Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-05-19

His career began away back in 1888.
In the following year he was ordered
out upon the western frontier, to what
afterwnrd became the territory of Kan
sas. For more than 20 successive years
his service was in that portion of the
country, fighting Indians: pioneering
new roads Of oivilization-down through
the Mexican war, up through New Mex
leo and on through California, away
up to Oregon and back again over the
mountains, 81 the plains, until no
reached Jefferson Barracks again in
1860. Then he was ordered out to San
Francisco, where he vas located at the
time Of the outbreak of the war for the
Union.
"He was very early commissioned o
brigadier general of the United States
army and served during the entire war.
I regret to find it stated in this report
of the committee on invalid pensions
that the record Of Major General Smith
was not q brilliant one. ! tell you that
there was no more brilliant record Of
any general Of the United States army
from the beginning to the end of the
war. He was the right hand of Sherman
one of the great division and corps
commanders. He saved the command Of
General Banks, to whose widow you
gave 800 a month only two years ago.
A Hero of the War.
Through all this service Of 90 years
out upon the frontier, plotting the
march of civilization, battling with
the Indians and building up this great
empire of the west, the widow Of this
old hero was with him. She camped
with him, bivouacked with him, suffer-
ed all the h~ardships of his life with
him. Her health is now broken, and she
is standing upon the verge of the grave.
She has, in the providence of the AL
mighty, but a year or two more to live.
"She is very nearly 80 years Of age.
General Smith died a year or two ago,
at the age Of 50. and "a WI not ease
the pillow of this good old woman q
little and do by her what this congress-
has done by the widow of every major
general since the close of the war?
General Blunt's widow got 500.
Now, 1t is only a week or two ago since
You voted Q pension of $50 a month to
the widow of Commander Gushing, that
splendid hero Of the navy, whose record
stands for gallantry and for heroism
beside that of Nelson and Farragut and
Porter. No drawer man ever trod a ship
than Cushing.
"But, gentlemen, his widow, to
whom you voted $50 a month a week
ago, did not marry him until 1870. and
he died in 1874"
From the foregoing it will be observ-
ed that the widow of General Banks Of
Massachusetts,, who led that magnificent
army into a trap, is rewarded with 500
per month, while the widow Of General
Smith of Missouri, who snatehed 1t
from the jaws Of death, gets $50.
To cap the climax at the same sitting
Of congress a bill was passed granting
q pension to John A. Bingham Of Ohio.
which the committee reported at $50
per month, but which the house cut to
S25. Let 1t never be forgotten that
Bingham never served a day in the
army, but, while a member of congress,
acted for seven months as judge advo-
cate general with rank of major-a
dangerous position truly Consistency,
thou art a jewell"
Wisdom of an Old Saying.
"You can't tell from his looks how
far a toad can hop is an old saying full
Of wisdom. If there is any man in the
house that looks less like the ideal
humorist than all the others, that man
Is Hon. Walter Evans Of Kentucky. He
looks very much like ex-senator Ed
munds of Vermont, and as he is said to
greatly resemble st. jerome it follows
that Evans looks like a saint instead Of
a humorist. But Notwithstanding his
appearance he belongs to the tribe Of
Artemus Ward, Mark Twain and Bill
Nye.
More than once 7 have alluded to the
fact that while on the surface harmony
prevailed among the Republicans down
In the bottom Of their hearts are many
~jealousies which occasionally crop out
In debate.
Now, the Kentuckian is a courageous
animal. Indeed he is foolhardy on that
subject. The Kentucky Republican isno
exception to that rule. He may be
"short" ON intelligence, but he's "long"
on pluck. He does not propose to let
others ''hog" his share Of the good
things Of this life.
So 10 happened that Brother Evans
wanted part of the bacon'' for some Of
his constituents not long since in the
shape of war claims. Dingley, having
already gobbled $3.50, 900 for some for
gotten harbor up in Maine, concluded
suddenly that ''the looting Of the treas
ury'' should cease. Dingley doesn't be-
iieve In "looting'' unless 1t is for the
sole benefit and behoof Of New England
In general and bis own district In par
ticular. Even then, according to Uncle
Joe Cannon and Governor" William
| A. Stone, they have to catch Governor
Dingley, throw him down and by main
| strength thrust the swag into his pocket.
Now, Evans may be q credulous sort of
person, but when he saw Dingley an
| tagonizing his own effort to break into
the treasury and observed Dingley's
| pockets bullying with loot Walters dam
| der arose to the danger point, and he re-
lieved his pent up wrath partially as
follows, thereby illustrating the t'only
skin deep harmony" existing among the
Republicans. "Mr. Chairman" quoth
| Evans, the Kentuckian, 81 should be
exceedingly glad if these members Of
| the house who have shown the most in
tense opposition to this bill had been
| present either as soldiers Or as citizens
for a short time only in the border states
during the war" [Applause.
Hot Shot For Dingley.
Now, as Evans was a soldier, a Ken
tuoky soldier at that, and ex neoessitate
q good soldier, that was a shot at point
blank range at Dingley, Dalsell and
| other patriots who did their fighting
| with their mouths. Having made suoh
an excellent beginning, Walter follow
| cd it up as follows:
II very much fear, Mr.. Chairman,
that there is too much Of local preju-
| dice or feeling in the treatment Of
descending the monument. From
Tamh's ranch amid the vaIIeva of the