The National tribune., 1900-05-17

the home of the starving widow. ] grant
you that you wipe out the Seething and
burning disgrace which now exists IN the
provision regarding the income of widow.
/ grant that you do that, and | grant you
that you give little aid to the boys who
have been forced to make their applications
under the law of 1890; but in doing TINS
you turn your back upon every hero OF the
war of 1S61-1S65 who desires to remain under
the original law where he has right to
Stand-upon the roll of honor. Why do
you do this?
Why is it that an ironclad rule or board
composed of men who know nothing about
the facts, and seemingly care less, shall
turn down the sworn testimony of the medi-
| cal boards in the State where the soldier
lives. and that this Congress shall sit
supinely here and give us weakling like
this? Why is it that he who was a good
soldier, he who sits in the White House now;
does not lift his clarion voice in behalf OF
right and justice to the men who served
with him? Why is he silent? Let him
but speak, and the deed is done. Idemand,
in the name of this committee which has
drafted n bill not only just but right, that
this shall be done.
But | must bow to a voice which says,
This is all you can have" Who tells me
this? Does it come from the gentleman
from South Carolina? No. Does it come
from the member from Tennessee? No.
Where does it come from? know not the
revenue, l demand that the revenue shall
be given in payment for blood that saved
the Nation instead of being frittered away
in thousands of useless and insane ways. :
/ am in favor of the bill, of course; l
could do no less; but know, Mr.. Speaker,
! that when 1 face the men within the Sol
diers' Home of my District, the men whom
Gen. Sickles once addressed from the rear
platform of a car, when / shall tell them
OF the .pittance that comes to them from
the friends of the soldier" they will turn
their backs upon me. and say, rs that all
there is left for us? Must the old soldier
still hunt from the lower regions even to the
stars of heaven for evidence, and then stand
shut out from q pension that would entitle
him TO from S25 to SIS a month, and bow
down as a mendicant under the law OF 1902
Is that Just, gentlemen? No; 1t is not
Just. 1t is hideouS wrong. 1t is dis
grace and shame upon the reason and
patriotism of the members of this House
L have no fear, Mr.. Speaker, had you
brought the committee bill out upon this
floor, but that it would have passed this
House not only by the aid of the majority,
but it would have had the aid and support
of a majority of the minority side, as well.
You tell Us the future will bring aid. The
present has filed the cemeteries with our
boys. The present sees them totterlmg,
wavering on the verge of the grave. The
present finds them mendicants and sup
| plicants at the doors of their neighbors for
charity, and yet you will postpone and say
we dare not ask too much now for fear we
will get nothing.
say to the majority that the threat such
as you hold there, that we must take this
or get nothing, is an insult to the House
and the soldier. And / say furthermore
| to the Chairman of our committee and to
every member upon it that we have fallen
| In our own estimation and failed in our duty
when we decline to put the bill through
/ that would hava Hpna pDIlat lIlSfIre and
opened wide the doors of fairness to the
men who supported us in the war of 1861
1865.
Men of the South, you all ought to vote
for this bill. would have voted for such
bill as this, and one more liberal too,
had l been in former years member
of the Confederate Congress. for
my idea is that the man of courage
who takes up gun in defense of home and
country is entitled not only to the gratitude
of his people but to the support OF his honor
able foes. Why, then, are there any who
falter and refuse to vote for this because
it does not have incorporated in it a pro-
vision to pension some man who was forced
into the Confederate army and afterwards
served in Union ranks?
Do not do it, because others have to
wait. Other bills provide that all the
veterans of 1861 to 1865 under the original
law must stand back and await the divine
pleasure OF the otheT side of the House
before they can have justice. Why, let me
say to the Confederate boys that you wait
also with all the veterans of the North,
but do not now hinder justice to the widow
and orphan children in this bill. What
other reason IS there given not to support
this? That it is going to increase the
expenditures perchance million dollars.
Oh, but when you talk about rivers and
harbors, to dredge small creeks, and to
open the way to bring nutmegs and cab
bages down the little streams of Connect
cut to market, or for such harbors as New
York or Boston, gentlemen, you do not
care to stop at million, or twenty-five
millions, or fifty millions.
II you want to increase the army or the
navy, or want to make places and pay
salaries to men who never saw dead or a
living rebel, you do not care to stop to vote
good long appropriations, and under a
rule brought in you can vote not only
/ ,OO0, 900 but 20,O0O.000. But when we
ask for justice here for the old soldier or his
child, in Gods mercy then do not raise the
question of money.
Now, Mr.. Speaker, will conclude in one
expression. l appeal to members on this
side of the House, in all the sincerity of my
heart, from the depth of my being, that you
give this bill your undivided support; and
then appeal to that side of the House, late
in the session as | know it is, know that
there will be no objection if you will bring
in another bill that will make this more
perfect, Jildt Will 90 JUSTICE, Simple ana
plain justice, to those people. l beseech
you not to forget, not to dream away your
time, not to fail in your duty to do justice
TO him who wore the blue equal to the
sacrifice that he made for his country III the
hour of its peril and in the bravery of his
heart. Applause.
Mr.. Denny. Mr.. Speaker, I shall take
great pleasure in giving this bill my hearty
support. 1t is an act of justice long delayed.
vote for it because it supplements the law
that has, by too strict a construction, de-
feated many honest claims upon the Gov
ernment AS a Confederate soldier who
surrendered with Lees army at Appomattox,
and who was permitted to return home
| without any humiliation by the generous
acts Of Gen. Grant, / ought to know some
thing Of the sacrifices of the brave men who
maintained the unity and iatergrity Of this
| Nation.
The Committee on Invalid Pensions have
reported this bill to supplement want long
| felt, and which l hope will meet the ap-
proval of every soldier who was engaged
| on the losing side. In our National wealth
and prosperity it is mete and right not to
forget the men who protected the Govern
ment by their sacrifces-sacrifices of
| health, the best years of their life, that in
other fields of labor would have secured
prosperity for them and their families. In
the evening Of their lives why should this
Government, by narrow construction of the
existing law, deprive soldiers and soldiers