The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-01-15
A SECTIONAL CONTROVERSY.
Northern and Southern Democrats Mt
Loggerheads i'm Congress.

Northern and Southern Democratic a
hogRerheads i'm Congress.
| WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-The feptur,
OF the nights session of tho House
which was devoted to the considera
] tion OF private pension bills, uwas the
| debate which grew out of the attemp
| oil Springer to pass n bill granting
500 per month to Mai. Gen. John a
McClernand, Jones (Dem. of Visginis
insisted upon making the point of nc
fauorum. Springer in heated speech
lectured those Of his Southern Demo
| cratic colleagues who constantly as
sumed an attitude of hostility towards
the pensioning of Union soldiers. He
called attention to the fact that but
thirteen Democrats had been returned
to tho next House from the North.
He warned them that if their course
was persist ID IN, none would be re-
turned to the succeeding Congress.
Ponce (Pop.) Of Colorado, in an earn
est speech appealing TO Jones to with
known distinguished and patriotic
services of General McClernand, when
Waugh (Rop.) of Indiana threw\ o
bomshell into tho discussion by asking
II the beneficiary OF this bill was not
the Same General John A. McClernand
who was relieved from command
before,N cksburg by General Grant for
unsold' ~ conduct, and of whom
Goneral alleck said it was premediLa-
ted muir, err to place him in command.
The attack on General McClernand
came from an unexpected source, and
Marsh (Rep.) of Illinois and others
hastcned to his defense. Marsh de-
clared hotly that General McClernand
mr. nnlx,
duct and the history Of the transaction
would show that he had not been re-
moved by General Grant for that.
Did not Grant remove him for
causes which he deemed proper 2"
persisted Waugh.
=" do not desire to impugn the char.
acter OF General Grant, replied Marsh
sharply, but L desire to say that his
action in this case was mistaken"
What reason did General Grant as
sign ?" interrupted Cox (Dem. of Ten
nessce. WAS 1T not because he was
too quick at Vicksburg ?"
81 never heard it charged against
Grant" replied Marsh, "that he criti-
cised a soldier for going in too quick.
(Applause.)
:" And yet l insist that General Nc
Clernand's charge against us at Vicks-
burg was premature" said Cox.
Tho discussion was prolonged for
several hours and was marked by
several sensational scenes, one OF
which was tho Kissing of Jones whcr
he said that the widow of General
John A. Logan, who received pension
OF $1,000 year, was living in social
luxury in this city and annually spent
moro than her pension money for
flowers displayed by her at her social
functions. When he proclaimed his
pride in the Confederate cause that
had gone down in defeat, tho Republi.
cans in chorus shouted 1--WE have
no doubt of that" In the galleries
many, OF the spectators applaudcd Wig
orouSly.
Springer was finally forced to with
dr. the hill. But, even after the bill
had- o. withdrawn, Champ Clark
(Dem. q. Missouri got the floor and in
q characteristic speech scored Jones
roundly, us he said, on behalf of his
Democratic colleagues of the North.
He began by saying that the Domo-
cratic party presented u dissolving view
aud would soon be lost to sight though
to memory dear, He attributed much
of the Democratic disaster last fall to
the pension question and charged the
defeat of at least fifty Northern Demo
Gratis to speeches like Jones'. He then
paid a magnificent tribute to Nc
Clernand.
81 saw him preside at the ST. Louis
convention, said he, (which nomi-
mated Samuel j. Tildcn, who was
elected President of the United States,
and whom the towards on this floor
allowed to be swindlcd out OF his seat"
He declar ed that the greatest Martinez
who ever ruined great cause was Jcf-
ferson Davis and next to him ranked
Stanton. He would, he said, not give
volunteer officers a chance. III Nc.
Clcrnand had q fair chance, he gave it
as his opinion, that he would have been
as great an old soldier as Grant, After
appealing to Jones to allow this mcri-
torious bill to go through, he turned
to him and said impressively that the
Democrats Of the North were sick and
tired OF having thoir Southern party
associates come to Congress and stab
their party in the back. 1--WE are
through with you," Clark concluded.
Afler passing two bills the House at
1890 adjourned.
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