Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-02-01
MIR. WILLIAMS AND Mr.. HAY.

As stated in the Gazette Of that day
the House yesterday had another
lively time over the Hull amendment to
the army appropriation bill regarding
the reduction of pay of retired office rs IN
active service with State militia, which
many members of the House, both demo-
Gratis aud republicans, regard as direct
slap at Gen. Miles. Under the leader
ship Of Representative Hay, Of Virginia,
SO democrats deserted Mr.. Williams, the
minority leader on the floor, and voted
| in favor of the Hull amendment, and by
a vote of III to II the House refused to
concur in the Senate amendment. The
bill was sent back to conference.
A protracted debate arose over mo-
ton by Mr.. Williams to accept, with
slight modification, the Senate sub
stitute for the House amendment re-
lating to retired officers serving with
militia regiments. Mr.. Williams re-
iterated his belief that the original
House amendment was directed at Gen.
eral Miles, now Inspector General OF
Massachusetts,. Messrs. Hull and Hay
opposed the Senate amendment, the for
mer disclsiming that it had special ref
orsnce to General Miles. He said that
if General Miles had died six months
ago the amendment would have been Of
fered anyhow, but he regarded it as un-
fortunate "that man of such distin-
guished career can always manage to get
himself in the forefront Of public opinion,
so that no matter what Congress pro-
poses to do You are always hitting Gene
eral Miles" He also regretted that
Massachusetts should have its politics
revolve around man." Declaring that
the House provision was in the interests OF
the people and that it vas democratic doc
trine to save money, Mr.. Hay appealed
to the democratic membership to vote
down the Senate amendment. He also
referred to the fact that Gen. Miles was
the federal officer who put shackles on
Jefferson Davis, the fugitive preside Mt o
the Copfederacy.
Mr. Williams, replying 10 both Messrs.
Hull and Hay, said that he was not at
all afraid OF the covert attack on his
democracy. 81 am not" he said,
'afraid of my loyalty or feslty as q
southerner. dislike so much TO stay
under cover that we might as veil come
out. share the feeling that southern
neil generally entertain regarding Gen.
eral Miles's conduct when be putt hackles
on the ankles of Jefferson Davis at
Fortress Monroe, and | don't believe it
will soand in history to his credit
or that it will sound in history TO the
discredit of Mr.. Davis that he was COM
PEELED to submit to it, old and helpless
and sick as he was at the time. III
this legislation had been pointed at any
body else than General Miles | would
haze taken the same course that have
taken, except that have taken it much
more anxiously and much more warmly.
| stand in the relationship to Jefferson
Davis that some of my critics do not.
First he was a Missippian and / am one.
My grandfather was the senior captain
ofhis regiment in the Mexican war and
his favorits captain, and in the third
place be was my friend, as far as an old
man can be friend Of child or boy.
If you want to punish General Miles or
anybody else for what was done in those
days, if history is TO hold out its eondsm-
nation, all right; but this is not the
time nor the place nor the way toget
even. The people of the South don't
punish m little way like thst." Mr..
Williams received loud applause on the
democratic side when he took his seat.
The Williams amendment and motion
we're lost-79 to III.