The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-25
NO BAR now TO 4 COMPLETE UNION
Bill for the Relief of Confederates
Passes the House.
1t Had Already Passed the Senate IMAM
imously, But In tho Lower house Was
vehementiy Opposed by Mr.. Boutelle.
of Maine, Who Alone on the Final
Ballot Voted Against is.

against the appointment as officers of
the army or navy Of persons who held
commissions In the regular army or navy
before the rebellion and who subse-
quently took part in the war on the side
of the Confedefacy, which passed the
Senate during The height Of the excite
ment over she Venezuela boundary
question, passed the House to-day after
two hours debate with but one dissent
ing vote, that of Mr.. Boutelle, of Maine.
| The Democrats except Mr.. Cummings,
| OF New York, who spoke, as he said,
''ss one of the eight hundred thousand
Northerners who fought in the Union
army" and Mr. Wilson, OF South Caro-
| lima, who WAS drawn into the debate by
Mr Boutelle, refrsined entirely from
| participating. Mr.. Hull, OF Iowa, chair
man Of the military Committee, who had
charge OF the bill, admitted that 1t
would subserve no practical purpose
and was largely sentimental.
Mr.. Boutelle, who led the opposi ton
single handed, thoughtit would furnish
| bad object lesion for naval and mill
tary cadets who were about entering on
| careers in the service of their country
and when he cot warmed up TO his sub
| ject, called attention to the fact that
many Southern men in Congress In the
past had obstructed legislation in the
interest of Union soldiers, dwelling par
ticulariy upon the opposition to the re-
tirement of General Grant.
| Mr.. Grosvenor, of Ohio, and Mr.. Grow,
OF pennsylvania, however. supported the
bill ardently rs graceful and gracious
act to the vanquished and when the
vote was TAKEN Mr.. Boutelle alone
voted against IL.
| To show that the South still held her
animus against the North Mr.. Boutelle
said that in ct Least one State in the
South Union soldiers were discrimi.
mated against In the matter of taxation,
when General Walker, of Virginia. Re.
! publican. who was on Stonewall Jack.
sons staff, jumped to his feet and de-
| MED the statement.
III hold In my hand" said Mr..
| Boutelle, fourishing . pamphlet aloft,
"a copy Of the constitution of South
| Carolina, which pro ,ides q uniform tax
on sll voters In the State, except such
as served In vhe Confederate army, who
are relieved OF the tax" This brought
| Mr.. Wilson dem, 8. C.), in the field to
defend his State. He had been q NOM
Der Of the cons titu tionsl convention and
the only discrimination in IL in favor Of
ex-C onfederates was that those over SO
years Of age should be relieved from
road duty.
Mr.. Boutelle, resuming his speech,
called attention to the condition of
affairs In the South which had brought
thirty contested election cases into the
House because, he said. the right to
vote was persistently and systema ti-
cally withheld over large portion of
the territory of the United States.
Mr.. Wilson in the meantime having
found the provision in the South Caro-
| poll tax and not to road duty. The
poll tax from which ex-Oonfederates
over so years old we're relieved was one
dollar.
why were not the Union soldiers ex
empted from the payment of that taxp"
asked Mr. Boutelle.
why were not the Union soldiers
pensioned by South Carolina?" said Mr..
Wilson replying with o question "Down
South" he continued. "they believe the
war was over. The North cannot get
along without the South any better than
the South can without the North"
hr. Grosvenor (Rep., Ohio), then got
the floor. If it had been left to him, be
said. he could not have introduced the
resolution, but being brought up he
would vote for 1t. He would vote for
any bill that made possible higher de-
gree Of loyalty for every man who
served the Confederscy. (Applause on
the Democratic side) The time he's
come, said he; tt has come, when we
need unity on both sides of Mason and
Dixon's line.
He concluded with glowing tribute
TO General Grants generosity toward
the vanquished and said that he wanted
to see the Union so firmly re- estE blished
not avail against It.
Walker, . Virginia Republican, and
one.time Confederate general In Stone-
wall Jackson's brigade, said that much
OF harmony, goud feeling and good will
In his secSioD depended on the passage
OF the bill. In the name OF these old
Confederates and their sons and the Be-
publicsns of the South--who we're no
longer prescribed because Of their po-
litical optHions, he asked for the pas.
sage Of the bill.
Mr.. Cummings, (Dem., N. " closed
the debate with plea for the passage
OF the bill IS . war Democrat and said
he hoped no en- Confederases would vote
on the question. The bill was then
passed with q shout, and when the noes
we're asked for Mr.. Boutelle, aIon =, rose
dramatically and responded No"
Then As 4:50 the House adjourned.
Senate Proceedings.
WARRINGTON, March 24.-Although
Too fluY Nom C4ock rs