no longer let the vast
expenditure, be hidden amid the rhetorical
generaties about our great wealth and over
flowing Golfers, but let us come down 70 the
practical calculati Of the wise builder IN
the parable, and see where and determine
how the needed moneys are to be raised. III
we will increase this debt to run for nifty
years, let US dedicatea tax to it's payment-a
tax 10 be as sacred as the debt. Then we Will
deal candidIy with the country, with the tax
PAYERS. with the ems oners, and with our
! selves. II i either mere hypocrisy or folly to
thus increase our expenditures, to make
promises so solemn and then neglect 10 pro-
vide specifically for their payment
Now when the coasts OF the Repuhhc are
def useless, when dependent race, enfran-
chsed hy the march OF events needs care
and education: when the tOrtI1cations have
rOtted on our coast, and our flag has nearly
p.d the when the none
tnry - stem calls for revision ana the tarin
system calls for modification and reduction,
for one must halt before go further in in
creaSiug either the lists OF pensioners or the
amounts that are TO be paid them. When.
sir we are called upon to vote additions to
these startling amounts, the audit ons IN
part to be borne b. my people. W II not
allow any man on this floor to challenge my
vote for any past conduct OF mine oranybody
else
1t is no answer to nv conscience or my
heart when men say to me; You must vote
so ana so or you will be SUSPECTED will
vote as | heiieve the best inter, SITS of The
peDple. for to day rnd tom rrow and for
years to come, require at m, hands.
There are OH things " she'd 10 say, but
have only a few moments remaining. May
be pardoned, in cunclus on. for persona al
lusion. | feel ! can speak with absolute
frankness. have no conc.ament; have
nothing tu hide.
IN vote tn Il have cast and that may here
/ after cast that mob and beloved conStitu-
ency which mas intrustrd me with Is rep e.
sentation. In its boundaries here are no lni-
, mostles growing out of the war, nor has
! there been for years. MAY be parton d.,
merely to Il strate the co d ton of that s.
, trict person ailuson! OF the two grown
! men who are dearest 10 me, one served -FOUR
years in the Confederate army, one
. four wears in the Federal army; sucked al the
same breast. instructed az the same knee, in
, early boyhood becoming mOtherts>, between
the three there is only confidence abeo.
tion There was fourth for whom the
mother gave her Ii Q, and who seemed TO
. grow NJ with the sunny Ivingness that made
, that mother dear to u / with whom she came
, in contact. In the early flush OF his young
! manhood he laid his life. Federal sodler,
, upon the altar OF his duty, ana he lies NJ the
feet of venerable man whose earnest. in
J tense, and able dcvot on to the Union OF the
: STATES is we'll known among the people from
. whom came
: Standing by those graves and looking across
/ the bluegrass sward. can be seen in concen.
I trc circles the headstunes Of the Federal
{ dead, and not far of on the slope OF healiti
ful hillside under the shade OF forest trees
stands the St Andrews cross, draped with
i the furled banner on the broken hag-stan
of a dead coniedcmcy, guarding in lts white
. purity the graves OF tn Sc VINO gave the'i
d lives for that tiug. scattered all over thai
. beautiful cemetery are the fathers and son.
n and brothers who served in opposing armies
and in the adjoining city. and through
o all the nd iacent country, are those who loret
/ those dead hc-Ies, and live now IN sweet ac
/ cor /. forgctful of all that was harsh and hit
y ter, remembering with grateful piety onl,
i that which was brave and kindly aud heroic
=. Among those people ii has beer my happiness
n TO dwell-my hope to die and there TO lie until
n the resurrection morn. so that when the SUI
n | of righteousness comes in the East, and rls,
!. to meet its beams the.hrst sight upon whici
my risen eyes may fall shall be the faces u
r. those who. however divided we may hav'
4 been in our views OF duty, were never divided
,. in our love. Great applause
IS Mr.. Chairman, with memories IKE these
s | with ties like these. conscious OF the rect
. tude of the motives which control the vot
h that give, shall meet with contempt all ei
4 fort 10 intimidate, all purpose TO miscor
4 | strue, speaking, acting, voting, as a
s American representative on the toor 0
Il the American Con ress officially the tn
r peer OF any other represe ntative, come fror
i. where he may, whatever be may have beer
!. II is our country, and shall keep in view
~ with ccaseless care, her honor, her prospert
!, and her Q 'ory, awaitin with calm conhdenc
A the decision of the tribunals to which ! AT
@ responsible, my own conscience, aud the ger
II erouS people whose commission | pea
prolonged applause.l
is A man in New York. who pretende
? to cure by astrology, and did not eve
r know the names of the planets, ha
rs boo, cant ~ iail for swindlinv hi