The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-04-29
EX-CONFEDERACE ASSAULT ON UN-
ION PENSIONS

In MS speech OF MarCn Znu IN Jno
House, Gen. Patterson of Tennessee gave
the following reasons why he thinks the
payment of Union pensions Course and
blight to the South:
81 do say that the enormous sum paid
in the way of pensions is a double hard
ship on the people of the South. 1t is
hardship because it is drawn, not from
the wealth and property of the country,
but from its consumers. And it is a
hardship because that part paid by them
is transferred from the South to the
ing from year to year the money in cir
culation. From all these causes it re-
suits that there is a dearth of money
south of the Ohio river"
Gen. Patterson claims that he was in
command of the last regiment in the
rebel army to surrender at the close of
war and his associates all agree that he
was man of courage. Even now he
finds it impossible to follow the cow
ardly policies of the Northern Demo-
Gratis and falsely pretend TO be friend
OF the Union soldier when the real de-
sire is to cut down pensions and put in
the pockets of the eX-COnfederates mon
ey which is now going to loyal veterans.
Since Patterson displayed the courage of
his convictions and plainly avowed his
hostility to the payment of pensions to
Union soldiers other eX-Confederates
are inspired to equally plain talk and
are becoming insOlent and threatening
in their opposition, Notwithstanding the
frantic efforts of their Northern associ-
ates to keep them quiet 1t is becoming
very plain what they will do if they once
get control of the lawmaking power of
the Government.
''The saddest thing in life to me"
said congressman John II. Bankhead of
Alabama, in his speech in the House,
March 23d, 1892 sis to see a poor Con-
federate veteran as he drags himself
from his cabin to the field of labor, to
earn bread for his wife and children, and
to realize that one-twelfth of all he
makes must be taken from him to pen
sion some camp follower or bounty
jumper"
Mr.. Bankhead's great sympathy for
ex-Confederates may be accounted for
by the fact that he himself served four
years in the rebel army and was wound
ed as he claims three times, and doubt
less by men whom he now styles as
"camp followers or bounty jumpers"
Mr.. Bankhead said also:
But l do not care to pursue this
question for fear may let my feelings
get the better of my judgement and say
something that had best be left un-
said"
That is, he feared he might disclose
his real desires and intentions instead of
keeping them in the dark as the good of
the Democratic party demands-at least
until after the election in November. AS
a reason for his hostility to pensions to
Union veterans, Mr.. Bankhead said:
This Congress has passed bill ap-
propriating $140,000,0 600 for the payment
of pensions. This large amount must
first be collected from the people. 1t is
a cash transaction, not credit, not checks
or drafts, but cash. The amount is
more than 81 per capita, or more than
$3,000,000 for the State of Alabama, or
nearly twice the amount collected for
State and county taxes in that State; or
to put it more plainly, each family of
five are taxed more than $40 for pen
of one months labor for the head of
the family on the farm, or one-twelfth
the years return for labor, goes into the
pocket of some pensioner, many of
whom are rich men and women. A very
small per cent goes back to Alabama,
for we have but few pensioners, and
those we do have are not as rule enti-
tied to the money they receive"
Notwithstanding his fervenJ prayer
that his feelings might not get away
with him while discussing pensions,
that was just what happened when
little further along in his speech Mr.
Bankhead warmed up to the point of de-
claring that the South would not long
submit to the tariff and the payment of
pensions to Union veterans, but would
destroy the Government if these exac-
tions were not stopped. He said:
"When the people can no longer
stand the oppression, when they can no
longer remain silent, when the time
comes, as believe it will if they are
not given relief, that the masses in this
country rise up and demand justice at
the hands of the law makers, trust that
l may be found on the side of the peo-
pie and fighting with them for what l
believe to be just"
THE essence of my Democracy is my
sublime confidence in the people. They
will do right when the right is under
stood by them. This is their Govern
ment and they will control its destiny.
When it becomes oppressive they will
Wy W IelOTIH II. w men III becomes I'M
bearable they will destroy it and build
upon the ruins another, fashioned with
their own hands. / warn you, gentle
men, not to tempt them too far. remind
you that it is unwise to treat the suffer
ings of the people lightly"
This was precisely the kind of talk
that was heard in Congress- in 1861, but
before Mr.. Bankhead INDUCES in it any
further he would do well to pause and
reflect that as the thee tailors of Tooley
street were not "the people," neither
are the eX-Confederates for whom he
speaks, nor any other class at the South
that is opposed to the payment of pen
sions to Union veterans. The real peo-
pie of this country who have the right
and power to rule it make make up a
majority of the whole nation, and it has
been demonstrated that they are over
whelmingly in favor of the maintenance
of the Union and of generous treatment
to the veterans who fought and suffered
on behalf of that Union. They will see
to it that the Union is not destroyed
now by anti-pensiOn payers any more
than by the same class arrayed as seces-
sionists thirty years ago. 1t is rather
late in the day for ex-Confederate yap-
orings and threats in Congress against
Union soldiers. 1t is difficult to give
any good reason why men who fought
against the Hag are now permitted to
hold seats in Congress and raise their
voices in outrageous and insolent as
an 4.