The National tribune., 1886-01-28

/ TO the present bill. He said:
have introduced hill to repeal the limitation in
regard to the payment of arrearsges. My State is
ia favor of it. The political party of which am
member declared iii its last convention in our State
in favor OF the repeal of that limitation But has
been so ably stated by the gentleman from Ohio,
! there many measures which appeal to the pat
roiic heart and the Just mind in favor of the SOL
der, but which cannot he incorporated in the pres
ent bill Let them IN their order be taken up and
/ fairly met.
see an opportunity for political advantage per-
haps, by forcing this amendment upon the House; ;
! hut do not ask that advantage. I want no better
advantage for my political party than that it give
Its earnest support without hesitation. without let
! or hndrance To this proposition lii favor OF the
women of this country whom the war has deprived
I of their natural and legal support in their hard
struggle for existence II at best can go but short
. distance toward their support and can never COM
pensate for the great losses that they have sus-
/ tained.
am glad that the rules of the House give us this
/ opportunity to meet this question, and appeal to
all gentlemen here 10 look this question fairly in
. the face Here n number of people to be bene-
fitted who without votes, without political n1lu
enee. and who appeal to us simply n those crushed
ana deserving beings who need the aid of generous
/ and lust legislation.
God knows that believe every soldier should be
pensioncd from the hour he injured. God
/ knows that | can with "A clear conscience vote TO
give to the widows, fathers, and mothers provided
for in this bill 7l6 a month; and that amendment
would oiier u t!ls bl but Tor the fact that would
I not lay single straw in the way of the speedy
adoption of this proposed legislation My hope now
i that the gentleman in charge of this bill will take
such action will enable the intelligence TO he sent
over the wires tonight that the House of Repre-
. sentatives has passed this just legislation.
Mr.. Wolford KY opposed the amendment,
but advocated the bill in an earnest speech.
lie said:
VIII any gentleman in this House say that he or
any other member here could live on SD a month?
! . Oh. we'll" they will say, the soldiers widow
must be more economical than we; they are able
to stand hardship and want. while the country
doles out TO them little by little the pi;iful allow
. ancc OF - a month";
haJ1 hon
we were struggling with it, enemies, and had but
little 10 pay with, this pension was fixed mt s. n
/ month. Ii WAS then the measure of the wages paid
TO the soldier. But. trnls God through the bless
1 ing- of Heaven and the knowledge of the people
M digging mines and cutivan@ The fields, IN bring
Ing forih the treasure from under lhe earth and on
the earth and utilizing them, we have grown rich
and mighty.
Now there are men of large capiia-and agree
with gentlemen that there ought to be way TO
make men of large incomes pay part, and did
Introduce a bill 10 tI. effect. lnt will not under
take to discuss it here say there men of large
! capital and thcre=lre wealthy and prosperous ell
I tcTpr!ses throuG hGut the land Now we are able
to pay and pay literally. This little pittancc TO the
/ soldiers widow will not be felt. | take this bill
just find it. am for ii most heartily. II ere
dicrs grateful spirit. They will say, a. gave 10
my country all that had; would have given
more If il WAS necessary, but they now remember
me IN my old age ana give me enough To eat and
care for me, a. rccompCnse for the service of my
husband The service of who fOst hiS life
! battle , / agree with my distinguished friend
from Wisconsin that many amendments arc ncccS
sary 10 the pension law; but donoi agree with him
that because young and fair and handsome lady,
with patriotic feeling burning in her heart admired
Inc oid soldier oi i5l2 who had marched to canada
/ or went from Boston to Lake Champlain, who fol-
lowed his flag wherever it went and fought the bat
ties of his Counry-i do not agree with The gentle
man III attrlbUting unworthy motives to the young
! lady who married sucli a veteran. Though he was
wounded she loved him. She loved him because of
his patriotism. She had in her heart and her soul
great admiration for the American cause and for
tire American flag and for the American name and
il.Dt hprp ion IN hapi
10 induce hcr 10 love the old man who had fought
for his country. She did love him and married him
and nurSed him. And when he died will You tell
her. You cannot have pension because YOU
young and beautiful girl. might possibly have mar
riGd me OLD man IN order Just to gel a pension
when lie died" Do you believe it? That Is not
| reasonable. She had higher motives. But even if
II were so-if she did marry him 10 get pension.
and took care of him and soothed the last days of
/ tic old soldier so that he allowed to go down
10 the grave III peace, under the kind and tender
/ hands and attentions of a lady such rs no man can
useif she did all that, say she deserves her pen
sion anyhow, and l would feel all the stronger
lnducement TO vote for II.
