Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-03-21
A Strong Contrast.

The United States Senate has been en-.
gaged for q couple of days in discussing a
bill introduced by Senator Blair, OF New
Hampshire, declaring that in all federal
appointments made, where the choice
was among those who had been in re-
bellion against the Union, the preference
should be given to the soldiers and he
declared, as his incentive to this bill, that
the South was full of Confederate Grip.
pies, who needed to be taken care Of.
The proposition created the liveliest
debate the Senate has had for long
while. Mr.. Blair's Republican colleagues
were generally horrified at the idea of the
United States providing for Confederate
soldiers. There is law like the one
proposed by Blair, giving preference to
Union soldiers, when Offices are being
handed around, but the Republican sena-
tors could not see the proprie'y of prefer
ring Confederate soldiers to any other
sort of rebel.
On the other hand, the Southern Dem
ocratic senators, while appreciating Sena-
tor Blair's desire to take care of the Con-
federate soldiers, declared that they could
see no reason why there should be any
other test than fitness for appointment to
federal Office. They did not ask any par
ticular favor for the Confederate soldiers.
Senator Daniel, who is the most eloquent
Of the senators, and who has not yet
been often heard from, made a first-class
speech, both in matter and manner, de-
Glazing that there we're no Confederate
soldiers uncared for in the South that
they had gone into the war as they be-
lieved for their country's sake, and they
had no apologies to make for their course.
They had been beaten and now asked
nothing more from the nation than the
quiet enjoyment Of the citizenship of the
republic to which they had been re.
turned.
The contrast between the course pur-
sued by the Southern and Northern
representatives, when the interests of
their soldiers constituents are at stake,
Is very striking. We doubt whether a
Republican senator would be found with
the courage to refuse to vote pension to
every Union soldier, if a Southern enator
should introduce bill for the purpose.
And yet there is a much smaller
proportion of ex.soldiers among the
Northern population than there is in the
Southern, where every able bodied man
was In the war. In the North fewer
people went into the army as private sol.
diers, on long term OF enlistment,
wholly from patriotism. With a major.
ity the per diem was q consideration.
And there were many drafted; and many
hired substitutes for the drafted. All
these sail along now among the
most patriotic of the soldiery, and
are pensiOned and petted and held to be
the very elect to fill all the offices. Our
representatives in Congress howl them
selves hoarse and fret themselves into
fever trying each session to get new gifts
Tor the soldiers. There would hardly be
one to refuse to vote for proposition to
divide the treasury surplus among them.
But when the Southern senator's are
tempted they say, no our duty to our
country is above our devotion to our
soldiers; the sole test for office is 1T
ness soldiers have no peculiar claim TO
IT," And which do you like best