Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-09-02

period of the war, when our soldiers
were being killed and wounded by the
thousands, and for twelve years after
the close of the war that both branches
of Congress were under the control of
the Republican party. Most of the time
they had two-third majority in both
branches of Congress, and could sus-
pend the rules and do what they
pleased. What did they do during all
that long period with the memories and
horrors Of the bloody conflict fresh in
their minds. They passed customary
pension act which provided only for
pensions from the date of the applica-
tion, and a pension for the soldiers
widow at So month. For seveal years
during this period coffee was so cents a
pound, calico 40 cents yard, muslin so
cents yard, flour $12 to $16 q barrel,
and pork 13 cents q pound, and all the
necessaries of life to feed and clothe the
body ofthe grief-stricken widow and her
orphan children i'm these Northern
States, was high up in the proportion.
What did all these Republican Con-
crosses do? will tell you what they
did. They organized and passed the
Credit Mobilier Act by which the peo-
pie, the toiling taxpayers of the United
States were swindled out of 500, ,000, ,00O
for the benefit of q great railroad cor
poration. They passed laws granting
land enough to these railroad corpora
tions to make five States as large as
Ohio; they allowed British capitalists
to come here and create cattle syndi-
Gates and land monopolies and gobble
up whole counties of the best farming
, lands in the territories. They created
and speculated in Black Fridays, they
paid the soldiers in greenbacks worth
so cents on the dollar and passed a
funding bill which paid the bond-hold-
er in gold, for bonds which he has
purchased with these same deprecated
Greenbacks and thus by that one act
cheated the people of the country out
of five hundred millions of hard earned
dollars and put it into the pockets OF
the bond holders whose persons and
property were protected by the lives OF
soldiers. The enormous war taxes were
maintained and the soldier and his
widow were required to help to pay
them. Now when did the next pension
legislation for the soldiers begin. 1t be-
gan with the assembling of the Forty
Fourth Congress, with large Demo
cratic majority in the lower House.
That Congress passed the equalization
bounty act, and Republican Presi-
dent vetoed it and thus did agreater in.
, justice to thousands of soldiers than
Cleveland did when he vetoed one hun.
dred private bills. The next work of o
Democratic House was in the 45th Con.
gress, in the passage of the arrearage Of
back pension bill which gave the sold
, iers back pension to date from disabili
|, ty, and gave him three years in which
to file his claim in the pension Office.
The 46th Congress was Democratic
but did nothing. except that which
Hayes vetoed. The next Congress was
f the 47th. 1t was elected in 1880, wher
/ Garfield was elected. 1t was Republi
can in both branches, and had Repub
) lican President, Arthur, to approve III
3 acts. In that campaign the Republican
party renewed its pledge to the soldier
, What did they do? They passed bill
( for the relief Of the widow. Did they
, do anything for One-armed and thu
one-legged soldier? They did not ever
: report bill, although Republican
r soldier, Gen. Browne, of Indiana, wa
Chairman of the Committee on Invalit
, Pensions. Now let us ask the soldiers o
Ohio when the next legislation came
for their relief. 1t began with the pres
: ent Congress, of which / am but al
, humble member. What did we do
We passed a bill to increase the pen
sions of the soldiers widows from $8 tx
So per month, and the President ap
} proved the bill. passed bill to in
. crease the pensions of those who lost .
leg or an arm in the army, six dollars ,
month over and above what lie befor,
l received. Where the arm was taken of
t. at the shoulder, and the leg at the hil
, joint the pension was increased sever
l and a half dollars per month. w,
passed about seven hundred privat,
! pension bills, and six hundred of then
:. became laws. The President vetoet
! about hundred of them, but nearl,
every bill which passed with thos
l vetoed had been neglected by a Repub
! lican Commissioner of Pensions, man,
3 of them by Gen. Dudley, of Indiana
! ! who lost one of his legs in the army
= showing that a Democratic Congress
and President relieved nearly six hun
l dred soldiers whose claims had been re
jected by one of their own comrades Ii
!; arms. For these bills voted, and de
1 fy any man of this district to show
single instance where the interest of tn
: private soldiers or their widows was in
:, volved that did not come to his relief
!, GENERAL LEGISLATION BY THE PRES
8 ENT CONGRESS.
9 Let us call your attention to few o
: the important acts of general natur
: of the present Congress.
:, 1st. Reduced the expenses of the ad
r ministration of the government abou
:, seven millions of dollars.
f I'd. We passed bills through tn
House forfeiting land grants to the rail
: roads involving sixty millions of acre
s of the Public lands. We appropriatet
f B3, 100000 to begin the construction of
s navy which will give employment t
S thousands of laborers and stimulate tn
: iron and steel interests of the country
: We appropriate ST., 800, 900 for interna
Improvements of rivers and harbors
h which will give employment to thous
8 ands more laboring men of every class
both skilled and unskilled. We passe'
g a bill to compel the manufacturer @
J, oleomargarine to sell his products 70
: what it is, and not palm it off on tn
s people for butter. 1t was the first di
4 rect act of legislation passed in the in
serest of the farmer for many years
f We passed through the House by NOR
@ than two-thirds vote resolution il
f favor of paying out the surplus of tn