The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1886-03-25
BLOODY shirt PAPERS!
NUMBER XXI.

The debate upon the Pension ApprOprl-
alton Bill, in the Lower House of Con-
gross, called out, from behind their sheep
skins, some of the old Rebel tigers.
Among these was old man Cabell, of
Virginia. He was very glad to say that
he had "sarved" the "Confederacy, sab"
through the "wah," and he would teach
the Republican side that bull-dozing was
played out on the floor Of the House.
! Gle did not intimate, however, that it
was played out in Virginia) He thought
the South should have something to say
about this pension business. This is the
plea of all the Democratic members who
spoke upon the subject of pensions. "The
South pays its portion of taxes, why not
have something to say about how the
money should be expended"
We are not sure but the South, and the
Democratic party, had something to do
with preparing for the pensioning of the
Union soldiers. Let US see: In the Sum-
mer of 1864 there were number of very
Jealous Democrats-some forty to fifty
thousand of them-engaged in an enter
prise in the State of Georgia. That en-
terprise aimed at the destruction of the
Government of the United States. Fol-
lowing this was an army Of many thou
sands Of Union membrane, gallant boys
in blue. For four months these two
bodies of men continued operations in
Georgia. We will not speak of those
thousands of Democrats who got hurt,
and who are not getting pensions, nor of
the great numbers killed. We will speak
of some of those who were hurt on the
other side. In the Army of the Cumber-
land, with which we served, from the
first of May to the sixth of November.
1864, eight hundred and ten officers, and
fourteen thousand nine hundred and sew
enty-three enlisted men were wounded
eUery one Of them shot by Democrats.
Forty-three thousand one hundred and
fifty-three men were reported sick, and
some twenty-siX thousand of these sent
to the rear. All these sick men lost their
health pursuing Democratic traitors who
were trying to destroy the Government
because their party was voted out. And
these were the losses in only one depart
ment of the great army in that campaign.
Is it strange, then, that the Democrats
of the South should claim the right to
have something to say with regard to the
pension matter, when they made all the
pensioners?
The plea that the South helps pay the
taxes that go to pay the pensions, is the
only claim which is to be used as an en-
tering wedge, in the near future, in pre-
pairing the way to pension Rebel soldiers.
Yet how long would it take such taxes to
pay up for the amount of property de-
stroyed during the war, and for which
the South was directly responsible? The
facts are. then, that if there had been no
Rebellion, and no attempt to destroy the
Government, there would have been no
need of pensioning anybody for services
during such an outbreak. 1t may look
unjust to those who were on the Confed-
crate side, to be called upon to pay taxes
for pensions for the men they disabled,
but no sane man will complain that it
is not just. 1t was not pleasure for the
men and boys of the North to go to
Southern battle-felds and prison-pens.
There was some sacrifice in these things,
dllu lllc 0llOulu 1OU ODJCSU w
paying for the disabilities caused by their
lawlessness. To grant a pension to a
Confederate soldier, would be to offer a
premium for treason. That many men
were deceived into making great sacri-
fees for the South, cannot be denied.
But all such men can lay their misfor-
tunes to the wickedness of the Demo-
cratic party. That party enjoys the sin
gular record of never having done good
thing, and it's open outbreak in 1861,
while productive of the greatest loss, was
in no wise the meanest of its acts. The
Democratic party would class all soldiers
Union and Confederation the same
footing. 1t is a party that every old
soldier should keep out of. 1t is party
which in Congress made strong opposi-
tion to increasing the pensions of soldiers
widows. 1t is party which stuffs bal
lot-boxes, and raises figures on tally
sheets. 1t is a party that is not fit to be
given public trust.