The Portland daily press., 1886-02-26

to be learned from it. In the late campaign
in the North the Republican party had been
charged with being a party OIL sectlonallsnl,
a party that waved the ensangulned garment
The man that would ever again make tnat
charge after that sample V0te Would close MS
Mr. 1ilIman. Of South Carolina, interrupt
ed. saving. considering that the Confederate
States pay about one-third of their taxes to
the federal government Ior pensions, ana DO
not get back three cents, and considering al
so that from the foundation of the govern
ment to the present time $8 a month was
considered a sufficient pension for widows,
can the gentleman complain that the South
ern members are trying torestrain the neces-
sarily large expenditures Tor pensions with
in the rules that prevailed heretOf0rep
Mr. Henderson, never was more grateful
for an interruption | arraign no gentleman
on this floor for his vote, but say this in
reply to the gentleman, there is no section of
deeper and more profound obligation to pay
every dollar of its share of that debt than
the Southers States. Was it day of pleas
ure for us when our flags were unfurled and
we marched southwark Was it something
we prayed for and desired when we turned
For one. | fought for the South as well as
the North, and that my friend did not do. 1
laid my life at his feet as much as did to
keep the roof over my own head; and now
that we can all meet here together, the men
who stood in serried columns. against each
other for four years, think those who cast
that negative vote. are under as
profound moral and legal obligations
as we are to pay that debt.
Mr.. Randall desired to leave the arena Of
politics for a moment to assume the ground
of history and truth. He was unwilling the
sun should go down without expressing his
recollection on this question He had had
much experience On the appropriations com
mittee and this was the first time he had
ever seen partisan politics and sectionalism
brought into the debate on the pension ap
preparation bill. He should perhaps have
remained silent notwithstanding, except
that whether intended or not, there might
go abroad through the country the statement
that the Democratic party, and the
men particularly OF the Southern element
Of that party, had in any waylshown any. hos
tility whatever to the payment of pensionss
On the contrary his experience had shown
that the Southern element had developed a
wonderful disposition to pension Union SOL
diers and 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 those who were disabled in the
war for the Union.
The discussion was continued by Messrs.
Reed of Maine, Hiscock of New York and
others, and it drifted into the old grooves as
to whether the Democratic party was sin
cere in its professions of economy or
whether it had not made inadequate appro-
priations for the purpose of being able to go
before the country with favorable showing
of expenditures.
Pending action the committee rose. The
debate through out the day was marked
by much interest and some excitement,
though good nature was preserved at all
times. The chairman had much difficulty at
times in keeping the committee in order but
he succeeded well in his hard task, though at
times the confusion was so great that the
voices of the speakers were often drowned
in applause and laughter.
Adjourned.