The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1888-06-16
INGALLS, TRADE.

ton OF tho Kansas Man.
The speech which Mr. Ingalls, OF
Kansas recently delivered in the United
States Senate on the pensions bill was
extremely malignant Its author DEM
onstrated, although the dcmonstra-
ton was unnecessary. that he is keenly
sarcastic and master of inyective,
and that there is perhaps no other man
in the American public life SO skillful
in the art Of saying trenchant things
in parliamentary way. He insulted
President Cleveland, and also the
memories OF Generals Hancock and
Mcclellan; and perverted fact to the
extent of declaring that no Democratic
constituency in the South had ever
elected Union soldier to either branch
of Congress. The speech was bitterly
partisan. Its purpose was to revile
| the Democratic leaders and to revive
sectional animosities, and Mr.. Black
burn fifty characterized it when, in the
course of his calm and courteous but
vigorous reply, he pronounced it an
insult to the dignity of the Senate.
The bill before the Senate was framed
by the Grand Army Of the Republic.
and provided for the extension of PEN
sions to disabled veterans Whether
the proposed beneficiaries. who imper-
/ lied their lives in defense Of the Union
at the most critical period in its his
tory, should now, in their old age and
helplessness. be protected and sup
ported by the Government they helped
| to save or be left dependent on the
charity of their hcighbors is problem
for reason and gratitude and not for
passion to solve. There is nothing in
the proposition, that calls for an ap-
peal to the hatreds born.of the war.
Those who fought against the Union
now realize as fully as those who
fought for it that 1t was fortunate for
all the struggle resulted as it did. They
are thankful. Notwithstanding that the
war cost the loss of thousands upon
thousands of lives they held deareI
. than their own and the sacrifice O.
their fortunes. that the Union arm!
triumphed. Had it been otherwise thu
condition of the country r-ould now b.
deplorable and its future threatening
, In these circumstances, if itwa Senator
J Ingalls, desire to secure the passage o
0 the bill and thus assist the old soldiers
} he should have appealed to the judg
ment and sense of fairness oft South
ern representatives Such an appea
would not have been in vain. But thi
was not his desire. He did not discus
the question from the standpoint 9th
patriot and statesman. but from tina
of the partisan and demagogue. H
knew his speech would be offensive t
Northern and Southern Democrats i
Senate and House, and that it woul
perhaps embitter them against the bi
to such an extent as to jeopardize 9
defeat its enactment. Yet, conscious
this-and he must have been consciou
of it, inasmuch as he is not a fool--h
: deliberately pursued course Gale,
: lated to accomplish the very thing b
protested to desire to avoid. Why di
|. Mr.. Ingalls, do this? Simply becau.
a he wished to create an issue which l
IN hoped would be helpful to the Repu1
is lican party. He fancied that
K by insulting and angering the
e he could only goad the Der
- - ocrats into defeating the BIZ
y the Republicans would then have
ii basis on which to ground an appe
Of for the support of all those who fougl
"a in the Union army. He would subie