The National tribune., 1886-03-11


| lGreat applause.
Mr. Henderson Iowa, who lost a leg in the
war, succeeded in getting the foor-through
| the kindness of Mr.. McComaS (Md. who yield
| ed him 10 minutes of his time-to reply to the
numerous gentlemen who had aimed their
| shafts at him for his speech that SO stirred up
the House. He said: ~
| haze been assailed by the gentleman from
Georgia Mr.. Hammondl because of my alluson to
| the other world in comparing my opinion of the
| Northern Copperhead with my estimate of the ex-
| Confederate who placed his bosom in front of my
| weapon in testimony of his convictions. l said
then and repeat, s; ] 1t now that respect the ex-
| head who hissed behind our backs while bullets
Missed in front have not language to express my
| When / say Copperhead do not say Demo-
crat" No, sir. fought side by side with Demo-
Gratis. They went side by side with us into every
danger to save the Union. There is not soldier in
the North but knows the distinction between
| Democrat and n Copperhead. That distinction
want to keep clear ard plain.
But why should the gentleman from Georgia
| mir. Hammond rise and take exceptions to my
remark? 1t was not aimed at him, 1t was aimed
at the exConfederate soldiers, and see by the gen
tlemans record that from 1861 TO 1865 he filled
| a comfortable State office and never exposed him
self to Federal lead. Laughter l did not apply
my remark to him. and may his mind restin peace!
| ILaughter.l
| Mr.. Chairman I recognize with pleasure the gem
=. tlemanly and manly character of some of my OPP
ponents in this debate. take pleasure in recog-
| nizng in that way the gentleman from West Vir-
ginia Mr. Wilsonl, and the cultivated and eloquent
| gentleman from Kentucky Mr.. Breckenridge who
spent four years of his life in the Confederate
| ice. That gentleman drew n picture beautiful,
| touching, and instructive, of three brothers. ali
nursed at the same breast, fighting opposing
/ fields, and yet no barrier between their hearts.
| l, too. MIR. Chairman, will attempt to draw a
| picture " If have the same permission. Three
! brothers of us met together one night in 1861 un-
| der the old family roof and agreed in this great
| land of our adoption the hour had come for to
! lay lives at the feet of our common country.
We slept none that night; all sat up In the morn
| before Scotland
| too took down the old family Bible. brought from
Scotland, and after reading it, knelt among his
little group of Scottish-American children, prayed
| to the God of nations to guard and make
brave for the right finished his prayer and said
| Amen.
| The parting you, gentlemen, have nothing to do
with; but those three brothers. all nursed at the
same breast" and with no barrier between their
hearts" went side by side TO the war ALL however,
fighting the same side-the side of their country
The eldest Thomas fell, shot through the heart, in
! the deadly " Hornets Nest" of Shiloh, and he
sleeps in an unmarked grave by the quiet waters of
| the Tennessee. The next, serving four years and
veteranizng lives but is almost ph ysical wreck
his health laid upon the altar of his country. The
third and youngest, well, am still pretty well.
thank you; but, Mr.. Chairman, / want it distinctly
understood that so long as l have memory to
| member what Thomas fought for, solong as know
that for nearly quarter of n century his widow and
children have struggled without that gallant prop;
Scottish though he was in origin, feel not called
upon to get down upon my bended knees in the
capital of my country with all due respect to
the gentleman from Georgia. and apologize for
Thomass death, for Williams ruined health. or for
myself Prolonged applause on the Republican
side.
Mr. Browne Und.) made an elaborate speech,
largely devoted to a defense of ex-Conimissioner
Dudley from the charges of too great political
activity. He charged tho Democratic party
with defeating the Mexican pension bill in the
last Congress. He said:
But speaking of this Mexican pension BILL It
came back into this House in ample time to pass.
The amendments were accepted by the gentleman
from Illinois who introduced the risnal bill, and
he labored with me TO get-what? To get Demo-
cratic majority to consent to take up and consider
that measure. That majority could have insured
its passage, but it persstently refused to do 1t
INSTRUCTED its consideration in every conceivable
way.
