The Forrest City times., 1912-02-23
ECHO 0F 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.--Occ in con- gress echoes are heard coming from Civil war days. Once on q time trou- bles growing out of the war between the states were a constant theme of oratory in congress. Those were what are known as the bloody shirt" days and old timers here say that it 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 lid not treat Confederate prisoners fin accordance with the dictates of hu- manity and in the spirit of civilized warfare.
 A day or two ago Senator Swanson Of Virginia introduced a bill which. If 1t had been brought to public atten- tion thirty years ago. would have raised row. The Swanson measure vas read twice and referred to the committee on claims. and it's reading caused barely a ripple. although 1t had in it subject matter which years age would have started the Northern and Southern brigadiers in congress on oratorical warfare.
 Senator Swanson's bill asks that there be paid to certain surviving off oers of the Confederate service the sum of 5000 each as damages and reparation- The Swanson bill sets forth that when Major General j. C. Foster of the Union forces heard that some Federal officers held as prison CTS 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-
 
 confederate officers who were prison CTS to be placed where they would be m danger of death from shot and shell
 Charges of Harsh Treatment.
 Inc swanson measure goes q great aeal farther than this in its charges when Il says that the six hundred of heers for forty-two days were given Do daily rations except four hardtack crackers. frequently wormy." one ounce of fat pickled pork and half a pihf of bean soup. alternated at times "tta half pint of mush made from meal that was old and wormy: while the only drinking water was impure
 More than this. the bill sets forth mat the same six hundred Confeder. a3e soldiers were confined in cold uanp casemates without fire or blan- fets and that for sixtyfive consecutive od3S at one time they were forced to A'e on daily ration of ten ounces of '9tsen corn meal to which was added an ample supply of cucumber and oa4oh pickle which if eaten only in- creased the bangs of hunger"
 congress is told in this bill that seeh treatment of persons was "un- Justihable and contrary to all the acknowledged rights of belligerency, anu without precedent as an estab- "sHed principle in civilized warfare" "
 Gardner and Smith Happy.
 In the senate of the United elates place on the committee ol agriculture is held in the high est esteem. Membership in the com hlttee occasionally is much sought ailer by senators who have no knowl eube Whatsoever of farming. It has peeh whispered in the past on one or two occasions that some of the sena- >ots have sought a place on agricul- 'ate In order to give the people of 'Helf states an idea that they are in. crested particularly in things which concern the farmer.
 heeehtly there came Into the senate eihbershfp two men. both Democrats. anu both really deeply interested in asticuiture. One of them was Hoke 'tnilh ot Georgia. who. while governor 3' that state. showed a lively interest III agricultural matters. and the other was Obadiah Gardner of Maine who iA farmer and who for a long time Was the chief officer Of the Maine State Grange.
 hen these two new Democratic senators arrived il was found that oney both wanted positions on the committee on agriculture. azd both wanted them badly. There was only ohe vacancy on the committee. and as the committee on committees did nor want to disappoint either MT. SatSner or MT. Smith an attempt was