The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1911-01-19
spEAkERcANNoN.s SPEECH.


extraordinary force and conviction
which, have made him the acknowl-
edged leader OF men. He was intensely
in earnest, ana his voice and manner
made Z his ringing words impress this
upon all who heard him. The lavish
applause bestowed upon him was an
outbursr of admiration for his strength
and effectiveness. He not only felt the
justice of his cause, but he had the high
determination to present 1t in way
that would make the others do the
same. Whatever hesitancy or indeci-
sion might have been in the minds of
any was carried away by the strength
of the Speakers argument, and after
has speech the surprising majority of
15O in vote of PA was to be expected.
From the moment that he stepped down
to the floor his attitude ard manner
evoked the greatest applause, and the
interest in his subject heightened until
he came to the enthusiastic conclusion.
Mr. Cannon said:
Mr.. Speaker, my vote upon this bill
will be cast, not from the standpoint of
personal popularity, but from the
standpoint of wise policy and of sim
pie justice. (Appiause.) You cannot
have your cake and eat it, too. The
law authorizes 100, 900 men in the Peg
ular Army. We have $4,000, and there
is no power in my judgment that could
make Congress increase that Regular
Army by 10000 more. Yet we have
80, 600, 900 of people 1t has always been
the policy of this Government to rely
upon the great citizenship of the coun-
try for the public defense 1t is not a
cheap service. In that great struggle.
the like of which the world never saw
before, at least not in any civilized
country. there were 100000 men in
the Union army, or, counting re-enlist-
ments, 100000 1t was fierce strug-
gle. Along the borderiand and in the
Southland it was said that they took
from the cradle and the grave, the men
of the South fighting valiantly, mistak en-
as they were, for what they conceived
to be their rights Oh, it is easy, as
these men go under the ground and a
new generation comes, especially in our
great cities where there is a large pop
ulation, by far the greater number of
whom had no personal experience with
that war, and where the voice of the
Union soldier is not apt to be heard-it
is easy to talk about the great cost of
pensions. Yes; it is a great cost; but
that great struggle, thank God, put all
Just contention between the North and
South at rest, and you as well as we
thank God at the great result. CAP
plause.) Since that gro at contest the
wealth of the United states has in
creased from $40, 900, 000, 900 when Lin
coin took the oath of office, after we
have, horne ;sll expenditures. to SIPS
000, zoe, 900. Il do not believe that the
Representatives of the great citizenship
of this country. North or South. will be
CRITICIZED orocan be justly criticized-for
this .1egislatieni Let me read you an
extract from President Tafts annual
message: z
THE uniform policy of the Govern
mentiin the matter of granting pensions
to those gallant and devoted men who
Fought TO saTeithe life of the Nation in
the perilous!days of the great civil war
has always been of the most liberal
character. Those men are now rapidly
passing awayls The best obtainable- Off
cial statisticsishow that they are dying
at the rate Sof something over 5000 a
m ofithy and inayiew OF their advancing
ecara this rate must inevitably, in pro-
portion, rapidly increase To the man
who risked everything on the field of
battle to save the Nation in the hour
of it's direst need we owe debt which
has not been and should not be COM
puted in a begrudsing or par.simonious
spirit. - The true spirit of the
pension laws is to be found in the noble
sediments expressed by Mr.. Lincoln in
his last inaugural address. wherein, in
speaking of the Nations duty to its sol
'diers when the struggle should be over,
he said we should care for him who
shall have borne the battle and for his
widow and orphans.
(Applause.)
Four hundred and fifty thousand OF
this 100000 still live, old-frcm 62 up
to 100-moSt of them decrepit. oh,
yes; somebody in the United States Steel
Corporation that has got 10 millions or
20 millions would be beneficiary.
know not whether such would take the
pension or not, but the same argument
would keep an officer of the Regular
Army off the retired list. applause
We do not measure the merits of legis-
,ation in that way. Legislation must be
general, and in the affairs of this world
it is impossible to enact any legislation
that will not have an exception when
you come to enforce it, You never
would enact law or make an appro-
Driation of any kind if the argument OF
my friend and colleague, the Represen-
tative from Massachusetts, was to be
forceful. (ApplauseD
Already this year. after We have paid
the expenses of this great Republic
from the revenue laws of this country in
tie first six months, we have $4,000, 600
surplus, and il is fair to say that on
iAe 1st day of July next that $4,000,
900 will be doubled to 100000 900.
quite agree with the statement of the
gentleman from New Hampshire, the
Chairman of the Committee on Invalid
Pensions tMr. Sulloway), that the cal
culation of the cost OF this legislation
is entirely 100 high; that 1t rs on the
largest possible basis; that If every man
would be a beneficiary under it and
every man would live to the end of the
coming fiscal year, IL months from
now, it would be S45. 900. But cases
cannot be disposed of so as to give the
maximum, and $4,000 men will have
call on the other side, and that of itself
would be $4,000, 900 to be deducted, in
round numbers.
/ shall vote for this bill Applause
Many men of many minds. / vote for il
because l come from that Middle West
a small city where people know each
other the home of the Union soldier
the home of the citiZen-soldier; the pa
triotism which prompts men to respond
to the call forf service of a great Repub-
lie is there most Astounding.
In the great centers of population
you. would hshave difficulty in finding
mann. people that know about the SER
vices of thesefmen from recollection oil
! front history. We are able to pay this
amount. IT
say, in conclusion, from the stand
point of justice, aye, more, from the
standpoint qof patriotism, aye. more
from the selfish standpoint that in 9th
er great emergencies the citizen-soldieI
shall be assured that when he is strick-
en- BIZ disease weakened by age hob.