The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-04-23
GEN. HoyEY or PENSIONS
ASpeech Which Has Brought It's Author
Large Number of Congratulations.
The President. Castigated for His Heartless
Vetoes and the Claims of Ex-Soldiers
Advocated in Forcible Language.
cial to the Indianapolis journal.


government towards its defenders during the
late war. aud his castigation of President Cleve-
land on account of bis unjustifable and heart
less vetoes of private pension bills. It was
General Hovey's debut orator in the House,
but he acquitted himself so WE'LL and the text of
his speech was so wel-founded, that he has
earned the gratitude of all friends of pensions.
The General referred TO the cunningiy devised
rules of the House, which have been so framed
that the voice of the people IN the
| mouths OF the minority is suppressed
and silenced on the question of pensions,
and. in fact. all popular subjects 'It makes no
difference" he said, what the outside world
may think or feel, the majority here deny
them all legislation and discussion" He pointed
out the manner in which his service pension
BILL granting s8 month for life. to every
| honorably discharged soldier sailor in the
| late war. had been pigeon-holed by the commit
| tee. and also his bill to equalize the payment
and do justice to the officers soldiers and sailors
| in the late rebsllion, who were paid in green
| back currency. He hoped that at least one OF
these bills would be favorabfy reported from the
committee. that il could be fairly discussed
but said that it looked as though every bill for
| the soldiers had been pigeon-holed and left to
| die.
| Hovey, ''seem to be forgotten. Even the Pres
| ident in his message made allusion to them,
their service or their suffering, and his bench
men and partisans are following solemnly and
| closely in his footsteps. The committees on
invalid pensions. and public lands and military
affairs, have refused to report bills for the re-
lief of soldiers referred to then and the respon-
sibility is theirs and they will be remembered
| hereafter by the men whose rights they have so
| unfeelngly ignored. The committees dare not
bring into the House any one of
these important bills for fair dis
cussion and action. The people who do not
understand the gag rules of this House are
watching, with wonder, and blaming their
representatives for not forcing a fight on the
most important questions of the day Let MS
have full hearing and fair vote on the Dilss
have offered, and the boys in blue next time
will bury more Congressman, politically. who
fight against them than ever fell upon any
field of battle. We may talk about the power
of the veto the power of the President, the
power of the crowned heads of Europe, put l
greatly doubt if there 10 much power in di-
rectng and regulating legislation as the Speaker
of this House has under the rules which have
been adopted.
.But we are asked, What have the ex-sol-
lively demand legislatlon2 The great ship
called the South had lost her bearings and was
drifting without compass pilot in storms and
tempests, in the midst of rocks and shoals. near
the great maelstrom OF certain destruction. Her
great danger seen by thousands. who
rushed to her rescue. Many persisted in their
rallaut effort to save her whilst thousands re-
turned from that terrible storm wounded,
manned and with brokened and shattered
situations. But they saved the old ship from
destruction. They brought her safely out
navigabe waters and into the open and placid
of sunshine and prosperity. And now the
savors of that old vessel come into this great
court and ask that their services may be recog-
nized by our government and for q small salvage
that will keep many of the MANNED and wounded
from the chilling blasts of hunger and adversely.
They are not asking for aims nor begging to be
placed on the lists of pensioners for charity but
they demand that all shall be treated alike for
their gallant services.
siWould it be unjust to demand salvage from
the owners of that old ship aloneq No one asks
it; but all should willingly join in doing justice,
and in comforting that honor upon them which
their daring their gallan try, their sufferings,
and their sacrifices have richly deserved.
:'But now let us drop tina metaphor and come
down to realities. What would the North be to-
day. and what would be the condition of the
South had separation of the States been con-
sun.mateda Does any reasonable man suppose
that the great Mississippi River, with its 20, 900
miles of tributary navigable waters, could be
severed at Cairo and have peace In our land2 Is
the history OF the settlement of the great West
forgotten7 Is it forgotten how Spain forbade
the commerce of the West from passing down
that river to the Gulf of Mexico and how nearly
country at that early day came to being
torn asunderF
Here General Hovey entered into some inter-
estiDg war history. illustrative of the premises
assumed, after which he continued:
I'VE are 1ippantly told that our pension laws
are ample and the most bsnefcens in the world,
and that ex-soldier has the right to find the
least fault with the generosity and paternal care
of our government
Yes we have pension laws where the red
tape appendices, employees and machinery
alone not including any pensions. cost our gov
pittance that would starve dog to thousands
of helpless men, widows and orphans.
Sir we ought 60 be ashamed of our niggard
" legislation, for Nation 10 too great for
such pitiful parsmony. The one hundred and
hfty-one rounds in the Jacobs ladder which
leads the veteran to the Pension Department
81 have read where the noble Brutus proposed to
coin his heart and drop his blood for dracnmas
but it was reserved for our Solons. who framed
our pension laws, to measure the value of our
veterans blood by the fraction OF one copper
cent!
s.Only think of the blood and wounds of our
soldiers being valued at S. 124 per month, at
81 &c 2-3 per month, at Sd. 66 23 per month. The
fraction of one copper cent by halves and thirds
being set apart in fifteen Of the one hundred and
ffty-one grades to manned broken down
and wounded soldiersi These wise men must
have had Shylocks famous balance to weigh
their brothers blood, and after they bad
weighed the blood they must have examined
every wound with asstrong political microscope
before they could figure pensions down to the
fraction of one copper cent!
1--WE are tAuntingly told that ex-soldiers
should b. more than thankful, and that ma
ton in the world can show such a grand total of
pensioners. Admitted, and wbyf What wars
in history can compare with our terrible re-
bellionl Many OF the dark-haired boys of to-
day not realize. like their grey-haired
fathers, that lasted four years with an
army of 1900 600 men in the field. They have
never learned that in that war more battles
were fought and more men slain and wounded
than in any war recorded IN the pages of re-
liable history There verdant orators and
scribblers only need little more loyalty 20 the
stars aud stripes and little more humanity to
bring them their senses.
Aga in, il is doematically alleged that our
govern ment Is not able TO pay the large sums
of money that service pension. either per diem
or So ontb. would require There are about
LOCO. 900 surviving soldiers and doubt the