Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1892-05-27
GEN McKAIG IN CONGRESS.

Our member of Congress from this dis
,rict, Gen. McKaig, who, 80 far, has been
very modest and retiring in the general
debates of the House, nevertheless at all
times an efficient, able, Industrious and
hard working member as regards every
question of national Legislation and always
an earnest and Jealous supporter Of every
Democratic measure, uttered the following
strong, sensible and patriotic words in a
running debate of four minutes allotted to
each member, relative to an appropriation
in support OF the marking and cmbellish'
ment of the battle fields of our late war:
Mr.. Chairman, have listened with some
curiosity to the remarks that have been
made upon this paragraph in the bill, espe.
cially those in reference To the record that
is attempted to be made by the distinguished
gentleman from Indiana MI. Holman in
The matter OF economy | do not view II in
that light. The Government Of the United
States has expended II large sum Of money
for the purchase and the marking OF these
battletieds and Tor the construction OF Gene
ierles upon them. In doing 80 IL has acted
in consonance with the nationality of this
",
prosed in this bill is simply intended u
carry out and complete the work
1t will not do for gentlemen u stand here
and say that it is not right 10 perpetuate the
memories Of that war, because you do per
petuate them by the pensions which you
yiye to the living You do not certainly
want To deny that acknowledgment TO the
man who gave his life for his country, and
furthermore this perpetuation OF the memo
res of the battles of the war does not be
long alone To the fields that we are attempt
ing TO mark under this provision in this bill.
IL belongs To theSouth as well as To the North
Governmental aid may not be asked for the
marking and establishment OF the battle
fields OF the other side, but, as a matter of
local sentiment and satisfaction, the people
of those communities have constructed and
embellished their own cemeteries and have
marked the graves and the lines OF battle
us we are proposing To do here by national
aid. Therefore, when cast my vote for Nh
appropriation for the purpose of beautify-
ing these national cemeteries and Tor the
further purpose OF carrying out work that
has already been beguh, l leel that l am
SIMPLY dong that which every citizen ought
10 approve.
There are but few battleields that have
been considered worthy of this considera
ton at the hands of the Government They
are the fields of the great battles in which
the contending forces OF this country met
battles which attested not only the bravery
OF the Northern soldier, oil the soldier from
the East, or the West or any other section,
but the capacity of the American people 10
engage in the art of war equally with any
other nationality on the face of the earth.
Those battles were the test of the manhood
of Americans without regard to whether
the soldier was Southern or Union sol
der; and when we commemorate these
graves, and mark them, We mark the surg
ing lines where the manhood Of the United
States, whether the soldier fought in the
ranks oil the Southern or the Northern
army, was shown.
These are the places that people visit, as
Europeans visit the battleiields Of Waterloo,
OF Leipsic and Berodino or any other great
battlefield In Europe. These battlefields Of
ur country are visited not only by people
from every section of this land but by visi-
tors from abroad. And when you put these
graves In shape, when you cmbellish and
beautify these cemeteries, when you mark
out the lines of battle, you are only carry
ing out what was the intention OF the origi-
majors of the proposition when they bought
the land; you are only pursuing the policy
which that expenditure contemplated
nothing more.
just at this point and time we would re
mark that Gen. McKaig will be renominat.
ed at Frederick, on July 18th, by acclama
ton, and our word for it he will be triumph
antly reelected, as he deserves and ought
10 be. His last fight was big one and a
glorious one. BY his talent, energy and az
gressiveness he redeemed district that wa:
considered hopeless, and sent into retire
ment the Republican hero of the Sixth Con
gressional district