The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-03-07
a DAY OF SPEECHES.
Senator lIngalIs Replies TO Senator
Vests Pension Speech,
Asserting Anew the Nations Duty to
the Boys in Blue.
A Southern Congressman Rebuked
by Mr. BouteIIe Of Maine.

the words: From infrmities Of age" SEN
ator Berry argued against the amendment
on the ground that its effec was to make the
bill service pension bill There were now
three hundred thousand pensioners costing
eighty millions a year. The admission Of
seven hundred thousand more, under this
bill, would increase the pension appropria-
tion to over two hundred millions. 1t prac-
tically opened the door to ever man who
served in the army.
Senator Manderson said he did not propose
to vote for the amendment, yet he conceded
in the principle Of it.
Senator ingalls, called Senator Platt to
the chair and proceed to address the Senate,
the galleries being crowded to their fun ca
pacity. He replied to Senator Vests re-
marks of last week. The address was main
ly personal. He ironicatlly charged the
Democrats with having no love for Union
soldiers, and said that Vest intimated that
the people Of the District of Columbia were
incapable of dsinterested patriotism and
that the veterans Of the Republic were a
mob of sordid plunderers. As to himself, he
would say the nomination and election OF
Grover Cleveland made the nomination OF
any American citizen to the Presidency re-
spectacle. There was no man SO ignorant or
mean that he might notaspire to the nomina-
tion to the Presidency-by the Democratic
party. Laughter and aprlause.l He wanted
the Senators ON the Democratic side to under
stand that their disguise for opposing the
pension bills was so exceedingly thin that
nobody was deceived by it.
Senator Morgan reminded Senator Ingalls,
that the Democratic party had nominated a
Federal officer, General Hancock. for the
Presidency.
''Yes," said Senator Ingalls,, ''they did sup
port Hancock. They also supported Horace
Greeley, attempting to fool the North. They
also nominated and supported that other ally
Of the Confederacy, George b, Mcclellan.
Such pretensions are altogether too diapha-
nous. They require to have their drapery
removed for inspection"
In the course of his speech, Senator In
gals said that in 1886 there was in Atlanta
great historical occasion, when statue to
the memory of an honored senator was un-
veiled-a man whom he Qngalls) honOred
and respected. On that occasion the ex-
President of the Confederacy was invited.
Men flocked to the city as they go to ban
quet, as the waves come when navies are
stranded. The city was decorated with Con-
federate emblemS to make IL a Confederate
holiday. Senator ingalls, quoted from the
speech of Mr.. Grady at the unyeiing OF the
Hill statue, in which Jefferson Davis was
spoken Of as one whose grey hairs were
CROWNED WITH DEATHLEss LOVE,
and as one who, ''thOugh an outcast from
the privileges of this great government, is
the uncrowned king of our people," BE did
net propose to rehearse the reply of Davis,
except to quote one sentence in which he re-
ferred to Senator Hill as having "mashed
that injurious Yankee" meaning, he sup
posed, their friend now in Florence. He
spoke of the same orator, Grady, having
gone to New York and New England soon
afterwards, and made speeches there, pour
out his ''treacle, cold cream, honey and
maple syrup all over the North"
when was that orator sincere? When
did he speak the sentiments, feelings or con-
science of the Southern people? Was 1t
when he delivered his Grafton in Atlanta, or
when he spilled oil and wine over all the
American people in the North?" Coming
back to the opposition OF the Southern Sena-
tors to the pension bills, he
SAID HE DID NOT BLAME THEM.
He often wondered how he would have act
ed if the Federal government had been over
thrown. He did not believe he would have
felt comforted in voting pensions to Confed-
crate soldiers. He believed he should have
been a eonspirator against the Confederacy
to the end Of his days, but he should have
regarded it as the climax Of effrontery, as
the very apex and summit of hardihood and
audaeity, (he would not say pusillanimity and
dishonOr,) if, after he had accepted par
don, wieh his disabilities removed, and had
taken an oath of allegiance to the successful
Southern Confederacy, he had denounced
a A..~Af affo rfC .fa1n faa
made to reward their own soldiers and hag-
gled about the price which the conquering
country should have seen fit to beSt0W on
the men by whose arms it conquered.
He did not think the North was at all delud-
ed by the pretensions OF Senators of the 9th
er side. 1t was little singular that, in all
the years which had elapsed since the war,
there never had come from one of the States
in rebellion $50 far as he knew a Union
soldier as a representative in either branch
of Congress, elected by Democratic votes.
The Democratic party in those States never
as governor, man who had not served In
the Confederate army in some capacity. That
had been the supreme test. When he looked
over the rolls of the Senate and House, he
reflected how few of those who served in the
Union Army were found in the councils Of
the nation. He was surprised at witnessing
such demonstI ations as were witnessed when
pension bills were up for action. The Sem
ator from Missouri had asked, in burst Of
indignation and impatience, where all
THIS VOTING OF PENSIONS.
was going to end? He had gone thus far he
said, but should go no farther. 81 will tell
the Senator" said ingalls,, ''and every Sena-
tor on that side Of the chamber, whether they
like it or not, what we intend to do. will tell
the Senator from Missouri. and the rest Of
his associates just where this thing Is going
to stop. 1t is going to stop when arrears Of
pensions are paid and when the limitation Is
removed, and every soldier on the rolls or
who gets on the rolls, is paid from the day
of his disability, or, in the case Of survivor
from the date of the soldiers death, and
when every surviving soldier Of the Union
army is put upon the rolls for service only.
That is when 1t is going to stop. Applause
make the most of it.
Senator Ingalls, repudiated and denied the
assertion of Senator Vest that the national
encampment of the Grand Army at st. Louis
last September made threats of violence
against President Cleveland. The President
could have gone there with entire safety.
The Grand Army which has been stigma
tized on the floor of the Senate as gang of
sordid plunderers. organized for plunder,
were
ORGANIZED FOR CHARITY,
and had expended in charity during the
year uI looO, G1OosJot, lOhCNihb ~o,VVO pCA
sons. 1t was to supplement this charity that
that organization asked from Congress that
this bill pass. "And," said the Senator, 'we
propose to pass it. hope it will pass the
other House. If it does, let the President
veto it at his peril. Very general applause
ON the floor and galleries..
Senator Blackburn replied at length to
Senator ingalls,, referring ironically to the
latters war record, and bitterly charging him
with defamlng the dead.
The discussion on Senator Wilson's amend
ment was resumed, but after half an hour it
was agreed, unanimously, to consent, at the
suggestion of Senator Sherman, that the
pension bill be taken up tomorrow as unfn-
ished business, and that the debate be under
the five minutes rule, and that the vote upon
the pending amendment and the bill be TAX
en- before the close Of tomorrow's session.
In the House.
After the transaction of some routine busi-
ness, the House resumed the consideration
of the Alabama contested election case OF
McDutfie against Davidson. After brief ar
guments by Messrs. Lyman of Iowa and
johnson Of Indiana, in favor Of the claims OF
the contestants, Mr.. O'Ferrall, of Virginia,
took the floor in support Of the majority re-
port. He rdiculed the claims of the Repub-