The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-10
WIDOWS PENSIONS.
A Heated Discussion in the Lower
House of Congress.
Southern Members Attacked by an
Iowa Representative.

A rather exciting debate occurred in the
House on the 25th during consideration of
the pensions appropriation bill. A Washing
ton dispatch gives the following particulars:
In committee of the whole the House con-
sidered the pension appropriation bill.
Mr. Townshend Gll.) who had charge of
the bill, explained it's provisions. It appro-
priated, he said, SIS, 754 200, or about Sl5,-
00O, QUO more than was carried by the law for
the current year. TLii increase was oc-
casioned by the accelerated work that was
being done in the pension office, and for this
work the commissioner of pensions and his
employees deserved commendation, and by
the larger number of cases that were now
being disposed of.
Mr.. Henderson Qowa) went into an analy-
sis of the negative vote on the bill to increase
the pensions of soldiers widows. The total
vote in the negative, he said was G. The
total Democratic nays were G6. The total
Republican nays were none. TIE total nays
from the South were e. The total nays from
the North were 2.
Mr.. Tillman IS C)-Considering that the
Confederate States pay about one-third Of the
and do not get back three cents of it, consid-
ering also that from the foundation of the
government to the present time s. a month
was considered asUfficientpenslon for widows,
can the gentleman complain that Southern
members are trying to restrain the necessari-
ly large expenditures for pensions within the
rules that prevailed heretofore.
Mr.. Henderson, never was more grateful
for an interruption. I arTaign no gentleman
on this floor for his vote; but say this in
reply to the gentleman There is no section
of this country that before God is under
deeper and more profound obligations
to pay every dollar of it's share
of that debt than the Southern States
Was it day of pleasure for us
when our flags were unfurled and we
marched southwark! Was it something we
prayed for and desired when we turned our
backs on home and faced toward death? For
one fought for the South as we'll as the
North and that my friends did not do. l
laid my life at his feet asmuch as 1 did to
keep a roof over my own head. And
now that we can meet here to-
gether-the men who stood IN serlied
columns against each other for four years.
think that those who cast that negative vote
are under as profound moral and legal OBJ
LEGATION as we are to pay thatdebt The time
has come when sectional lines should be
drop ed and when sixty-four members of
that side of the house said that twelve dollars
was too much to pay widow, the sectional
line was kept up and the bloody shirt was
waved.
Mr.. Oates (Alal inquired whether the
Southern members should not have the dis
cretion to vote as their consciences dictated.
Were they slaves and not permitted to use
their discretion!
Mr. Henderson-No, not slaves. want all
members on the floor to stand as equals. l
concede their constitutional right to vote as
they please. But there is more than one
way of observing the Constitution and Of
trampling it under foot To-day the Con-
stitution is thrown in our face as a shield
to cover an almost solid vote against the In
crease of pensons bill, and vet there is hard
ly Constitution of the United States to be
found in that section. state here and now,
as my conviction, that if these gentlemen
would not have control of this chamber
If they represented the Constitution
instead of ballot box stuffing and
shot guns they would not have
control of the executive of the nation. ZAP
plause on the Republican side and groans on
the Democratic side.) You may groan,
gentlemen, but you yourselves do know, and
you boast Of it, too that you will control this
government in spite Of the Constitution
And tell you here and now in this chamber
that there are as grave crimes committed
under forms OF law and the constitution as
there were when Sumter was fired upon.
And for one l 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 closing, desire to
say that sincerely trust that no gentleman,
especially those who were in the ranks
against me, misinterprets me, for l would
rather spend an eternity in hell with Con-
federate than eternity in heaven with q
Northern Copperhead. daughter and up
plause)
Mr.. Randall PENN desired to leave the
arena Of politics for moment t. assume the
ground OF history and truth. He was un-
willing that the sun should go down without
his expressing his recollection on this ques-
ton. He had much experience on the
appropriation committee, and this was the
first time he had ever seen partisan politics
and sectionaliSln thrusj into debate on the
pension appropriation bill. He should, per-
haps, havarenained silent notwithstanding,
except, whether intended OF not, there might
go abroad through the country the statement
that the Democratic party, and more partlcu.
larly the Soathern element of that party, had
in any way shown any hostility whatever
to the payment of pensions On the contrary.
his experience had shown that the Southern
element had developed wonderful dispo-
sition to pension Union soldiers or the widows
of Union soldiers He placed his experience
against the impression carried by the speech
of the gentleman from Iowa that there was
on the Democratic side any hostility to the
payment of what was Justly due to those who
were disabled in the war for the Union.
Mr.. Morrison Qll) said that for all the
years Of war and for ten years thereafter the
Republicans had control of the government
in all it's branches Skilled alike in states
msnshp and the display of patriotism. the
RepsI5lican party had made ample provision
for the payment of pensions to soldiers. Since
his experience he did not recollect the name
of a Southern man who had ever failed to
vote to the last dollar what that party had
provided by law should be paid to the SOL
dier.
The discussion upon the question of widows
pensions here ended, and the committee soon
after rose. The debate throughout the day
was markell by much interest and some ex,
citement, though good nature was preserved
at all times. The chairman had much diff
Guilty in keeping the committee III order, but
succeeded we'll in his hard task, though at
times the confusion was so great that the
voices of the speakers were drowned III ap-
plause and laughter.
NEWSY GLEANINGS.