organization of that body, and anxious to keep their friends in the various Senate offices as long as possible, put their heads together and devised a plan which worked admirably for them. At the first session of the 33rd Congress, a select committee having been appointed to consider the matter, reported the following resolution to the Senate: The old standing Democratic rule ordered away by a Democratic caucus, so as to rush Republicans out, and hungry Democrats in. "Resolved, That the several officers and others in the departments of the Secretary of the Senate and of the Sergeant-at-Arms shall be appointed and removed from office by those officers respectively as heretofore; but when made during the session of the Senate any such removal to be first approved by the President of the Senate on reasons to be assigned there for in writing by the officer making the removal, and when in the recess, such reasons in writing to be laid before the President of the Senate on the first day of the succeeding session, and to be approved or disapproved by him." tender subject."There would be no soldiers removed the Democratic majority had no intention of removing Union soldiers from their places as Senate officials. Whereupon Mr. Conkling expressed his "surprise" at the statement, and, continuing, said: "I assert that they [the Democratic majority] have already acted in violation of what the Senator says. I assert that they have already removed a Union soldiera man who served in the armies of the Union and was discharged because of the injuries he received, and yet the honorable Senator says it is not worth while to guard this because the majority may be trusted to abstain, much as the overseer may be trusted to abstain from the lash! * I refer to Mr. Fitz who has been removed from a position in the office of the Secretary of the Senate, a position whose duties he never neglected or came short in, Mr. Fitz having served, I repeat, in the armies of the Union and having been discharged because of the injury and suffering that came upon him in that service." * ** Democratic votes against the Union soldier and for the Confederate soldier !— Adoption of the rule-A clean sweep! YEAS-Messrs. Anthony, Bell, Burnside, Cameron of Pennsylvania, Carpenter, Chandler, Conkling, Dawes, Edmunds, Ferry, Hill of Colorado, Ingalls, Jones of Nevada, Kellogg, Kirkwood, Logan, McMillan, Morrill, Paddock, Platt, Plumb, Rollins, Saunders, Teller-24. On January 17, 1854, it was passed by a de cisive vote, and became a standing rule of the Of course the adoption of such an amendSenate. When the Republicans came into ment as that of Mr. Edmunds, would defeat power they made no effort to disturb that rule, one of the very objects of the repeal of the nor to disturb the old officers who, in the old rule. Union Soldiers were the very fellows the Hence, course of years, died out or resigned, one by rebel brigadiers were "gunning for." one, as age or other callings beckoned them. when, on April 25, 1879, the amendment came Thus it remained-this Democratic rule-to a vote, while every Republican voted for the through all the years of the Republican major- amendment, every Democrat voted against it! ity in the Senate. But early in 1879, the DeFollowing is the vote in full: mocrats having a majority at the extra session of that year, and being importuned by a ravenous multitude of Southern and other Democratic place-hunters, determined-as they could not get the President of the Senate to consent to the removal of the experienced and efficient Republicans in the offices of the Secretary and Sergeant-at-Arms-to annul the rule that their own party had made to go back on their own offspring, as it were-in order to get the few loaves and fishes" pertaining to the Senate organization. This was decided on in caucus, and Senator Wallace, the chairman of that Democratic Senatorial caucus, undertook to engineer the thing through. The caucus resolution-Senator Edmunds' amendment offered to protect Union soldiers-Wallace's duplicity exposed by Mr. Conkling. On the 17th of April, 1879, therefore, Senator Wallace offered in the Senate the following Democratic caucus resolution : " Resolved, That the several officers and others in the departments of the Secretary of the Senate and of the Sergeant-at-Arins shall be appointed and removed from office by those officers respectively." NAYS-Messrs. Bailey, Beck, Butler, Cockrell, Coke, Eaton, Garland, Gordon, Grover, Harris, Hereford, Hill of Georgia, Houston, Johnston, Jonas, Kernan, McDonald, Maxey, Morgan, Pendleton, Randolph, Ransom, Saulsbury, Slater, Thurman, Vance, Vest, Voorhees, Walker, Wallace, Withers-31. Whereupon Senator Carpenter moved to add the following: "But no office or employment made vacant by the removal or dismissal of a person who served in the forces of the Union, during the late war shall be filled or supplied by the appointment or employment of any person who served in the Confederate army at any time during said war.' Of course that also was voted down-yeas 26, náys 34,-all Republicans voting for the amendment and all Democrats against