The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-01

| the whole world. The confederates had Thought
| that they had Door DO WIDER and ordnance stores
/ and yet, making due allowance for the effect of
climate in producing disability, il would appear
| that one confederate soldier, half-clothed and
/ half-fed. had disabled three of his adversaries.
! There bad been no such destruction in military
annals since tho children of Israel marched
through the wilderness, destroying whole ma
/ items IN single day. The marks manship of the
| Persian prince in the s'Arabian Nights" whose
arrows crossed mountains and rivers. aud de-
/ splsed space IN their flight. had teen nothing 10
that OF the confederate soldier. His bullet must
nave hie two or more NJ the same time, and
struck where it was not aimed. Fifty per cent
| OF all the host of the Union armies were applic-
/ ants for pensions on account OF disability Who
| beloved that they were honest applicantsf Who
believed that these pension bills had not degen-
Grated into political abuse which cried aloud
In the faces OF all honest for redressl He had
/ great regard for many of his friends on the
| opposite side OF the chamber; and. in the words
i which he had spoken, he had wished to give an
| opportunity to some of them who bad barked
| back in the contest over the bill, 20 throw his
| shining lance among 1.-THE confederate briga-
| diers' and try TO carry of the Republican NOM
| ination for the presidency. A recent dispatch
/ from Paris had caused political candidates to
| become as thick as ''leaVes in Vallambrosa.'
| Before that dispatch had come under the yeasty
| waves OF ocean, the Republican party had been
| In the condition of tho man who, having gone
home some hours before his usual time in the
| morning and having been asked why he had
| gone home soon, replied that every other
| place in town was shut mp. The doors of the
Republican party were now open, and presiden-
| tIal candidates were coming to the front with
| out limit as to quantity or locality. The SEN
| ate had been engaged for some days past in q
political auction for the soldiers vote. First
had come his friend from Nebraska Mr.. Man
dersonI. backed by the G. A. r.. and he Mr..
Vestl had listened with real qualification 20 his
| dulcet and modulated voice from the beginning
/ to the end of his speech. Even that Senator's
| fiings at the President of the United States
| had not 6etracted from the general merit of his
| bid for the soldier vote; and when he received q
/ floral tribute q token of regard from his ad-
mirne constituents behind him, he LMr. Vest
| had but one gle suggestion to make, and that
that the lilies should have been
broidered over the portals of the White House.
/ That the object Of all the debate, OF all the
bidding for the soldier vote of the country in
| the coming contest. When the Senator from
| Nebraska took his seat he Mr.. Vestl had
| thought that the bid was in his favor. But the
| present occupant of the Chair, the Senator from
| Maine Mr.. Frye1 had caught the eye of the
| auetIoneer"-the e. A. Rand had gone one
better" That Senator was prepared to vote a
| pension to every man who has served q day IN
the federal army. He [Mr. Vsstl about to
knock down the prize to the Senator from
Maine, when bis friend from Kansas Mr.
Plumb came TO the front and outbid the Sena-
tor from Maine by an amendment to the bill
which would increase the expenditure under
it $50 600 900 or So. 00o. 900. He Mr.. Vestl
had then been strongly of opinion that
the auction should Close and the prize be given
to the Senator from Kansas; but then the Sena-
tor from Illinois Mr.. Culloml had como to the
front and made bid from that great prairie
State which had staggered his Mr.. Vest'sl con-
yiction as to the propriety of closing the sale.
anxiety, waiting to hear from other bidders in
the great national auction. The Senate had not
yet heard from his dulcet-tongued friend from
Iowa Mr.. Alllsonl, who has kept his seat and
merely nodded acquiescence to the most extreme
propositions for the benefit of the ex-soldiers.
Nor had the Senate yet heard from the distin-
guished Senator from Ohio IMr. ShermapI. who.
in such contest, ought certainly to come to
the front and bid something for the vote which
candidates thought was to determine the
test. Neither had the Senate yet heard from
the presiding officer Mr. Ingalls, who had been
nominated by the District of Colum bia-and
everyone knew that the District of Columbia
only acted from the most dlsinterested and
unsofsh motives. He Mr.. Vest would rather
have the nomination from the District of CO.
lumtia than from any State in the Uaion,
because. as every one AIew. it came from the
heart, and never from the pockets No man,
woman or child in the District had any other OBJ
Ject than the promotion OF the national honor
and prosperity. And So when he read in q
Democratic paper of Washington, last Sunday
(before attending churchl, that the presiding Of
fcer of the Senate che nominee of the Dis
trct of Columbia, he eaid: "Eurekat we have
found the man at last, and the question is finally
settled"
In conclusion Dir. Vest said: partisan or
non-partisan, my convictions require me TO vote
against the bill; and say here now that hope
it may die the death in the other branch Of the
national Congress, and if not there. at the hands
of the executive. If that be unparliamentary,
make the most of It."
Mr.. Teller replied to Mr. Vest If there was
some little diversity Of opinion, he said, among
Republicans as to who was to be their standard
DGmOCFdIlC were
position. Their standard-bearer was selected
for them, whether they willed it or not. 1t was
even said that arrangements had been made in
the same interest for the nomination OF the
Governor Of a certain State for Vice president.
The Republicans were not disturbed by conflict
ing opinions and conflicting interests even if
they had large number of prominent men who
would make good Presidents; but the Demo
cratic party was compelled TO admit that it had
but one man of all the great body of men who
had assembled at it's last national convention,
who was suitable and available candidate.
Mr.. PIatt (by consent of Mr.. Teller read an
extract from Mr.. Ceveland's letter of accept
ance in 1884, against the policy Of a second
presidential term and intimated that in view of
that it must be mistake to consider Mr.. Cleve-
land a candidate for the Democratic nomination.
Mr.. Teller repeated, notwithstanding the let
ter of acceptance, that the great Democratic
party had to-day no other man whom it would
dare to put nomination, and said that it went
without saying that the Democratic convention
would simply meet to ratfy what had already
been declared. The general horde of Office
seekers had made themselves heard, and the
muRwumps brought up the The Demo-
Gratis had surrendered the liberty Of choice. He
replied to some of the statements made in Mr..
Vests speech in relation TO the number of PEN
sion applicants ana to the amount of pension ex-
Uenditures. and said that IL came with bad grace
from the Senator to attempt to castieate the
Republican side of the chamber for its votes on
this or any other pension bill
Mr.. Plumb also replied TO the speech of the
Senator from Missouri He might perhaps, he
said. congratulate himself on not being candi-
date for the Presidency, and being therefore en-
titled to be considered free lance in the con-
test The Senator from Missouri had nothing
but words OF contempt and ridicule for the SOL
diers of the Union. The Senator was welcome to
the position he had assumed. He had enlarged
the scope of the debate for the special purpose
of ridiculng Senators who supposed to be
presidential candidates. but for the purpose of
arguing against the whole idea of pensions to
Union soldiers, whether disabled or otherwise
Mr.. Wilson, of Maryland member of the
committee pensions declared himself opposed
to the bill as it now stood amended. He gave
figures 10 the enormous amount paid in PEN
sions, and thought that the people were opposed |
to any further extension of the pension system.
1t was tiue TO call halt The BILL as origin |
ally reported. would make the pension list |
amount, he said to 800 600. 600; with the |
amendment put to lt the amount expended |
would be $125 600 o0O and probably more
Without taking vote on Lac bill or the pend |