Mr.. Reagan Tex opposed the bill. He was
not in favor of indiscrimlnate pensions, claim
/ ing, however, that he would pay them to all
who justly deserved them. He charged with
! great yehemence, that gentlemen of both par
ties urging this measure for political effect
He said:
do not expect TO defeat the passage OF this bill.
/ / do not expect to defeat the passage of any BILL
! however great an outrage it may be upon common
| sense or upon common right, however great a
wrong the real soldiers the soldiers widows
! say do not expcci 10 defeat it but do, in the
name of my constituents, lii the name OF the tax
PAYERS Of this country, protest against the universal
/ and indiscriminate giving of pensions to all men
and women who come and ask for them.
Mr.. Dunn Ark offered an amendment to
place Oh the pensiou-roil all survivors of the
! Seminole and other Indian wars and the Mexi-
can war.
Mr. Matson, speaking again in favor of the
/ main bill. said
| NV friend from Texas Mr. Reaganl saws that he
| is opposed TO this I, because there some wild
ows uison the rolls who ought not to be there lie
raises his hands in horror and says, Where will
this thing end? What are coming to? Mr.. Chair
man, in all kindness TO that gentleman, want TO
say that lac ought TO have thought about that long
ago. Applause OH the Republican side. The wild
ows of this country whose husbands lost their lives
in defense of the flag entitled 10 he provided for
! in a way that Is commensurate with the dignity
and ability of the Government of the United States
applause and does notiie in the mouth ofaoyone
no matter where he has been what he has been,
10 carp ct small matters and say that because OF this
little thing that little thing this bill should he
rejected. Iapprehend Mr.. Chairman, that the very
life of this bill, and the very life OF any measure
that Is proposed III the way of pension legislation in
this Congress, depends upon the proposition that
the measure shall stand or fall upon its merits,
and l know there Is no class of soldiers in this
coanlryIquarFeiIng among themselves as they are,
we all .now-there is no class OF them that want
to ne pulled through Congress under the petticoats
of these old women. They want the pensions of
the women first increased, and the Pension Com
nlittee of the Grand army of the Republic among
lis very first propositions, recommends the increase
ofthe widows pension from So to sl2 per month.
Mr. Pettibonc (Tenn.) favored both the bill
and Mr.. Brownies amendment He said:
/ have in my mind the case of a soldier whose
good right hand was partially demolished by a
musket-shot while lie posing his revolver in
battle. That man to-day cannot get his pension
/ have asked him " Why did YOU not make your
application years ago. And his answer was the
answer that thousands OF men would make to-day
" Because when the war closed had "a com petence
did not need - month from the Government; ;
but now my property has been swept away and
ask this pIitance; there IL my right hand to show
what have done fov the country"
Now, say il is absurd at this late dav TO cling TO
the idea embodied in the act which took effect in
1886 II the money is due to the soldier give it to
him. am in favor of this proposed amendment
And, Mr. Chairman, believe the right way to do
a thing is TO do il when you can. We can pass this
bill with this righteous amendment this morning,
if gentlemen will not abandon their honest senti-
mcuts Oh this floor.
Mr.. Warner Ohio offered All amendment
providing that =" this act shall apply only to
widows who were married prior to its passage
He said:
There is certainly difference between the rights
! of q widow who gave her husband to the service
1 and who killed in battle contracted disGbil-
iiy from which he afterward died and the rights OF
broad difference between the two cases and one
/ which ] thiak will be recognized by every one
upon the floor II Is because of that broad differ
cncc between the two cases | have offered the
amendment.
Mr. Rayne Gpa } ur0e2 the M sca 90 of tbn hill