it, as follows: YEAS-Messrs. Anthony, Bell, Burnside, Cameron of Pennsylvania, Cameron of Wisconsin, Carpenter, Chandler, Conkling, Dawes, Edmunds, Ferry Hamlin, Hill of Colorado, Ingalls, Jones of Nevada, Kellogg, Kirkwood, Logan, McMillan, Morrill, Paddock, Platt, Plumb, Rollins, Saunders, Teller-26. NAYS-Messrs. Bailey, Bayard, Beck, Butler, Call, Cockrell, Coke, Eaton, Farley, Garland, Gordon, Grover, HarSenator Edmunds moved to amend by add- ris, Hereford, Hill of Georgia, Houston, Johnston. Jonas, ing the following: "But no officer or employee of the Senate who served in the forces of the United States in suppressing the late rebellion shall be removed except for cause stated in writing to the President of the Senate and approved by him in writing." Mr. Wallace assured Senator Edmunds "that there need be no apprehension on this apparently Kernan, McDonald, Maxey, Morgan, Pendleton, Randolph, Ransom, Saulsbury, Slater, Thurman, Vance, Vest, Voorhees, Walker, Wallace, Withers-34. Whereupon Wallace's rule was adopted by a strict party vote. Having thus removed the only legal impediment to the expulsion of the old employees, the Secretary of the Senate and Sergeant-at-Arms at once began the work of proscription. "To the victors belong the spoils." Loyal employees, maimed soldiers, and efficient and experienced officials were indiscriminately swept from the offices of the Senate-many of their places supplied by Confederates, and all by raw and inexperienced persons. Place none but Confederates on guard ! And the proscription of Union men and soldiers which has thus characterized the Democracy in the disposition of the offices of the two Houses of Congress, will, if they succeed in capturing the Presidency, be carried into the Executive Departments. Every Union soldier, every loyal man and woman in office, will be proscribed, and their places be given to the disloyal enemies of the nation. Their slogan will be-"Place none but Confederates on guard!" PART III. The Washington Metropolitan Police Heretofore none but Union Soldiers and Sailors admitted to it-Now it can be filled up with Confederates-Senator Beck's diatribe-The solid Democratic vote against the Union Soldier and for the Confederate! 1 June 9, 1880, in the Senate, pending the bill (S. 1394) to increase the police force of the District of Columbia, the following amendment was reported from the Committee on the District of Columbia: "And agreed to-yeas 25, nays 15, not voting 36. "YEAS Messrs. Beck, Brown, Cockrell, Groome, Hampton, Harris, Hereford, Hill, of Georgia, Johnston, Jonas, Kernan, Lamar, McDonald, Morgan, Pendleton, Prior, Ransom, Saulsbury, Slater, Vance, Vest, Walker, Wallace, Williams, Withers-25. PART IV. List of Confederate Soldiers Appointed to Office and of Union Soldiers Removed by the Canting Democrats. Every Union soldier should remember this damning Democratic record, and vote as he fought. Union soldiers removed. List of the names of 76 Union soldiers disthe Democratic officers of the House and charged from the United States Capitol by Senate since their capture of the houses of Congress : J. B. Eugene, lost an arm. "NAYS-Messrs. Allison, Anthony, Baldwin, Burn- A. Barnes. side, Cameron, of Wisconsin, DAVIS, of Illinois, Ferry, Ingalls, Kirkwood, McMillan, Morrill, Paddock, Platt, Rollins, Teller-15." The proposition had originally passed the House. In the debate which ensued in the Senate, the Republicans resisted the repeal on the ground that the time had not yet come when the Union soldier should be set aside for the Confederate soldier. But Mr. Beck insisted on the repeal, and announced the existing law excluding Confederates as the meanest vengeance towards a political opponent (meaning an exConfederate), or the lowest demagogy, and it was practically announced as the future policy of the Democracy, in all matters of appointments, that the Confederates were to have at least an "equal chance." Louis Reinburg. E. R. Cressey, wounded. Harrison S. Linker. J. H. Barker. J. B. Simmons. H. Lyons. J. K. Mertz, wounded. S. S. Blackford, wounded C. H. Manning. C. G. Thwing, disabled in D. A. Babcock; lost one G. H. Lillebridge, wound- R. W. Simmons, disabled. C. E Diemar, wounded five W. K. Taylor. C. B. Gafney. A. F Stowe, disabled. C. H. Sewell, wounded-76. Rebel soldiers employed. List of the names of 88 rebel soldiers who are or have been employed at the U. S. Capitol, ex-Doorkeeper, House. Maj. J. M. Stewart, Vir., Postmaster, House. E. Snowdon, Vir., Asst. Gen. C. W. Field, Ga., Door- Col. J. C. Burch, Tenn., Sec Maj. F. E. Shober, N. C., retary, House. Chief Clerk, Senate. Col. H. E. Payton, Vir., Ex Maj. L. Chalmers, Miss., Bill ecutive Clerk, Senate. Clerk, Senate. Capt. J. A. Newton, Miss., ex-Asst. Finance Clerk, Gen. C. M. Wilcox, West "RESOLVED, That the soldiers and sailors of the Republic, and the widows and orphans of those who have fallen in battle, have a just claim upon the care, protection, and gratitude of their fellow-citizens." -Democratic National Platform, 1876. "Let the Federal Brigadiers take back seats in the work of restoration. The Republic has no further use for the Lincoln hirelings. By the way, Yankees, don't it make you feel queer to think that we've defeated you fellows AFTER ALL and captured the capitol?"