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


The Pension BIN Affords Mr.. Vest an OPP
portnnity 30 Air HIS Opinions.
WASHINGTON, Feb %. Mr.. Sherman, from
the committee on foreign relations, reported
bill TO amend the acts relating to Chinese immi-
grafton, and said he would, as soon as practi-
cable, ask the Senate to take action on it
Placed on the calendar. Also. resolution-as
an amendment to one offered by Mr.. Stewart
and referred to that committee-requesting the
President, in view of the difficulties and en-
barrassments which have attended the immi-
grafton of Chinese Iaborers under the limitations
Of the treaties with China, to negotiate treaty
with the Emperor Of China containing a provfs-
lon that no Chinese labsrers shall enter the
United States. Laid over.
Mr.. Mitchell offered resolution, which was
agreed to- instructing the committee on public
lands TO inquire into the propriety and advisa-
bilIty OF having seven eight townships of the
public domain surrounding and including 1It.
Hood, Ore, set apart a national park.
On motion of Mr. Hoar, the bill to establish
national art commission was taken from the
calendar and passed, the only discussion of it
being remark by Mr.. Plumb that the commits
sion would develop into considerable institu-
tion. and would cost the government. before
long. 100000 year.
The bill to provide for the compulsory educa-
tion Of Indian children was taken from the cal
snder and discussed.
DIR. Vest declared it utterly useless to attempt
TO educate Indian children at dag schools from
which they returned to spend the remainder of
the day IN their tepees. He took advantage. as
he said, OF the absence OF MIR. Blair to state that
the best Indian schools fhe continent were
conducted by Jesuits- He had been instrumental.
few years ago, in having an appropriation
of $4,000 made for an Industrial school
in charge of Jesuits an Indian reservation
in Montana The result of that APPROPRIATION
had been that the travellers could now see. from
the windows of the railroad cars comfortable
houses, welcomed farms, horses and cattle
grazing and law-abidinR population. These
Indians were to-day the furthest advanced in
civilization of any Of the North American In
dams except those OF the FIVE civilized tribes.
Jesuits devoted their whole lives to tho work,
being dedicated to it from their boyhood up
nv. Dawes, who bad charge of the bill, ap-
proved the substitute for the bill offered by Mr..
Vest when the bill was last under consideration,
and IL was amended and passed 1t makes it
the duty cf the Secretary of the Interior 20
tabish, under such rules and regulations as he
may think proper, an industrial boardiue-school
in every Indian reservation upon which there
may be located any Indian tribe umbering 500
or more adult Indians. The pupils to be
taught in the branches Of useful labor in addi-
tion TO the usual studies in primary schools.
Nothing in the bill is to prevsnt the education
of Indian children in schools outside the resera
vations, with the consent of their parents or
guardians. and no provisions of the act are to
apply TO the i've civilized tribes. to the
Usage Indians of the Indian Territory.
On motion of MIR. SpoOner the House amend
ments tna bills for public buildings in Mill
waukee and Omaha were non-eoncurred in, and
committees of conference were asked, Messrs.
Spooner, Quay and Vest being appointed Senate
conferees
Mr.. Hale from the committee on appropria-
tons, reported the urgency deficiency bill, and
said he would ask the Senate to take it up at
very early day.
The Senate then resumed consideration of the
bill granting pensions to ex-sodiers and sailors.
who are incapacitated for the performance of
labor and providing for pensions TO dependents
relatives of deceased soldiers and sailors.
Mr. Wilson, of Iowa. moved an amendments to
insert the words from the infrmities of age"
to pension all ex-soldiers suffering from
the inhrmities of age VI from mental or physi-
cal disability"
In the debate which took place on the amend.
ment Mr.. Plumb delivered eloquent euIogy
on the army. referring particularly to the fact
that when the war closed the army could have
placed one OF its leaders at the head of the gov
eminent. and could have dictated its own terms,
but had not asked anything, except to be per-
mitted to disband and return to peaceful voca-
tiona He did not believe that any patriotic
man, any man who looked with patriotic fervor
on that portion of the countrys history when
two millions of men sprang to arms to maintain
the government, would ever be willing to OPP
pose the enactment or any law whereby any of
the men should be drawn from the ban of Dow
srty and gwen bill at least decent sso%
the committee was, perhaps. q step in the
right direction. 1t was not what it ought TO be,
ana ne naQ SOuRuB make II DGbIeE. 1ner0
was to be, he said. no insinuation in the Senate
or elswhere that the union soldiers were to be
the benehciaries under the BILL in the sense of
being suppicAnts or unworthy persons He did
not think that partisauship would go that far;
and if it did. he believed the American people
would refute it. Congress was not now dealing
with slender resources, but was dealing with
abundance. Less than the pending bill proposed
would not be just More was not asked for.
Mr.. Vest said that he had not had the slight
est idea when he spoke to Mr. Wilson's amend
ynent of producing the burst of patriotic, fervid
eloquence which the Senate had just listened
20. They had heard good deal about aims
houses and veteran soldiers. In the State of
Missouri there were no federal soldiers in aims
houses, aud he was proud TO say that there were
no confederate soldiers in aims houses, either.
When General Lee surrendered at Appomattox,
there but 1000 muskets left of that
splend army which had faced the world in arms.
and which had been battered and beaten back
by overwhelming numbers Out of companies
which had gone into that terrible struggle, from
125 to $50 men strong, only ten had Como back to
their kindred and homes The South, to-day,
was covered with mained and crippled soldiers
who had been shot. and shelled, and sabre
struck for their honest convictions, and they
asked no pension, and would not take It-God
be blessed. They not in aims hopses, and
none of them had ever been seen begging for
bread. Whence then. came ths talk of federal
soldiers IN alms-housesl They not there
He was tired ana sick of the insinuations of
robbery. and pretense, and hypocrisy in the
name of the true and gallant soldiers of the
Union. tie had personal friends among them,
and he would give to every disabled or depend
emit soldier of the federal army ADD the widows
and orphans of those VINO had lost their lives in
the service. the last acre of land and the last
dollar. Ee would have done the same for the
confederate soldiers, 'if God had blessed our
cause" Why the talk that CONGRESS- had not
done enough for the Union soldiers, when the
country had paid ont since 1865. $685. 000 900 for
peusions. a lIberalty unparalleled in the his
tory of the worldf The Senate had been told.
to-day, that the country owed the soldiers a |
debt of eternal gratitude because they had not, |
with mailed hand, seized the government. A |
great military and political organization, the q. |
A. H. mad thrown it's lance into the debates of |
Congress. and had sent bills to their accredited
Senators for tina purpose of being enacted |
When the President of the United States had |
honestly and bravely discharged his executive |