Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1894-04-27
NEZ PIERCE TOLUNTEERS.
The Blu for Their Relief is
Debated IN the Senate.

zens of the States of Oregon, Idaho
and Washington who served with
the U. S. troops in the war against
the Nez Perces, Bannock and Sho-
shone Indians, and for the relief of
the heirs of those killed in such
service, and for other purposes, was
before the Senate on April 7.
Senator DOlph had charge of the
bill and said: This bill has been
twice read at length and only re-
mains to be voted upon. 1t simply
proposes to pay the State and Ter
ritorial troops who were called out
at the time of the Nez Perces war
and served under Gen. Howard
for the number of days they were
in the service. 1t is limited to less
than a month to all of them, l
think. And where members of the
volunteer troop were wounded or
killed, they and their heirs are
given the benefit of the pension
laws. When they lost horses Or
arms they are to be compensated
for them provided the records of
the War Department show the loss.
The bill passed the Senate in the
last Congress on the same state
ment. 1t does not involve a large
amount.
Mr.. Bate thought the bill would
create discussion and that it had
better go over.
Mr.. Sherman. 1 rarely interfere
with matters of this kind coming
from the Military Committee or
any other committee having charge
of them, but appeal to Senators
to reflect moment until this pre-
cedent is examined. 1t is proposed
to pay a dollar a day for troops
called into service to protect their
own homes more especially, and to
extend that pay during all the
sickness that may have been caus-
ed by their enlistment Suppose
that principle had been applied to
the citizens of Ohio in her early
period, when our people were out
constantly defending themselves
and their homes, and so to all the
West that was gradually subdued
and taken from the hands of the
Indians? 1t does seem to me that
it is a very dangerous bill, but un-
less some senators who are familiar
with it as members of the Commit
tee on Military Affairs see proper
to arrest it's passage and consider
it further, l do not feel that l can
do more than simply enter my pro-
test. / cannot vote for such bill.
Mr.. Dolph. Such volunteers have
been paid in everyStatein theUnion
where there are Indians, and some
of them have been paid more than
81 per day. In the first place l see
here that no officer or member of
one company served over Is days.
AS Gen. Howard passed through
with the troops after the outbreak
of the war, they were never in Ore
gon at all. There are very few Ore
gon people who are beneficiaries OF
the bill. These people Joined the
army and put themselves under
Gen. Howard. They took their
horses and their arms and helped
him to follow the Indians across
the continent until they were met
by Gen. Miles and captured. In
the report there is a statement ol
every man and every officer who
performed service, the number o.
days he served, the number o.
horses that were lost, and every
detail from the records of the Wal
I Department. i undertake to say
that Ohio has been reimbursed
every dollar she expended for sup
pressing savage insurrectiOn, ant
almost every other State in th'
Union has been reimbursed. Thi
is in line of legislation that ha
prevailed for hundred years.
The bill has been twice examined
by the Committee on Military Al
fairs, and it was reported at tn
present session by the senator iron
Minnesota, Mr.. Allen. 1t is but
small acknowledgment of the deb
the people of the United State
r owe to those people who riske'
their lives and joined the servic
! of the United States to suppress
, this Indian outbreak.
Il Mr.. Harris. l wish to ask tn
! senator from Oregon ifthe bill doe
not also make pensionable a clas
of persons who are not pensionabl
under any law of the UnitedStates
t Mr.. DOlph. That question can b
t answered in two ways. 1t doc
v make pensionable class of persor
/ who were wounded in this servic
0 Mr.. Harris. Without regard
h the length of service?
t Mr.. Dolph. Without regard
the length of service. But tn;
}. has been done in regard to oth'
Indian wars. This Indian war o
Cured in 1871. l believe all pc
sons who served in Indian wa
down to 1865 are entitled to Il
benefit of the pension laws. III
bill does not pension anybody +
service. 1t pensions merely for dl
ability on account of wounds.
Mr. Harris. And the depen