The National tribune., 1896-04-02

warrants us in ripping upIthe legislation Of the
/ war;" he asked. "Is it . light thing for men
to take an oath to support their country and
then draw their swords against it2"
| To show that the South still held her animus
against the North, Mr.. Boutelle said that in at
least one State in the South Union soldiers
were Disseminated against in the matter of
taxation.
Mr.. Wilson, of South Carolina, sought to de-
| fend this statement, but was, temporarily at
least, downed by Mr.. Boutelle. At length Mr..
Wilson found the Objectionable provision in
the South Carolina Constitution referred to by
Mr.. Boutelle, and said:
ut applied to the poll-tax, and not to road
duty. The poll-tsx from which ex-Confed-
crates over so years were relieved was 81.
"Why were not the Union soldiers exempted
from tho payment of that tax?" asked Mr..
Boutelle.
why were not the Union soldiers pensioned
by South Cardinal" said Mr.. Wilson. replying
with question. "The discrimin alton in
favor of ex-Confederates was simply gra-
tuity."
Mr.. Grovesnor then got the floor. If it had
been left to him, he said he would not have in
troduced the resolution, but being brought mp,
he would vote for it, He didn't care, he said,
what the South Carolina Constitution con-
tanned. That Constitution, perhaps. had been
made without reference to that of the United
pbabCSY pOsSluly ~ was IuauS hoio 80 PiotSSs
against it than in conformity with it. South
Carolina had sowed the dragons teeth, and
they would rise up to crush it in the future.
He would go long way to aid men whom he
had met at the front; much farther than he
would to aid those who had stopped behind to
howl and hiss at those who were bearing the
brunt of the battle.
"Now as to the challenge of the gentleman
from Maine" said he.
al challenge nobody" interiected Mr. Bou-
telle. g am not representing any candidate
for President this floor"
Nor l." said Gen. GTosvenor. Mr. Bou-
teles insinuation, he said, was not manly
politics, and he refused to respond in kind.
Continuing. he said he would vote for any bill
that made possible higher degree of loyalty
for every man who served the Confederacy.
Applause on the Democratic side. The time
has come, said he, it has come, when we need
unity ON both sides of Mason and Dixon's
line"
a. am Ms partisan az any man should be, but
when the rebel soldiers come to me and ask
that some little discrimination be taken away,
i will vote to take it away"
"Who brought forward this bill?" asked
Mr.. BouteITe.
God knows"
odd any ex-Con federate ask for it?"
"If they had" replied Gen. Grosvenor, u
should not have been SO much disposed to give
it to them as | am" He concluded with
glowing tribute to Gen. Grants generosity
toward the vanquished and said that he wanted
to see the Union so firmly re-established that
the gates of rebellious hell would not avail
against it,
Then Mr.. Picker spoke in favor of the bill.
He called attention TO the fact that the law had
been repealed which prohibited all ex.Confed-
crates from receiving pensions for services in
other wars.
g voted against repeating that law" said
Mr. Boutelle
Mr.. Picker continued that he conceded to
the men of the South the same bravery, de-
termination. and resolution held by the North,
and 1t should be consolation enough for those
opposing the bill that it would always be said
the North was right and the South wrong.
After further debate the bill was passed.