Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-26
DIXIE AND THE SOLDIER.
PENSIONS GIVE RISE TO A SEC
TIONALISM CRY.

poseiy Mtsleading-The Debate Mark
ed by Great COnfusion.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 25.-The House to-
day went into committee OF the whole on
the pension appropriation bill. Mr..
Townshend, of Illinois, who had charge
of the bill explained its provisions. 1t
appropriated, he said $T5, ,754, 200, or about
$4,000, ,000 more than was carried by the
law for the current year. This increase
was occasloned by accelerated work that
was being done in the pension office, and
TOR this work the Commissioner of Pen
sions and his employees deserved commen-
datiOn and by the larger number OF cases
that were now being disposed OF. He
then passed on TO discussion of the pro-
position to repeal the limitation of the ars
reaFs OF pension act and advocated it "a
a measure demanded by good faith and
patriotism. The question should not be
how nuch the measure would cost but
whether IT WAS Just
THE CAUSE OF THE INCREASE DISPUTED.
Mr.. Henderson, of Iowa, while con-
curing with Mr.. Townshend In his gen.
eral remarks upon pension matters, dill
fered from him when ne attributed the IN
creased appropriation to the accelerated
work of the pension office. He said that
the amount Of the pending bill was ST.
694,SO0 below the average for the last six
years. Passing on to discussion of the
general subject of pensions, he said that
there appeared TO be a well considered ef-
tort on the part OF some gentleman in the
House to trIghten the country with the
idea that the appropriations for pensions
were now so tremendous that halt
should instantly be called. He attacked
Mr., Randall, for having asked the Com
missioner of Pensions for an estimate Of
the probable cost to the country OF the re-
peal OF the limitation of the arrears of
pensions.
THE ESTIMATES DENOUNCED.
He said Commissioner Blacks esti-
mates had been excessive and misleading,
and he accused Mr.. Randall OF OfticiOus-
ness in attempting to fOrestall a bill not
yet passed, and create alarm in the public
mind against it. He described Commits
siOner Blacks letter as untTustworthy,
and as having "a lie in its stomach" The
commissioner, when called to account by
the Pension Committee, had revised his
estimates, but the mischief had been
done, because his first letter bad been
spread abroad in the public prints. In
reply to a question by Mr., Randall, Mr..
Henderson said he did not believe the re-
peal of the limitation of arrears would
cost the country $150,O00,0O0, but whatever
its cost he advocated 1t.
ANALYzING A VOTE.
Mr. Henderson then went into an
analysis of the negative vote on the bill TO
increase the pensions of soldiers widows.
The total vote in the negative, he said,
was 66, of which 81 were cast by South
err Democrats, and two by Northern
Democrats, Messrs. Hewitt, of New York,
and Bragg, of Wisconsin. Not one Re-
publican had voted against the bill. This,
hn
great lesson was to be learned from it. In
the late campaign in the North the Re-
publican party had been charged with
being the party OF sechonalism-the party
that waved the ensapguined garment.
The man that would ever again make
charge after that simple vote must close
his eyes to the truth.
MAKING. A POINT.
Mr.. Tnlman, Of South CarOlina--Con-
sidering that the Confederate States pay
about One-thlrd of the taxes to the Federal
government for pensions and do not get
back cents Of 1t, considering also that
from the foundation OF the government to
the present time SS a month was COnsid-
cred Il sufficient pension for widows, can
the gentleman complain that the South
ern members are trying torestrain neces-
sarily large expenditures for pensions
within the rules that prevailed heretofore?
ed no man for his vote, but the Southern
members were under equal obligations
with the Northern TO pay the debt TO
Northern soldiers.
INJURED INNOCENCE.
II have not read this vote for the pllr-
pose OF stirring up bad blood" he said.
''rhe time has come when sectional lines
should be dropped. and when 81 mem bers
OF that side of the House SAID that $12
was TOO much TO pay a widow the sec
tional line was kept up and the bloody
shirt was waved"
Mr.. Oates, of Alabama, inquired wheth-
er Southern members should not have
discretion TO vote as their conscience die
tated. Were they slaves, and not permit
ted to use their discretion9
MALIGNING THE SOUTH.
MIR. HendersOn---NO, not slaves.
want all the members on the floor TO
stand as equals. ] cOncede their cOnsti-
tutional right TO vote as they pleased, but
there IS more than one way of observing
the constitution and Of trampling il un-
der foot. To-day the constitution Is
thrown in our face as a shield 10 cover an
almost solid vote against the increase Of
the pensions bill, and yet there is hardly
a constitution OF the United States TO be
found in that section. / state here and
now as my conviction that II these gen.
tlemen respect the constitution as they
say. they would not have control of this
chamber. IL they represented the cOnsti-
tuition, instead OF ballot-DOX stufiing and
shOtguns, they would not have control OF
the executive OF the nation. Applause
on the Republican side and groans on the
Democratic side.
ANSWERING THE GRoAN.
You may groan, gentlemen, but you
yourselves do know, and you boast OF IL,
too, that you will control this government
In spite OF the constitution; and l tell you
here and now, in this chamber. that there
are as grave crimes committed under the
forms Of the law and constitution A. there
were when Sumter was fired upon; and,
for one. protest against sectional con-
troll OF this country with the constitution
absolutely defeated. These are my senti-
ments, and / say that the gauntlet was
thrown down In that vote. In cicsiDg,
desire TO say that ! sincerely trust that
no gentlemen, especially those who were
In the ranks against me. misinterpret5
me, for | would rather spend an eternity
In h. with a Confederate, than an eter-
nifty In heaven With "A Northern copper
aead. Laughter and applause.
JOKE ABOUT sPoILs. =.
Mr.. Warner. OF Ohio, defended the Com
missioner OF Pensions from DIR. Hender-
sons attacks, and In the course Of his re-
marks said be wanted the Pension Bureau