The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1907-06-01
JOIN SHARP WILLIAMS VOTED TO PENSION
MILES, WHO sHAcKLED JEFF. DAVIS.

For the information OF the above We
will say that the part taken by John
Sharp Williams relative to the Miles
incident is a matter of record. The same
is to be found on the journal of the pro-
ceedings of the Fifty eighth congress
in January and February, 1905. A full
history of this same matter is also in
possession of one of Oxford's most
highly honored citizens and is well
known by majority of the people OF
this town, and may be seen for the ask
ing. A full and complete history of
this matter is shown by said cougres-
sional record is as follows:
Lieutenant General Miles was an
officer on the retired list, and, as such
received as salary $3.50 per year; when
in regular service he received double
this amount with allowances. The act
which allowed the army officers to retire
at a certain age on half pay had been in
force for number Of years. In 1904
the following act was passed: "The
secretary of war may assign retired Of
ficers of the army, with their consent,
to active duty in recruiting, for services
in connection with the organized militia
in the several States and territories
upon the request of the governor thereof,
and such officer while so assigned shall
receive the full pay and allowances of
their respective grades"
In 1905, w. L. Douglass, governor of
Massachusetts,, under the above act pro-
Cured the services of General Miles
which entitled this officer to full COM.
pensation, namely, $16, 500 and all allow
ances per annum as long as he should
stay in this service. General Miles was
the only officer receiving so high SAL
ary, and it was thought entirely too
much for any officer to receive; especi-
ally did al the Mississippi congressman
except Mr.. Williams believe that the
pay when retired was sufficient, and so
when the army appropriation bill came
up in 1905, in order to remedy this evil
proviso was made to this bill as fol-
lows: thereafter no retired officer of the
army, shall, when assigned, receive from
the United States any pay or allowance
additional to his pay as a retired officer
so as to make his total pay and allow
ances exceed the pay and allowances of
major on the active list" (1he pay of
major on the active list being $500
per year,. This provfso was voted
upon by the following congressman
from Mississippi: Bowers, Chandler,
Hill Spight, Humphreys, McLain voting
for the proviso, Congressman Byrd
being absent, while John Sharp Will
liams voted against the proviso, and
this in the face of the well known fact
that General Miles was the only officer
receiving so large salary.
Hence the effect of this proviso was
to cut off General Miles from this salary
and to limit him to the allowance of an
officer on the retired list, but Williams
opposed this and the force of his vote
and influence was to give Miles full pay
and allowances.
Furthermore, as a matter of informa-
ton, might add that another highly
esteemed citizen of the town of Oxford
heard General Miles in public address
at Harvard University boast of the fact
that he had the honor to do the country
a grand service when he was able to
place the shackleS upon the tired limbs
of the Confederate chieftain, Jefferson
Davis. Miles regarded this as his great
est official act, the crowning glory of
his career. This act is infamous in the
sight OF every Southron, and Justly so;
it was an act of uncalled for and un-
speakable infamy and will ever be so
by all fair-minded men. JEFF
ferson Davis was the soul of honor, the
accepted leader of a brave and noble
people. Miles knew it, and this act
was but the outcropping of his savage,
debased nature.
No one knew these facts better than
John Sharp Williams. If there was any
one question that he should have paid
to it was this, yet he preferred
to make fat this barbaric hireling and
thus insult the intelligence and honor
of the entire South.
Will the people hold Hon. John Sharp
Williams guiltless for this act ?-Oxford
Eagle.