The times., 1898-12-18
MIR. R1xEY,s BILL.
Republican. Hull and Linney BE-
Heve III should Pns..

Some Republican congressman are not
inclined to express opinions as to the bill
Introduced in the House on Friday by
Representative Rixey permitting Confed-
crate veterans to enter the national homes
for disabled soidiersFbn the same terms as
Union soldiers. Asnumber of representa-
tives were questioned yesterday. but near
ly all refused to express any opinion for
publication, some of them admitting
up their minds in advance of the bill COM
ing before the House.
Mr.. Hull of Iowa, stanch Republican,
said: ~ have no objection to admitting
these old Southern soldiers If anyone vii,
guarantee us against fights between the
Union and Confederate veterans. You see,
these old fellows have nothing to do but
to eat ard sleep, and talk, and the chances
are that they would get to arguing too ex-
citedly for the weil-being of the homes.
Mary of them VIII no doubt want to fight
the battles over again.
Il suppose the bill would mean an in
crease OF about one-fourth in the number
of veterans to be cared for
Representative Linney of North Caro-
lima, a representative Southern Repub-
lican, heartily approves of the bill. He
said: "The vanquished usually get li;tle
consideration from the coaquerors. who
take spoils of battle. But the Civil War
was not like most combats: ii was Il war
of necessity, waged to settle a dispute,
which no other tribunal except that OF
arms could decide 1t therefore seems
proper to me that those who fought with
cared for in their old age.
There is a great patriotic impulse un-
deriying the bill. 1t Is in accord with
that great speech made the other day by
President MCKINLEY, advocating the care
of Confederate graves by the nation.
Let us have 1t. II will do a great deal OF
good
Representative Cooper, of Texas, was
not SO sure that the South wanted the
bill Said he: II am for the South as the
son of a Confederate soldier. and | shall
certainly not ask this bill from Congress-
We do our best now to care for our vet
Grams. and we are willing to continue to
do so. II the North offers this. we will
not reject it, but we will not ask for it.
mo. / don't think the veterans of the
two armies would quarrel. They are
pleasant friends enough at the reunions.
1t is not the real soldiers that quarrel
now, or that have quarreled In the past"
Representative MeMiliin of Tennessee
thinks there is no chance that Congress
will pass the bill or will make an ap-
preparation to care for Confederate
graves. He said: Yes, the President
did recommend this in his speech, but he
did not, and he will not, recommend il
to US. There is no more chance of Com
gress passing the .Rixey bill than there
Is of its swimming NJ Niagara. PERSONAL
ly l see no reason why the President
should wish to discriminate against the
living The living certainly need care
far more than do the dead"
Representative Cannon in speaking of
the matter yesterday said he saw in the
bill the first step toward the enactment
of a law granting pensions to Confederate
soldiers. To fellow member. a younger
man, Mr.. Cannon said:
You will be voting and early in your
career, too, for pensions to the men on
the Confederate rolls" In the opinion of
some of the members it may not be a
great while until it will be possible to get
pay for the slaves. Going upon the Iiber-
aiity of the Presidents views as express
ed at Atlanta that may be the next step.