The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-01-02
NOT n DISSENTING VOICE
The Senate Passes tho Bill Removing
Confederate Disabilities,

The Senate Passes tho Bill Removing
Confederate Disabilities.
The United States Senate engaged
In work of reconciliation on Christ
mas Eve by passing the bill removing
, disabilities Of Confederate soldiers
The proceedings were as follows:
i Mr.. Hill (Dem.) of New York asked
the Senate to take up and pass the
bill introduced by him last week to
repeal the statute which prohibits ex.
Confederate officers who had previously y
been commissioned officers in the
United States army or navy from hold
ing positions in the army or navy.
Mr.. Sherman (Rep. Of Ohio declared
himself as heartily in favor OF the bill,
but thought that it should take the
ordinary course and be referred to the
committee on. military affairs.
Mr.. Hill argued that the bill was q
simple one, and needed no considera-
tion by q committee. He thought it
would be good thing, just before
Christmas, to make this present to the
old Confederate officers who had for
merly held commissions in the United
States army.
Mr.. Chandler (Rep.) of New Hamp-
shire favored the bill and declared
that it ought to be passed and passed
to-day, 1t was simple in its character.
AS the Senate had, the other day,
unanimously, without distinction of
party, come to the support of q Demo
cratic President when he announced
national principles in relation TO Vcne-
zuela, so he hoped, that to-day with
out delay, without criticism, without
amendment, freely and generously,
this bill might be passed by the af-
iirmative votes of every Senator.
| MIR (Iray T0pfn IF nnlotyorf, In
favoring the BILL agreed with Mr.
Sherman that it should be referred to
a committee in the regular way.
Mr.. Hawley (Rep.) of Connecticut,
while favoring the bill, justified the
act which is now proposed to repeal.
1t was proper legislation at the time it
was passed, but that time had now
passed away.
Mr.. Daniel (Dcm.) of Virginia favor
ed the bill and presented resolutions
of the Virginia Legislature favoring
sage. He said that when tho Confe-
derate soldiers laid down their arms,
they laid them down and were done
fighting. The disagreeable memories
Of the war were obliterated, and ever
since the men Of the South and OF tho
North were one people with common
country. 1t should not be forgotten,
he said, as to the young men who had
been educated at West Point and Au-
napolis, that the expenses of those in
| 5titutiOns had been contributed to pro-
portionahly by their own States.
Mr.. Sherman submitted the motion
to refer the bill to the committee on
military affairs.
Mr.. Voorhees, (Dem.) Of Indiana was
inclined to favor the motion to refer.
He attached no great Importance to
the bill now except as an expression of
nationality, brotherhood and total re-
conciiation. He called attention to
the fact, however, that Confederate
officers of the highest rank who had
resigned their commissions in the
MaurY and others, had been confirmed
by the Senate for many important
positions.
Mr.. Platt (Rep.) of Connecticut cx-
planned that his objection to the bill
last week was merely to Il technical
point, not as to it's merits, for he favor
ed it. But yet, he said, newspapers in
the South had taken occasion to laud
Mr.. Hill, to condemn him MIR. Platt)
as wanting in every attribute of pat
riotism and to apply all sorts of epith-
cts to him, being careful 10 send him q
marked copy of each paper (laughter)
|
satisfied that it was now in pruper
form, and that iG would cifcctuate the
purpose which its author had in view
and he was SO full of forgiveness this
morning-the day before Christmas
that he was willing to join the Senator
from New York in presenting this
Christmas gift to those officers " ho
had fought in the Confederate army
and who he was sure would rejoice. to
fight in the army of the whole OF The
country If the opportunity presented
itself, of which he believee there was
no prospect at present,
! Mr.. Allen (2op.) Of Nebraska OK
pressed his belief that the bill wcnld
not have been heard Of if war had rot
been threatened, and if Pro3idnt
Cleveland had not been "twisting Lne
British lions tail" He hoped, how
ever, that the motion tO refer woul,. DC
withdrawn and that the bill woul,. De
passed at once.
Mr. Hill said he had not supposed
that the bill would have occasioncd
such long debate. Every Senator
had heard the bill read every Senator
understood; yet for diversified reasons,
no Senator wishe it to pass immndi-
ately. 1t would have to be referred 20
a committee which knew oil about it,
|
timo to consider it. Why, he asked,
gp through those useless forms lie
had labored under the idea that if last
week the Senate could afford to take
uD and pass the Venezuelan commls-
sion bill, involving consequences Of
peace or war, without action by IL com
mittee, it would not scruple to pass
this little bill aud to give to those old
Conlederates that Christmas present.
He thought that the spectacle was one
Of straining at a gnat and swallowing
d camel. He remembered that the
Senator from Ohio, Mr.. Sherman, had
moved to refer that bill to the COM
mittee on foreign relations; but he
had not pressed that motion nor voted
for it himself AS to Mr.. Platt's re-
ference to newspaper articles lauding
him (Mr. HilD he said that he would
like to have seen some of those com
plimentary notices, as he saw fow such
In print nowadays. (Laughter.)
After further discussion, a vote was