The National tribune., 1893-02-23
CONGRESS.
Continued from ninth page.)

charge lad been made against Mr. Blackburn,
of Kentucky, when he was a member of this
body-the charge that he had made use OF that
expression. But that charge had been denied
by Mr. Blackburn, and he Mr.. Oates defied the
gentleman to find such remark in the Con-
gressional Record.
Mr.. Oates, continuing, said that the other
charges of tho gentleman were equally unior-
tunate and ill-founded. The gentleman mad
stated that the Democrats had refused to put
Gen. Grant on the Retired List during his last
illness. They had done nothing of the kind.
When the bill came up Gen. Grant was not Ill.
And the gentleman knew that the opposition
was not opposition to Gen. Grant, whom all ex-
Confederates admired as a soldier, but opposi-
ton to the principle of reinstating any man
who had resigned from the Army in order to
take a civil position. No gentleman could
charge him or any other ex-Confederate of
opposing proper pension to any Union soldier
who was worthy of a pension. He would not
follow the gentleman from Maine in his TRADE.
The gentleman WAS in his personal relations
genial and pleasant, and he was sorry that the
gentleman should have seen proper to make
such TRADE as he had. He regretted that the
gentleman had exhibited the bloody shirt
20 the House.
CUMMINGS SCORES MUTCHLER.
Mr. Cummings IN. Y, d. Mr.. Chairman,
want TO call the attention OF this House 10 a
humiliatug fact. Under your rules Union
soldiers opposing the amendments TO this bill
are gagged and bound, and refused an oppor-
tuuity to protest against them in general debate.
The gentleman from Pennsylvania Mr.. Mulch
ler1 in charge OF the bill, distributes half of
the time allowed for general debate to those
advocating the amendments and the gentle
man from Vermont Mr.. circuit has control of
The time allotted to those opposed to them.
The Democratic Union soldier opposed to the
amendments is therefore indebted to the
courtesy of Republican for the opportunity
20 open his mouth. Two days ago the gentleman
from Vermont promised me 10 minutes time.
This promise was guaranteed yesterday by the
Democratic Chairman of the Committee on
Invalid Pensions and to- day my promised 10
minutes is cut down TO three. To obtain even
that i have been subjected to considerable
difficulty. ] notice. sir, that Confederate SOL
diers and Union soldiers who favored this prop
ostion have had all the time they demanded
for the purpose Of favoring it. Now, sir. in
the three minutes vouchsafed to me propose
to read q letter from private soldier in the
Union army, and not an officer nor member
of the Loyal Legion. He is brother of VIM.
Pontin, a well. known caterer of New York
City:
Roscoe, SULLIVAN COUNTY, Ny; oo
CoMRADE AND BROTHER: sincerely hope you
and your constituents will not allow the amend
the veterans.
i will cite my case as a sample of hundreds
enlisted between the age OF IS and Il as drummer
in Co. q, 79ih n. Y. Highlanders. / served my
term and WAS Eonorably discharged. After that
served scout in Western Virginia. In 1865 L
re-enisted in the 18th n. Y. II. A.; known rs The
Naval Brigade We attached 10 the Army of
the James and the Gulf Squadron. Our service
was hard. aud have some good credentials from
my officers. On July II. 1865 WAS mustered ont
of the service. then lacked one month Of being
is years old. was too young to marry then.
In August. 1870 married my present wife. She
has been n faithful nurse TO me. for have had TO
continue doctorng ever since left the service.
treated for nay present disease at The Marine
Hospital Suffolk, Va, in 1864 and for my wounds
in the rebel prisons.
Now never thought of a pension until got
Icoud not do my work Through your energy
YOU got me $40 per month little over year ago
Last February was re-exauiiued for n rerating.
Commissioner Raum wrote me last August. II
then the completed files list, with three
months work ahead. Now he writes IL must wait
its turn. or course he can call the turn now.
have spent all my savings trying TO get my
health restored. IL Is three years since / have
done a stroke Of work to earn a dollar. My money
is gone, and what my wife had saved hGs also
gone in trying 10 get my health back.
am deaf ruptureG. aud can't talk at all times
and then only above whisper. Now, why should
my wife lose M. paltry pension simply because
did not marry until after 1870? As for those who
reside III foreign countries on the pension list. they
compelled to live abroad because OF their paltry
pensions. The price of living there is less than
half what il is here.
Take those bounty Jumpers and deser;ers off
the roll, and reduce some Of the Generals wives
pensions VINO don't need il. There is lie line 10
hit at. Let just bill go In and not
j got my three months pension yesterday. $50.
and guess when the next one comes along will
be with the silent once. / am gradually dwinding
away with catarrhal consumption. j can't live
much longer, for my strength is going fast.
JoEE +. PoNTIH.
Co. ], 18Th \. Y II. A.
During the reading of the foregoing the
time of Mr.. Cummings having expired, Mr.
Grout yielded to him three minutes more
Nh Cummings. / am obliged TO the gentle
man from Vermont. Now, Mr. Chairman, /
want to say that the proposition to strike these
widows from the pension rolls rs in my opinion
bullheaded, brutal, and brutaizng. Applause
As a Democrat. pledged TO support Demo-
cratic Administration, j assure this House that
the veterans Of the war will repudiate this
proposition. They will never hereafter know
ingly vote for any man who favors ii. You
propose to strike from the rolls widows who
did not marry their husbands until five years
after the war. The letter of my Comrade
Pontin proves the monstrosity of the PROPOSE
ton. If there are women who have married
old soldiers for the purpose OF getting their
pensions weed them out; but do not strike SO
innocent people for the purpose Of Furnishing
one who is guilty.
Now, sir the proposition to turn this Bureau
over to the War Department does not meet
with my approval. is there any evidence that
IL will be any more sconomical2 Why load up
the War Department with it unless you can
prove that it will be more economical? i see
osuch proof III this report.
Here the hammer fell.
Mr. Cummings. i give notice that j shall
take advantage of the opportunity 10 extend
my remarks in the Record
Mr.. HOLMAN GIVES HIS VIEWS
Mr. Holman Ind, d. said he knew that in
his own Congressional district as was shown
beyond all question, the number of Democratic
Union soldiers was largely in excess of the
number OF Republican soldiers. 1t was Demo
cratic district and all alike Loyal TO the Union.
and OF course more Democrats than Republicans
went into the Union army. As ! have at
temped to show, Democrats and Republicans
alike are responsible for all this pension legis-
lation, from the beginning, by which the PEN
sion list has been enlarged and the rate of pen
sions increased well those Of the soldier as
those Of the widow and orphan child.
do not believe, gentlemen, that the country
expects Us to 20 back our pension legislation.
know that the country will not permit Con-
gress to repeal or modify the laws We have en-
acted in behalf Of the Union soldier or his
widow or his orphan children. There is com.
plant, j concede, in different sections of the
Union in regard to the administration Of the
Pension Office and in regard to the pension
list; we have been startled by the magnitude
OF that list, but not startled. however when we
came to consider the magnitude of that war for
the Union and the enormous and unexampled
armies that were called TO the field. There is