Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1912-02-16
ECHO OF CIVIL WAR
SWanson's Bill to Recompense
Southern Officers.
BLOODY SHIRT" DAYS OVER
Measure Makes Charges Of Cruelty
Against Federal General That
Would Have Raised Storm In
Congress Some Years Ago.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

Washington.-Oecas in con-
gress echoes are heard coming from
Civil war days, Once on a time trou-
bles growing out of the war between
the states were constant theme of
oratory in congress. Those were what
are known as the bloody shirt" days.
and old timers here say that 1t took
only the mention OF the previous Sec
tional strife to stir things up and to
put Northern Republicans and South
ern Democrats into the ring to fight
1t out with bitter speeches as weap-
ons. Now everything is changed, and
1t is not once in two years that any
thing approaching bitterness growing
out OF the Civil war is shown either In
the house or in the senate.
During the war days there were
Northern charges of extreme cruelty
to Federal captives in Southern pris-
ons. There was retort from the South
that in a good many cases the North
did not treat Confederate prisoners in
accordance with the dictates Of hui
mainly and in the spirit of civilized
warfare.
A day or two ago Senator Swanson
of Virginia introduced bill which. II
1t had been brought to public atten-
ton thirty years ago, would have
raised row. The Swanson measure
was read twice and referred to the
committee on claims, and its reading
caused barely ripple, although 1t
had in 1t subject matter which years
ago would have started the Northern
and Southern brigadiers in congress
on oratorical warfare.
Senator Swansons bill asks that
there be paid to certain surviving off,
GERS of the Confederate service the
sum of $4,000 each as damages and
reparation." The Swanson bill sets
forth that when Major General ]. G.
Foster of the Union forces heard that
come Federal officers held as prison
ers of war in the city of Charleston
were SO placed in prison that they
were in danger of being killed by
shells fired from the batteries, he for
the purpose of retaliation was instru
mental in causing some six hundred
Confederate officers who were prison
CID W JIG pldCCo MhOIS lnOy WOulu NC
In danger of death from shot and
she'll
Charges Of Harsh Treatment.
The Swanson measure goes a great
deal farther than this in its charges
when 1t says that the six hundred of
ficers for forty-two days were given
no daily rations except four hardtach
onlY
ounce OF fat picked pork and half 9
pint of bean soup. alternated at times
with half a pint OF mush made from
meal that was old and wormy: while
the only drinking water was impure
More than this. the bill sets fortt
that the same six hundred Confeder
ate soldiers we've confined in cold
damp classmates without fire or blan
kets and that for sixty-five consecutive
days at one time they were forced e
live on a daily ration of ten ounces o.
rotten corn meal to which was added
ian ample supply of cucumber ant
onion pickle which II eaten only In
creased the pa1gs OF hunger"
Congress is told in this bill tina
such treatment of persons was "un
justifiable ard contrary to all tn,
acknowledged rights Of belligerency
and without precedent as an estab
lished principle in civilized warfare.
Gardner and Smith Happy.
In the senate of the Unite,
States q place on the committe,
of agriculture is held In the high
est esteem. Membership In the com
mittee occasionally is much soUgh
after by senators who have no knowl
edge whatsoever OF farming. 1t hal
been whispered in the past on one o.
two occasions that some of the sena
tors have sought a place on agricul
ture In order 10 give the people o
their states an idea that they are in
terested particularly In things which
concern the farmer.
Recently there came into the senat,
membership two men. both Democrats
and both really deeply interested ii
agriculture. One of them was Hok'
Smith of Georgia. who. while goyerno
of that state. showed lively interes
in agricultural matters. and the othe
was Obadiah Gardner OF Maine, VIII,
10 a farmer and who for a long tim,
was the chief officer Of the Main,
State Grange.
When these two new Democrats
senators arrived 1t was found tina
they both wanted positions on tn,
committee on agriculture. and bot
wanted them badly. There was onl.
one vacancy on the committee. AM
as the committee on committees dill
not want to disappoint either MI
Gardner or Mr.. Smith an attempt wa