, 1901-10-14

toh : Cilt I'L H'o lulto.
| have becn driven to c> tremttles and
that by you. | do not blame you fos
it-for anything, but | have tried so
hard to get justice OH. SO hard, sir,
in the best cause ever presented to
justice. and it has all gone SO wrong
and there has beer so many years OF
Strugglc-and victory finally in Il
grasp and then that terrible speech
that brutal speech Of yours yesterday
upset ii all-and my money is almost
gone-and amm and Granny are
down there out of money and depend
ing on me-oh. sir, it is all so ter
ribly important that | simply must see
you for a few moments"
The girl broke into sobs for a mo-
ment but before he had time to say
anything resumed:
Il beg your pardon, oh, | beg your
pardon; all l ask is that o let me
tell my story"
Go N tell it," he said gently. Sam
"a glass of wine for the lady"
Il am trying to get through congress
the Butler claim. | thought it was
through all right until you made that
speech yesterday. Listen to me. sir,
and hear the story-that is all | ask.
w are Virginians. sir, the Buffers.
Before the val we possessed consider
able estates in West Virginia-and
slaves and were people of consequence
and related to the best blood of the
south. My grandfather. Bernard But
Ter, was a student and the kindliest OF
men. Although born a Shareholder he
became very much opposed to slavery
and just before the war liberated all
his slaves and moved north, thus
alternating himself from his family.
Some time after the war began and
when the Union troops were having so
difficult a time in the mountains of
West Virginia. word was taken to
President Lincoln by a congressman
from Iowa where my grandfather then
lived, hat Bernard Butler, an eX-slave
owner, but now a strong Union man,
had lived all his life among those
mountains and knew every pass, and
suggesting that he might be used to
guide the Union troops. He was sum-
moned to Washington and had many
conferences with the President. Mr..
Lincoln lal it down to him as his duty
as a Union man hat he make the SUI
preme sacrifice and guide the troops
through the passes. He revolted at
the thought Of taking an enemy into
the heart of his native country and
among his own people. Oh, sir, l wish
you could read the letters he wrote
Granny during those fearful days
now full of sympathy with Lincoln in
the fearful task before him, and again
wild with protestations that he would
never lead a hostile army into his ma
tive country. Finally Lincoln ON
quered and Grandpa agreed to sacri-
hce every sentiment upon the altar of
what he esteemed to be patriotism. His
only condition was that his name
should appear upon no records and
that he should not receive a cent for
his work. The President insisted upon
issuing him some sort of a commission
and in giving him a letter certifying
to the work he was doing. Here it Is"
AS the Senator scanned the letter
signed in the undeniable handwriting
of the martyred President, the girl
went on:
He did the work the President laid
out for him and went back to his Iowa
home a heart-broken man. Three times
after the President wrote hin telling
him the incalculable service he had
rendered the government. Here are
the letters %(handing them to the SEN
ator), but it broke Grandpa's heart and
he died soon after the war, glad that
the Union was preserved but broken
hearted over the ruin in the south and
particularly over the part he a .
compelled to take in it. He died poor
because he never would claim any
part of the family estates he had been
an instrument in laying in waste. And
papa was killed in the Wilderness-and
mamma and poo old grandma have
struggled through all the weary years
to keep sou and body together. Some
good friends who knew the circum-
stances have tried at times to get .
pension but failed as you know. Last
month the mortgage was foreclosed
and we lost the little home. Then 1
learned all the story and took all
the money we could raise and came
here. l was confident that there must
be some way to get a pension for old
Granny who had brought to Grandpa
dozens of slaves and hundreds OF acres,
which all had been given up for 10y
atty to the Union, and for mamma his
only surviving child. l do not know,
sir, what pensions are for but it does
seem to me that If there is any
to grant a pension it is in this sort
OF a case"
And SO do l." replied the Senator
with glistening eyes. Why was not
story told on the floor of the con-
Ersug"