-Okolona, Miss., Southern States. PART I. ures taken to adjust the dues of soldiers and their heirs, that that officer was able to report, The Bounty Question-How the on the latter date (June 30, 1874), that but Democrats obstruct payment- 25,038 claims remained on hand out of the two hundred thousand; seven-eighths of the Coffroth's canting Resolution— entire number disposed of. Of course this Secretary Sherman's Reply-result was largely due to the readiness with The Responsibility fastened on which the Republican Congress of that day a Democratic Congress-Even lent its aid to the work; for the party that Adjusted Claims for which a did not desert him when gratitude became its had stood by the soldier during the rebellion Republican Administration asks duty. The appropriations asked for were immediate Payment, stricken voted promptly and cheerfully; legislation to out by the Confederates-An Ex-smooth the difficulties in the way of deserving Rebel Applies for Bounty! In order to curry favor with the Union soldiers and catch votes at the Presidential election with their lying bait, the Democratic leaders endeavor to distract attention from the responsibility of the Democratic party for the hindrance of bounty-payments by attempting to fasten the responsibility upon the Republicans. That is an old dodge that will not gull the Union soldier. Mean, little lies will not affect the soldier vote. Whales are not to be caught by gudgeons. Let us examine the history of this business of delay in payment of bounties. Promptitude of Republicans to forward claimants, and to extend the operation of existing laws to include meritorious cases not provided for, was perfected without delay; in fact, the executive and legislative branches of the Government vied with each other in forwarding these acts of national gratitude and justice. On the 20th of June, 1874, Congress attached to one of the appropriation bills a section requiring all balances that should remain unexpended for two years to be turned into the Treasury at the end of fiscal year. every This measure was designed to protect the public interests by placing a check on expenditures and bringing them more immediately under Congressional supervision and control. That it was a wise payment of bounties, etc. precaution, no one will doubt, who knows On the 30th of June, 1869, at the commence- anything of the reckless manner in which apment of President Grant's first administration, propriations had been handled under the there were on file in the Treasury Department Democratic administrations before the rebel66,186 claims for pay and bounty. Between lion. But in order that the public business that time and the 30th of June, 1874, there might not suffer from the withdrawal of these were received 134,661 additional claims, ma- funds from use (since, after being turned into king a total of 200, 847. The settlement of this the Treasury, they could be drawn out only vast number of claims was one of the duties by an act of Congress), a provision was inimposed on the Office of the Second Auditor serted in the same section requiring the Secof the Treasury; and so energetic were the meas-retary of the Treasury to report to Congress, at the beginning of each session, what amounts | granted; indeed, some accident of legislation of these moneys were needed to pay accruing may carry it over to the next session. Under obligations, so that the requisite sums might ordinary circumstances the next 30th of June be re-appropriated; and in order that the is close at hand; in fact, in case of a long settlement of soldiers' claims should suffer no session it may have already passed before the delay or detriment, one of the last acts of that re-appropriation is credited on the books of Congress was to re-appropriate, on the 3d of the Treasury, so that it can be drawn upon March, 1875, $534,147.23 for the payment of for disbursement. The ridiculousness of "bounty to volunteers, their widows, and throwing on the accounting officers the odium legal heirs," and $597,428.40 for " pay of two of delays caused by Democratic legislation is and three-year volunteers." Did this appro- manifest. Having contrived to withhold the funds, priation of over a million of dollars for these the innocent Democracy ask why payments are purposes look like an intention of delaying or delayed? hindering the settlement of amounts due to the nation's defenders? And in the next session, when the Democrats, having obtained a bare majority in the House of Representatives, knew that their power was trembling in the balance, and they dared not raise the voice of opposition, the Republicans carried a re-appropriation of $609,946.79 for the pay of volunteers,cratic majority to give the word to pay. right in the teeth of the enemy. Both branches of Congress in the hands of the Democrats ; the Confederate brigadiers begin to show their hate for Union soldiers. In accordance, however, with