The Springdale news., 1916-03-31
PENSION BILL!
Judge ]. N. TiIIman Making all Ef- forts to Bring Pension Bill Before the People-Spendid Speech at Richmond,

In launching his campaign for a nationwide effort in behalf of his bill 10 return to Confederate soldiers and their widows money taken illegally from the South during and after the War Between the States, CongressmaI John N. Tillman, of Arkansas was given an ovation yesterday afternoon in the City Auditorium, and his au- dienee unanimously voted to assist him in carrying the campaign to a successful conclusion.
 MT. Tillman was met at Elba Sta tion by the Confederate Veterans of R. E. Lee Camp, No. 1, the Richmond Grays' Battalion, the HowitZers and the drum corps of the Boy Scouts. These organizations marched ahead Of the automobile in which he was riding to the auditorium, followed by several thousand people. There was a crowd estimated at 5000 peo- pie eongregated at Elba Station, when Congressman Tillman, accom- panied by Mrs TilIman, arrived from Washington.
 Captain John Lamb and staff acted as the reception committee on be- half of R. E. Lee Camp, which body exteaded the invitation to Mir. Till man 10 come to Richmond and ex- plain his bill, now pending before Congress.
 When the auditorium was reached the Confederate Veterans entered first, followed by the Howitzers. and afterward the doors were thrown open to the large crowd. The audi torium was quickly filled, and Capt ain Lamb called upon Dr. Blackwell, Of Norfolk, to open the meeting with prayer.
 In introducing the speaker. Captain Lamb stated that Mr. Tillman was a member Of the greatest lawmaking body since the dissolution of the Roman Senate. He spoke of the stormy times the Confederate sol diers had gone through and of their bravery, and turning to the Ho~Tit- gers, stated that they, too. might have to go through the storm of bat tie. At the conclusion of the in troduetion and as he came forward, kessnick's s Band played Dixie, '' but the music WAS well-nigh drowned by applause.
 h acknowledging the introduction Mr. Tillman said that he counted it one Of the rarest privileges of his life to be able to speak in Virginia
 Men and women of Virginia, he said, for the first time in my life l stand to speak upon the sacred soil of Virginia; made sacred by the life of Lee, that fife all too short. thank God chat 1 can stand before men who knew and fought with the greatest war-god the world has seen since the days of Napoleon. Virgin ia, the mother Of Presidents
 The speaker stated that it was his intention to launch, in Richmond if il were possible, a nationwide campaign for the passage of his bill which seeks to repay to the South money which the Supreme Court of the United States has said was it. legally taken from the South during and immediately after the war. T am not asking them for any pension, he said The courts have said t belongs to the South, and since it will be impossible to restore it to it's proper owners, l am asking a rich and just government to return il 10 the South, giving 1t to Confederate soldiers. :.
 Mr. Tillman sketched briefly the cause of the war. stating his firm conviction that the writers of the Constitution meant that seeessio1t was legal, and he pointed out the fact that Massachusetts had threatened to secede before it was ever mention ed by South Carolina.
 He paid tribute 10 the men and women of the South who, he said took their ruined homes and have built the South of to-day In asking the women to get behind him and as siSt him in getting the bill through Congress. the speaker sta-ed that this is woman's day she has beer carrying too much of tine load Of this world too long. He paid a tribute 10 tue women Of the South. He de csared that his bill was the first one ever offered which had for it's pur pose the doing Of justiae to the Con federate soldier while he is still alive.
 Mr. Tillman then read the biH which win pay to Confederate sol tliis7ss. ai of their widows, the sum oi $500 each and the sum Of s30 per month for the remainder of their lives