The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-10-16
Politics and Politicians.

Senator Pritchard, in his speeches, has
been making the statement that South
elm Democratic Senators acquiesced in
| the passage of the Deserter Pension Bill
and specifically has been stating that
Senator Bate, of Tennessee, and Sena-
tor Cockrell, of Missouri approved of the
bill.
Senator Simmons is in receipt OF a let
ter from Senator Bate, of Tennessee,
written from Nashville and dated Octo-
Der 18th, in which Senator Bate says, re-
! ferring to the deserter bill: Il say with
emphasis l do not approve of it and never
did. Furthermore l know no Southern
! Democratic Senator who did then approve
! Of it or does so now. | believe that If
an aye and nay vote had been called ct
the time of the passage of the bill you
refer to, and amendment, and the matter
! properly understood, it would not have
| received the vote of Southern Demo-
cratic Senator" Senator Bate further
says in this letter: ut could not fairly
be claimed that Democrats favored a Re
| publican bill or vice versa, because no
| aye and nay vote was taken and they not
on record against it. So, you see, when
the ayes and nays are not called. and a
| bill passes the Senate sub silencio it
does not necessarily carry with it the
conclusion. and in most cases not eve"
the Inference, that the silent Senators ia
vored the passage of the bill
| Senator Simmons has letters from six
other Southern Democratic Senators in
addition to Senator Bate, all expressing
strong opposition TO Senator Pritchard's
| bill TO pension deserters from the Con-
fedcrate Army. One of these Senators,
referring to this bill, used the following
! language:
Il am opposed to the pensioning of
| Confederate who enlisted in the Federal
| Army during the Civil War. These poo
! Tic were traitors to the Confederate gov
ornment and l do not think heir tToascn
should be rewarded. l 20 not think any
| Southern nan WIN has any sympathy for
those who wcresin the Confederate army
can with any consistency approve of the
bill which passed the Senate on The l'rh
! of April last, pensioni1g those who &C.
serted from the Confederate ana after
wards enlisted in the &c lcral army.
| There was 10 roll call on tho bill. Had
| there been, I would nave voted against
| IT, Southern ,enators are not ccnSur-
able for not demanding a roll CAL and
recording their votes against the bill. 1t
is unjust to hold them responsible for
the passage of this bill, for the reason
that pension legislation rests exclusive
Iy. you may say, with the Committee on
Invalid Pensions. and objections arc rare
ly made by Southern Senators to the re-
| Ports OF this committee. There is, rs
YOU know. among Southern Senators no
! disposition to oppose legislation in TIE
matter Of pensions. In fact, we make no
enquiry into the class of people whom
the Northern Senators desire to pension.
This course is prompted by the highest
motives. 1t is a delicate matter for
Southern meu, particularly those who
| served IN the Confederate army, to OBJECT
to the pcnsioning o. Federal sGidiers.
another one of these Senator's, after
expressing his opposition to the bill, used
this language: MANY bills pass on 2
Senator's calling them up, without their
true import being know but it is not
conclusive that a Senator who was pres
cnt was appraised Of the contents of the
iii so passed by unanimous consent. The
failure of a Senator to vote when bill
is called up by uuanimous consent does
not of itself show either that he APPROX
cd il or that he knew what it contained.
Another one of these Senator's, after
expressing his opposition to the bill, says;
Il do not think the failure of a Senator
to object to the consideration of a bill
commits the Senator to the bin or shows
that he is in favor of the bill Such has
never been considered the rule in the
Senate.
Not a ono of these seven Senators sus-
tanned Senator Pritchard in his claim
that because his bill was taken Zip by
unanimous consent all the Senator'S ap-
proved IT,
The Southern Senator'S from whom
Senator Simmons has received letters
disappearing of the D2sertcr Pension
Bill, arc Senator Bacon, Of Georgia; Sena-
tor Money of Mississippi; Senator Clay
of Georgia; Senator McLaurin, OF Miss
issippi Senator McEnery. of Louisiana;
Senator Bate. of Tennessee. and Senator
Daniel, of Virginia. Some Of these Sena-
tors wrote VERY vigorous letters Of de-
nunciation of this measure.
The North Wilkesboro Hustler says
that DR.. Ellcrl who was nominated fol-
clerk of the Superior Court by The Wilkes
Democrats has declined the nomination
| a,d u n Maetio IS rI,nnino as an indie