Vote after vote was taken upon the preliminary
questions i'll this connection in this House looking
toward the consideration of this bill with these
amendments. In every instance-and appeal to
the record ior the correctness of my staernent-in
every instance the Republican side of the House
voted solidly for its consideration, and in every in
stance there was sufficient number of flibusters
on the other side to defeat it. That is hiStory-in-
disputable history.
The reason that this pension bill giving to the
widows Sl2 pension at the suggestion of Republi-
can Senate was not passed before is that it de-
feated by parliamentary strategy Oh the part of the
gentlemen on the other side. They refused to pass
1t when they had the opportunity. 1t Is asked why
the Republicans did not introduce this measure be-
fore. | answer that when the necessity for the
measure became apparent, when it that
old age was fast coming upon these wards of the
Nation, that their steps were becoming weary and
their limbs feeble, that they were totteriug heavy
respondngly increasing. then If 1t had not occurred
before it was believed but measure of Justice that
Representatives gave it.
Mr.. Grosvenor (Ohio) was given 10 minutes |
by Mr. Long Mass, and strongly defended |
Col. Dudley from the charge by Mr.. Warner |
(Ohio) that he [Dudleyl had used the political |
power of the Pension Bureau against him !
tWarner at the Congressional election in 1884. |
Mr.. Reagan TEX, defending the Southern |
votes against the widows increase, said:
am also well satisfied with my vote against the |
bill recently passed to increase the pensions of |
widows from S. to So per month. Gentlemen |
here may now censure and condemn some of us |
for opposition to their reckless extravaganza in
the matter Of pensions. But the taxpayers and |
toers of all parts of the country will thank for
1t; and doubt not before many years those who |
go the furthest in this business now will be appeal
ing to us or to our successors to save them and |
their people from the calanites likely to flow from
the dangerous spirit of reckless and unjust spoiia
ton OF property holders and laborers they are now
encouraging.
i will make but one more observation, and that |
is to warn the gentlemen that they are teaching too
many of tellow-c citizens that they ought TO be
supported by the labor aud property OF other peo-
pie, and teaching them to ask the Government to
support them without the necessity OF labor on
their part; to warn them that they adopting Il
course well calculated TO destroy the sturdy and
seif-reliant manhood which has heretofore charac-
terZed American citizens and to convert them into
helpless dependents and mendicants All history
against such a course, and history will |
approve the action of those who resist its adoption
We may too soon reach the point where such |
policy will prove the destruction and overthrow of
beneficcnt institutions and of great Re- |
public
Mr. Henderson Iowa) got the floor for I" one !
more shot" He said
1t was not my purpose to participate further in this
debate when last yielded the floor, nor have |
time now for a brief review of much that |
would be glad to discuss. But it seems hit some |
where pretty hard for have been treated to u con-
stant fusillade of abuse since this debate began. l
do not regret, therefore, that did what did since
that which provoked these attacks was to quote |
from the official records of this House the solid
vote of the Gulf States against the widows pension
bill But am told that have brought politi- |
cal debate on pension appropriation bill. deny |
it, Mr.. Chairman 1 think | made it apparent in |
my opening remarks that the whole management |
of this appropriation bill opened up politics upon
scale gigantic and effective to reach political ends
according to the views of the Democracy. |
But, Mr.. Chairman. what points have been dis |
bate? Not one We have been treated to much |
elegant sport. The buffoon has taken the place of |
the Statesman, and have been ridicued before the |
country by the wit and genius Of Southern cvalry.
can stand it. 1t is thrown in my teeth that first
drew breath in Scotland. That is true, Mr.. Chair
man; but while it is true that L represent i'll my
birth the land of the thistle, | want to tell the |
gentleman that " from lowland moor TO highland |
pass treason never found birth in Scottish heart.
Applause on the Republican side True it is that |
born in Scotland. True it is that little child
| came to America. Does 1t remain for n simple |
Scottish boy of 81 not born under the folds of the
beautiful flag of America, to teach patriotism to a
gentleman who was born upon American soil? |