The National tribune., 1886-05-20


longs TO party tia can only keep its strength by
reducing expenditures by denying rights that be-
long 10 men who have done for us what these men
have done.
The Senator from Arkansas said It was time FOG
us TO call halt. halt about whatg What does
the Senator mean by calling halt? Does he mean
that ii is time for us 10 call halt in passing bills
through the Senate 10 compensate for property
taken by the army amounting to IRON sl'ooO up TO
$4,000 $50 900 in single bills every few daysg
nobody halting in that sort Of performance.
haze tried once or twice 20 stop H. but could not.
IL he meant that, he and would join hands 80 far
the greater portion Of such claims Is concerned,
where my ground Is that there Is no claim.
But does he mean TO call a halt IN reference 70
granting pensions? is that what he meansy IL
he means TO call halt in reference 10 granting
pensions to men who not entitled to them. then
! will agree with him; but If he means TO call
halt IN reference to granting pensions to men who
are entitled to them. then i disagree with him.
Under this bill no person is allowed or permitted to
have pension unless be disabled In service,
except he is in such condition that he is not COM
peteu 10 make living for himself III the desire -
60 call halt against these poor, unfortunate men
that are not able TO make "A living for themselves
i utterly disagree with him, and II say 10 him now
that If that is his proposition, and If he makes that
proposition as one that he expects his party stand
on aud succeed on he makes the grandest mistake
he made in hs life. You cannot succeed on
that proposition ia this country.
Mr.. President, there are other things TO which
might Rllude ia regard 10 what this Government
has done for the soldier. Now, let make
statement right here that VIII seem probably
| strange. The Government OF the United States by
law agreed 90 give Sl00 bounty per Hnnum 10 soi-
diers who served one year against the rebellion.
They were 10 receive III they served year 500.
two years S200 three years $780, and IL was 20 be
paid 10y the Paymaster. few were paid. but at the
conclusion Of the war regiment after regiment was
mustered out in Washington city within from three
20 10 days Of the expiration of their time
cuse n order to deprive them Of getting that bounty
and the record shows IT, and they have never got II
10 tins day Yet men talk here about the enormous
bOuntles given TO soldiers, and the pensions paid to
them. and the plundering of the Treasury for the
| purpose Of giving TO these poor unfortunate men
that 10 which they entitled! For 20 years these
men have been asking Congress 90 give them that
bounty that they were entitled TO under the law
eight and one-ihrd dollars per month. They never
4 have obtained H.
Until this Government shall keep its word until
/ this Government shall comply with its promise,
until this Government shall protect and take care
as well As il can OF these unfortunate that it
induced 10 20 into the army and who by that serv-
Ice have become debiitated and disabled from per-
forming labor TO make for themselves living.
\ til we have performed those duties toward these
men let our mouths be closed and closed IN silence.
Let US not whisper so that u can be heard even in
the galleries, that we have done all that do
and should do for these men
Let the halt be called when have performed
our duty; let IL he called when we have complied
with our obligations; let il he called when our
honor cannot be taTnisbed in any way by failure
on our part to carry out what we agreed TO when
enlisted these men in the service of their country
Until that Is done this Government has not per-
formed its whole duty. Until Il has done for the
Mexican soldier what think il ought TO do II
has not performed Its duty, for the precedent has
been set Ia all Governments, among all peoples that
the men who bleed that the country may live shall
! he recognized, that when men die in defense OF
their country aud leave families the country shall
care for those families Those who lose the power
10y reason Of their services 10 their country 10 make
for themselves living. others competent to
do should be taken care Of 10 a certain extent by
I the Government
Mr. President the Government that fails 10 do
this the Government thai fails 10 recognize that
duty toward it, defenders and TO return that graft
/ tude which an individual would return to another
who does him favor and saves him in the dark
hour Of life, is unworthy Of the name. Unless this
Government shall recognize that great principle
/ and perform that great duty 1t Will sink IN the
4 estimation Of mankind
/ j beg pardon for having detained the Senate 80
long, but do hope on both sides Of this Chamber
we shall recognize the fact that these poor. old
fortunate men shall not ask without receiving at
the hands Of this great Government Of ours.