the requirements of the new law, the Secretary submitted a report to the Speaker on the 16th of January, 1879, and the sums asked for were appropriated on the 3d of March, just as the session was expiring. Thus for eight months claims had been waiting, after being adjusted, for the Demo On the 16th January, 1880, a second report was made by the Secretary to the Speaker. Three months elapsed without a thing being done by the Democratic Congress. Then, suddenly awakening to the necessity of putting the blame elsewhere than on their own shoulders, where it belongs, the Democratic House, on the 26th April, adopted a hypocritical resolution, offered by Chairman Coffroth, Democratic chairman of the Committee on Pensions, asking the Secretary of the Treasury why HE permitted these claims to be unpaid so long! Secretary Sherman's answer The responsibility belongs to the Democratic Congress. To this the Secretary made immediate an "TREASURY DEPARTMENT, April 30, 1880. "Hon. SAMUEL J. RANDALL, But after both branches of the national legislature had passed into the hands of the Democracy, the party of the rebellion began to feel itself sufficiently strong to curb the unstinting gratitude and patriotism that were willing thus to pour out millions to keep the veterans and their families from suffering. It grated on the feelings of the men who had fought behind rebel entrenchments or voted for secession ordinances, and who now entered the legislative hall to renew the reign of plantation arrogance and sow new discord between the States, to be obliged, for fear of displeasing Northern voters, to sanction the dis-swer, as follows: bursement of public money to the upholders of the Union. This furnishes the key to the subsequent legislation in regard to bounties. On the 14th of June, 1878, the act requiring the Secretary of the Treasury to report to Congress the estimates for needed re-appropriations, was repealed, and in lieu thereof it was made the duty of the accounting officers to continue to receive, examine, and consider the justice and validity of all claims under appropriations of which the balances were exhausted or turned into the Treasury. The accounting officers were directed to certify the sums due to the Secretary of the Treasury, who was to report the amount due each claimant to the Speaker of the House of Rep. resentatives at the commencement of each session, and the Speaker was to lay the report before Congress. The evident result of this measure could not be other than to delay payment to the unfortunate claimants thus thrown on the tender mercies of the crafty Democratic majority. The fiscal year closes on the 30th of June; Congress does not re-assemble till December; then the matter must be referred to a committee and await its action; then follow further delays during the prolonged discussion that always occur upon appropriation bills, so that usually it is only at the close of the session that the tardy relief is "Speaker House of Representatives. introduced in the House of Representatives by Mr. A. "SIR: The Department is in receipt of a resolution H. Coffroth, on the 26th instant, as follows: "Whereas, there is great and just complaint being constantly made by soldiers on account of the long delay, in many instances nearly a year, in the payment of the bounty and back pay settled and allowed to them by the Second Auditor of the Treasury: "Be it resolved, That the Secretary of the Treasury be, and he hereby is, respectfully requested and directed to inform the House of Representatives the cause of delay in paying the bounty and back pay found to be due to the soldiers and other persons entitled thereto; and why it is that he permits these claims to remain unpaid from six to twelve months before he asks Congress for an appropriation of money to pay the same. "In reply thereto, I have the honor to submit the following statements bearing upon the facts in the case: "By act of March 3, 1875, Congress re-appropriated $534,147.23 for the payment of bounty to volunteers, their widows and legal heirs,' and $597,428.40 for pay of two and three-year volunteers,' and by act of May 1, 1876, a further re-appropriation of $609,946.89 for the pay of two and three-year volunteers. "The 5th section of the act of June 20, 1874 (18 Stat., 110), requires That from and after the first day of July, eighteen hundred and seventy-four, and of each year thereafter, the Secretary of the Treasury shall cause all unexpended balances of appropriations, which shall have remained upon the books of the treasury for two fiscal years, to be carried to the surplus fund and covered into the treasury.' "Under this requirement the unexpended balances of the re-appropriation referred to were carried to the surplus fund on June 29, 1877, and June 30, 1878. "The section of law just referred to also provides that the Secretary of the Treasury shall, at the beginning of each session, report to Congress any balances of appropriations for specific objects affected thereby that may need to be appropriated. This provision was repealed by the 4th section of the act of June 14, 1878 (20 