The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1908-02-20
THE NATIONAL CAPITOL.



has passed through the ordeal
which more than any other makes
life source of terror to the FIRST
termer' i'll Congress. That is tc
say he made his first speech last
week. The first speech in Congress
is about as certain TO give the mem.
Der stage fright as the first voyage
across the ocean is to make him a
victim of sea sickness. Of this
malady Mark Twain said, "the
first day you are afraid that you
are going to die and the second day
your afraid you arn't." Nobody
has ever indicated whether or not
the terrors of stage fright extend
beyond the first day, but the gen
eral understanding is that when a
Congressman gets through his first
speech, he is seasoned"
Whether Mr. McHenry suffered
from stage fright or not l am not
informed, but it is universally a
greed that his first speech was a
success. 1t was on the widows pen
sion bill and was freely pronounced
one of the most happy and effective
deliveranCes on that measure heard
during its consideration. Mr.. Nc
Henry takes great interest in Pen.
sions. He believes that it is quite
as important to take care of wars
that are past as it is to provide
materials and munitions for wars
that may and may no come in the
future. He is especially concerned
about pensions for widows of de.
ceased veterans. In fact l have
been told that he prepared and in
tended to introduce a bill on the
lines of the one passed in the House
the other day, but when he ascer-
tained that an old member had
done so, he concluded to drop his
bill and help the other fellow.
1t was i'll support of this other
bill that he made his maiden speech
and he lett no one in doubt as to
his earnestness. This BILL" he
remarked, appeals to the best i'm
pulses OF the human heart. The
first duty of American citizenship
is to the family" Having thus
introduced the subject he added
that saving the family, which "is
the fountain of patriotism as we'll
as virtre," is more important than
saving the flag. eve can't shift
thi. obligation" he continued, I'VE
cannot satisfy our consciences with
the expectation that our successors
may have better opportunities to do
this" Then he gave instances
which have come under his own
observation. "In my own dis.
trict," he declared, II have learn
ed of instances of such destitution
and I feel that I would lie recreant,
alike as Representative and citizen,
if failed to do whatever 1 may to
mitigate their sufferings. He told
of widow who had nursed her SOL
dier husband through six years of
almost indescribable suffering The
labor and expense of this fidelity
had exhausted her resources and
destroyed her health. But because
of some delinquency in the pension
laws this good wife and mother is
unable to get a pension. "Is it any
wonder" Mr.. McHenry asked,
that this magnificent woman be-
lieves the government fowes her
something?"
Another case to which he refer
red is equally touching. A man
who had served nearly four years
with such fidelity and intelligence
that he rose from the ranks to the
grade of captain disagreed with the
authorities in the mastering out"
camp and went home without the
ceremony of a formal discharge
The war was ended and his servic-
es were no longer needed. so he
thought the ''frills and furbelows"
might be dispensed with. And I'm
til business misfortunes in his old
age reduced him to state of desti-
tuition, he didn't realize that much
harm had been done. But when
he applied for pension be found
that he had been marked as de-
serter and was not entitled to the
pension. Before his military record
could be corrected, moreover, he
died, leaving a destitute widow
who is also excluded from the gov
ernment bene6cence because her
soldier husband was scheduled as a
deserter. These facts made a pro-
found impression upon the House
and almost Immediately after Mr.
McHenry had taken his seat the
bill was passed by unanimous
vote.
Mr.. McHenrv NAV not oet oil