At this point the debate closed for the day,
and the bill went over.
The bin was taken up again on the following
/ day, but no conclusion was reached. An elab-
orate speech against the bill was made by Mr..
Vest No., which was replied to by Mr. Teller
/ lCOlo.) The latter said:
! have always regarded the obligation OF the
Government To pay the soldier equal TO that 20 pay
any other debt. We talk great deal about the ex-
pense Of the pension list, ifit something that
I we ought not TO have paid, something that we
might have avoided or from which we might have
1 escaped. suppose we need not have paid the
4 nearly 5000 10000 that we owed when the war
closed. suppose we might have rcpudiated IL, and
we could have repudiated il and stood before the
world IN a great deal better condition than IL we
should reppaiaie our contracts with the who
fought for at Sl3 a month. We have paid TO the
pensioners In the United states S74sO0O0O we
/ have paid as interest on the debt 10 the men who
loaned the money TO carry on the war more than
three times that sum, and paying their debt
besides We have no Tight u repGdiaie either obi-
/ CATION. They are both sacred and should be kept
and 10 the satisfaction of us all the Government Is
able 20 keep it, obligation both to the men who
loaned il the money and TO the men who fought It's
Z battles.
We boast sometimes that we have dealt literally
with the soldiers, aud we also boast Of the total
amount we have paid them when we want 10 con-
gTafnlate ourselves as a nation that we have done
50 much. We figure up and say we pay S65 01o0 90
year 10 pensioners. We do not pay any more
than contracted 20 pay. and we do not pay any
i very magnificent 10 the men who took their
lives ia their hands and maintained the integrity
Of the Nation.
believe the proposition 10 put The Mexican war
soldiers upon the penson-rolls. without reference
Z 10 their disability. without reference TO their
poverty, mas met with the universal approval OF the
| gentlemen on the other side of the Chamber.
recognize the great service rendered by the Mexican
war veterans; recognize the fact that they carved
/ out Of Mexico for Us empire that has added in
calculably 90 the wealth Of the country, that has
strengthened II and made IL great and powerful ;
but do not recognize their services a 10 be CON-
pared with those Of the men who went out 10 battle
for the integrity Of the country 10 ts territorial
integrity, TO save IFS principles and 10 maintain il
intact as Nation. They are entitled 10 inn
nleasurably more than the other men. They are
entitled 10 greater credit because the work was
greater. inasniuch as human liberty, human free.
DOM Il greater Than dollars and cents territorial
area; and IL we can vote service pensions TO the
one ought 10 vote them 10 the other; and il we
can vote them TO but should vote them tu
the men who have rendered, in my Judgment the
greatest service that men have rendered 10 govern
naeuts ia modern times.
Brief remarks were also made by Mr. Logan
(lll.) and Mr.. Blair IN. III. J, after which the
bill was laid aside for other business.
TILT IN THE HOUSE.
While the army appropriation bill wa nndel
discussion in the House Mr.. Wheeler (Aia.J, q,
ex-Confederate cavalry General spoke OF I" tn,
arch -conspirator, Edwin NJ. Stanton misses OF
the Republican sidel, who conspired to draJ
down officers Of the Army who did not conform
. 10 his views or sustain the line of policy thai
! he had inaugurated." Mr.. Hepburn (Iowa
said in reply:
. Mr.. Chairman. this arch-conspirator" The gen
tleinhn names o who was at the head o
, the Federal armies. He was the who directed
, a. no other living man could. all Of the mnnuyeu
/ and operations Of the Federal army. lie In th,
man that brought your banner down into the dust
, that destroyed your lost cause" that whipped
you back into your allegiance 20 tie Government
} / Applause on the Republican side lie was Tia
man who made II possible for you 90 be here in thi
! I exalted place 10 be his mhgneF and slandcrer
= / iApplauss on the Republican side lie is dead nov
A I and cannot answer you bat notwithstanding yoi
to-day because that man willing among others
: that you might live and not have the halter aroun
= 1 your neck that you had won. Applause.
A
Soldiers In Office.
1 A Il l r "a 4