The Rugby gazette and east Tennessee news. (Rugby, Morgan Co., Tenn.) 1884-188?, 1886-03-27

talized at per cent. is a real addition to Cur
public debt of $l52, 900. If our annual app g
priations for pensions be no greater than he
amount covered by the bill now under di c' e
sion $50 i54,20U, 1t capitalized at 4 per col I.
Is an addition to our fixed Indebtedness Il
81, 500 $4,000 In view of these figures and CT
the present condition of the country, l, lor
one, am not willing to go any farther in ms
road, which leads, first, TO repeal of the limi'
tation on the arrears of pensions to every
one whose name was borne on the rolls or
the army during the war. No one can es'
innate what cost awaits us if we pursue this
farther.
II Is the misfortune of this weak human ma.
ture of ours that the noblest emotions may
cause lower and meaner motives; gratitude
and justice to the soldier may give place to
the attempt to gain or retain power by means
of eXtravagant pensions. ] mpugn no mans
motives criticise the vote Of no Represen-
tative; but history reveals the dangers which
lie in wait, The expenditure is startling and
destructive OF every present hope OF deyel-
opment, retrenchment and revision. But
this is not Its worst effect. 1t emasculates the
courage of our public mon; it tempts to low
views concerning public moneys, and 1t los
tiers spirit of dependence on Government
bounty. 1t may be years before-God grant
it may be never--that stalwart men vii MI
the air with shouts Of "palen, &C ltdes! !"
dread and camel" but this has been and
may be. Let us appeal 20 the lofter spirit OF
self-dependence.
These soldiers are our brethren,-bone of
our bone, blood of our blood-aDd want us to
be frank and just To them confidently APP
peal from the clamors made ostensibly in
their name. With them | am persuaded there
is no desire to see heavier burdens laid on
other people; they are not clamorous to live
on the sweat of their neighhors and friends,
of men as brave and as poor as they. |
receive with some ncredulity statements
as to the poverty and sad necessities of any
considerable number of the beneficiaries Of
these pensions. That some of them are in dis,
tress is undoubtedly too true. This Is true of
persons of every vocation i'm life. The fight
to keep the wolf from the door, the strife
to make tongue and buckle meet" the
ce seIess 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 considerable
numberof the Federal soldiers or their fam.
lilies are objects of charity or inmates of
poor-houses can not believe. 1t is not so in
my section; never knew a Federal soldier in
q poor-house. Asa rule they are well to do,
fairly successful, and more. than usually
thrifty The qualities which as a rule urged
them to volunteer and to persevere-the en-
ergy, earnestness, courage. enterprise, which
made the Federal army what it was-charac-
terizes them in peac and brings their usual
reward.
Mr.. Chairman, it can not be; it would be a
SANDER on the army of conquest. | recall.
another disbanded 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 opposing
ranks exposed to the storm of shell and shot
They returned, not to prosperous commune
| ties, rich and happy, not to homes of plenty,
but to a land desolate, conquered, in ashes
| Without pensions they have fought the fight
of life.
| Mr., Chairman, all these soldiers were OF
| common Blood to-day they are brothers; and
l will not believe, can not believe, that those
who were victorious in war have not been
fairly successful in peace.
| For the brave soldier have naught but es-
| TEEN. To him who Fl IN conviction offered
| his life on the wager of the battle uncover
| my head and offer my hand. BY u tie of com
mon manhood and like service we are broth
| ers. To-day between us there can be no Other
| rivalry than for our country's goOd-fOr het
glory. He who gave his services to his coun
try can now do her no greater benefit than &c
| call halt in this wild chase for pensions. 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 h 1t.
do not mean to say, sir, that am not will
ing to put individuals on those rolls who fol
| some technical or other reason can not be
placed upon the pension rolls; nor that III
| certain specified cases, where the disability
is of an exceedingly grave and painful char
acter might not be willing to increase the
rates received, or in some given case fol-
reasons peculiar to it. that would not glad
! ly vote whatever might seem to be just; and
| am willing, and more than willing. to give
| to the veterans who in the Mexican war wor
| for us an empire so vast and so rich anC
opened to us the gateway to OTHER and no
| yet realized benefits, some testimonial no
| only of gratitude, but of the justice of the
country whose area they so greatly increased
and whose pathway to higher destiny they
| so gloriously widened.
! And entreat that from this time forward
| that you marry indissolubly in the same bill
increase of pensions to the mode of raising
| the necessary revenue; no longer let the vas
| expenditures be hidden amid the rhetorical
generalites about our great wealth and over
flowing Golfers, but let US come down 10 thu
practical calculate of the wise builder il
the parable, and sec where and determine
| how the needed moneys are to be raised. L
we will increase this debt to run for fit!
| years let US dedicate tax to its PAYMENT
tax to he as sacred as the debt. Then we will
deal candidly with the country, with the tax
payers, with the customers, and with our
| selves. 1t is either mere hypocrisy or folly t.
thus increase our expenditures, to make
promises so solemn, and then neglect to pro
vide specifically for their payment
Now, when the coasts of the Republic ar
defenseess, when a dependent race, enfran
chised by the march OF events, needs Car
and education; when the Notifications hav
rotted on our coast, and our flag has near
disappeared from the seas; when the none
tary system calls for revision and the TART
system calls for modification and reduction
for one must halt before go further in in
creasing either the lists OF pensioners or tn
amounts that are to be paid them. Wher
sir we are called upon to vote additions t.
these startling amounts, the additions i
part to be borne by my people, will no
allow any man on this floor to challenge m
vote for any past conduct OF mine or anyb bod
else
There are other things ! wished to say, bu
| / have only few moments remaining. Ma
, ! be pardoned, in conclus on, for personal a
fusion. | feel l. can speak with absOlut
| fro N pOnppD
, nothing to hide.
Mr.. Chairman, l believe that represent i
the vole that have cast and that | may here
after cast that noble and beloved constitl
ency which has intrusted me with its repre-
, sentatjon. In its boundaries there are no an
!, mositles growing out of the war, nor ha
, there been for years. May ] be pardone(
J merely to illustrate the condition OF that Il,
trict, personal allusion? OF the two grow
, men who are dearest to me, one served fou
! years in the Confederate army, on
four years in the Federal army; sucked at tn
, same breast, instructed at the same knee, /
! early boyhood becoming motherless, betwee
! the three there is only confidence aud aGet
: ton There was fourth for whom tn
mother gave her life, and who seemed t
grow up with the sunny lovingness that mad
! that mother dear to all with whom she cam
! in contact. In the early flush of his youn
manhood he laid his life, Federal soldier
4 upon the altar of his duty, and he lies at tn
feet OF a venerable man whose earnest, il
| t6USe, duu dDie uCNOl Vi: W Tue CulOU OI III
! States is well known among the people fror
q whom came.
Standing by those graves and looking acros
= ! the bluegrass sward, can be seen in concel
!, trio circles the headstones of the Federi
\ dead, and not far off on the slope of a bedut
!. full hillside, under the shade of forest tree
n stands the st. Andrews cross, draped wit
= the furled banner on the broken flag-sta
! of dead confederacy, guarding in its whit
= purity the graves of those who gave the
lives for that flag. Scattered all over thu
p beautiful cemetery are the fathers and sol
!, and brothers who served in opposing armies
!. and in the adjoining city, and throue
:, | all the nd iaopnt country are those who love