The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1888-03-29
Congress-.

W ASHINGToN, u. T., March H.
SENATE Blair called up the
question of the second reading of
the bill introduced by him some
time since to give preference to dis~
abled confederate soldiers as be
tween men who have been disloyal
in appointments to civil offices.
MIR. Riddleberger spoke in favor
of the bill.
Mr.. Blair defended the principles
Of his bill which Che said) he had
introduced after prolonged refec-
ton, and on the same afternoon
that he had had a conversation
with a crippled confederate soldier
The bill was not Gas some seemed to
think al entering wedge to the
pensioning OF confederate soldiers.
1t was simply bill embodying an
act of humanity blended with mag
nanimity, and which he thought
the great nation might we'll exhibit.
So far as policy was concerned, he
believed the proposition to be a
wise one. He had received many
! letters of thanks and commenda
ten from ex confederate soldiers
since the bill had been introduced.
He calculated there were at least
quarter of a million of ex-confeder-
ate soldiers still living of whom,
perhaps, from $4,000 to 10000 were
without arms or legs, These men
could not be pcrsioned. Nothing
could be done for them by the fed
eral government, except in some
indirect manner Ever since the
clio t of The war eX-conted"rate SOL
Tiers haL hsen appointed to "tficr,
no;onlyuude the dempcra'icad min
istration but under republican ad-
ministra,ions. He supposed that
nine ty-nine out of every hundred
appointments to the civil service
made in the south Were Of men who
had been disI"yal during the war,
and it was too late for his republi-
can friends to say that it protruded
a novel doctrine on the senate.
He wondered whether, if Lincoln
occupied a seat in the senate, or if
Grant or SHERMAN or Sheridan occu-
pied seats in it, they would object
to The second reading of the bill.
Mr.. Edmunds opposed the second
reading of the bill, and remarked
tEat in most parliamentary bodies
in civilized countries chief dis .
cussion on the brad merits OF a bill
takes place on the question, shall
the bill be read the second time?
There was, thefore, on measure of
such importance, no want OF cOur-
tesy in taking the sense of the sem
ate on the question of ordering the
bill to a second reading. When d
measure so strange, so unique. SO
important as to attractasattention on
it's broad merits was introduced, it
was not only right but wise that It's
principles should be considered and
that if it were thought vicious, it
should be put an end to then. This
was bill which either conferred a
: benefit on a particular class of per-
sons because of particular quality
and the relation which they occu-
J pied, or else it was a mere Slam
and humbug. The senator from
New Hampshire had shown that
the bill would be of great benefit to
the particular class of persons de-
( scribed in it. 1t was not therefore
sham and humbug. There was
now on the statute book law say
ing that a particular class of United
5 States citizens, who had distin
i guished themselves in fghtinG
: against their country, should be ir
+ like manner, preferred, and for the
I same reason. That was the propo,
I sition. He thought it safe to say
a that no such proposition had evel
r before been made in any Legislative
s body, and probably no such propo'
sition would ever again be made
It destroyed all distinction between
b patriotism and the reverse, NJ
r body objected to confederate sol
! diers or confederate citizens sitting
+ in either house of congress. They
;. did not occupy such seats because
!. they had been confederates, bu
D because (the period of hostilit,
e having passed away they stooC
Il just like every other citizen; no bet
:, B. ter or no worse. AS to the appoint
!. ment of Mosby and other ex-con
). federates by President Grant, h
70 said the President had appointed
d them, not because they had bee
v confederates but because they wer
q. a. useful and patriotic citizens. H
hoped that the senate would tax