The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1916-02-17
Soldiers HOmG
Continued on page g.

the House that l am inspired by the
highest of motives, and sincerely de-
sire, insist, and believe that the bill
which / am proposing should prompt
ly pass both Houses of Congress. My
excuse for trespassing on the time of
the House SO early in the morning of
my service lies in the fact that those
whom l am seeking to serve are fall
ing daily, as fall the ripe leaves when
the autumn wind blows its icy breath
upon them. In asking this body to
pass House bill No. AIS, introduced
by me on the first day of the session,
do SO sincerely believing in it's JUS
tice, its equity, and its high purpose.
Each Member of this body should
count it blessed privilege to sup
port a measure which has for it's OBJ
ject the payment of a debt long past
due and which seeks to do credit to
those splendid men who won the res
pect and admiration of the world dur
ing four years of struggle, but who,
with others, were pilfered and pun
ished by those who stalked through
the stricken South at the end of the
Civil War, not soldiers wearing the
honored blue uniform of the Union,
but plunderers clad in the drab vest
ments of greed, with a carpetbag in
one hand and an official commission
in the other. fattening upon the pros
trate and bleeding South"
Listen to his reasons for introduc-
ing the bill:
Whereas, a large amount of mo-
ney, approximately $100,000,000, was
secured and collected from the people
of the South during the Civil War and
the reconstruction period that fol-
lowed from the following named sour
ces: First, from captured and aban-
doned property; second, from confs-
Gated property; and, third, from the
collection of the cotton tax from 1853
to 1868; Whereas, what is known as
the cotton tax" was illegally col
lected; Whereas, the South, prior to
the Civil War and since that time,
abundantly proved her loyalty to the
Union; gamely lost, without murmur-
ing, 100000 slaves, valued at $4,000
100000; gave to the country much in
military service, and added much ter
ritory by the genius and diplomacy of
her statesmen"
Il am asking this membership to
rise to the occasion and vote for this
measure. 1t elevates mans soul to
rise above petty sectfonalism and to
reach the greater attitudes. The Naz-
arene on more than one occasion adj
vised that this be done-when He
advised the rich young ruler to give
all he had to the poor and to follow
Him. When the United States gave
to the Chinese Empire 100000
from the Boxer indemnity fund it won
the respect of that great oriental
state, and China has ever since been
our steadfast friend. Horace Greedy
won the respect of the South when he
signed the bond of Jefferson Davis.
Senator Works, of California, Union
soldier, rose to great heights when he
bill to donate to the Con-
soldiers the Union Soldiers
Home near johnson City, Tenn, and
to provide that in the future it should
be maintained at the expense of the
The South has paid its
share of pensions to Union soldiers,
and if this bill should pass the South
would receive only small per cent
Of the amount that has been paid to
those who fought on the side of the
Union. Up to January 1, 1916, the to-
tai amount of money paid to survivors
Of the Civil War by the government
was $4,614, ,267.43. This amount
mas been paid in pensions and does
not include the amount paid in sup
port of soldiers homes"
MR.. SLOAN: The gentleman men
toned one fact about large amount
If abandoned property, and men,
Toned that large amount as an. in
lucement for this pension appropria- {
ion?
MR.. TILLNIAN: Yes.
MIR. SLOAN: Will the gentleman |
indy develop how that which was {
aiken from the loyal people of the |
south and transferred to the govern {
nent here should be used to pay the {
tensions of those who were in armed :
opposition to the government? t
MIR. TILLMAN: Mr.. Chairman, a y
arge number of these people are
cad from whom this property was :
taken. Many of the fam
les have become extinct. They have L
OF asserted their rights to this prop .
rty in so years. These Confederate +
oldiers are conspicuous representa- 0
YES of the southern people, and it L
-ould be an easier matter, proper q
hing. it occurs to me, to return this l
loney to the South in the form OF q
ensions for Confederate soldiers g
ian to attempt to find the identical "
eople from whom this property was tt
= Ill I.oi.a - Iou, iv