Stat., 130), and in lieu thereof it was made the duty of the several accounting officers of the Treasury to continue to receive, examine, and consider the justice and validity of all claims under appropriations, the balances of which have been exhausted or carried to the surplus fund under the provisions of the act of June 20, 1874, and certify the same to the Secretary of the Treasury who shall report the amount due each claimant at the commencement of each session, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall lay the same before Congress for consideration. "The reports required to be made by this section were transmitted to Congress on January 16, 1879, and January 16, 1880 (see House Executive Documents No. 30, Forty-fifth Congress, 3d session, and No. 29, Forty-sixth Congress, 2d session). The amounts embraced in the former report were appropriated for at the last session of Congress, and have been paid by this Department. Upon the latter report no action has yet been taken by "Having strictly adhered to the requirements of law in these matters, the Department might with propriety have gone no further, but anticipating that dissatisfaction and complaint on the part of claimants would inevitably follow the suspension of payments on account of arrears of pay and bounty, the Second Auditor, in whose office these accounts are adjusted, was instructed to submit to the Secretary of War, as the proper officer having jurisdiction in the premises, estimates of amounts that would be required to pay additional "On May 8, 1878, for payment of claims to be certified Congress. claims as follows: up to June 30, 1880, $420,082.48. On March 20, 1879, for payment of claims tobe certified up to June 30, 1880, $225,000. "On March 27, 1880, for payment of claims to be certified up to June 30, 1881, $265,000. "These estimates (copies of which are enclosed) were duly transmitted to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives on May 10, 1878, April 21, 1879, and April 1, 1880, respectively and were referred to the proper committee. They were also printed by order of the Senate, and are to be found in Senate Executive Documents No. 76, Forty-fifth Congress, 2d session; No. 17, Forty-sixth Congress, 1st session, and No. 136, Forty-sixth Congress, 2d session. "As Congress has taken no action on these estimates, the inquiry as to the cause of delay in paying the bounty and back pay found to be due to the soldiers and other persons entitled thereto would seem to be sufficiently answered. 'Very respectfully, JOHN SHERMAN, "Secretary." It will thus be seen that the delay grows partly out of a Democratic law, passed by a Democratic Congress, which the Secretary dare not attempt to set aside, and partly to the inaction of the Democratic Congress on the estimates. More Democratic delay-The case in a nutshell. quires that, instead of paying without delay, the Secretary shall send the list of amounts due to Congress, to await the slow action of committees, the drag of protracted debates, and the uncertain chances of final consideration and passage. Fourth-Having thus contrived, by an ingenuity worthy of nobler ends, to insure a delay of from eight to twelve months before the money can be paid, the same Democratic majority come forward, and through Mr. Coffroth as their mouth-piece, want to know why the Secretary "permits these claims to remain unpaid!" Coffroth's Democratic "cant" exposed— Perhaps the most outrageous thing in Coffroth's canting resolution is the imputation of a delay, assumed to be willful on the part of the Secretary, of from six to twelve months before asking an appropriation. Nobody knew better than Mr. Coffroth, that between the 30th of June, when the fiscal year expires, and the meeting of Congress in December, a delay of five months must occur by the very terms of the Democratic law; that scarcely does that body come together and organize its committees than it adjourns over the Christmas holidays, so that it is usually the middle of January before the legislative work is actually begun; and on the 16th of January, 1879 and 1880, the Secretary laid his reports before the Speaker. Thus, at the least calculation, between the "Democratic law's delay" and the tardiness of Democratic Congressional business, nearly seven months must elapse before the subject gets before the proper committee (this year it was referred on the 26th of January); and, after that, it is usually the end of the session when it is disposed of. The delay during the recess, forced on the Secretary by Democratic law, is thus continued by Democratic Congressional inaction till nearly or quite a year has passed since the soldiers' and widows' claims have been audited and allowed. But to complete the story of Democratic responsibility, there is more to be said: Early in May, 1878, while the Democrats in Congress were maturing the plan for crippling the bounty payments, and more than a month before the act was passed, Secretary Sherman directed the Second Auditor, whose business it is to settle and pay bounty claims, to submit to the Secretary of War estimates of Yet, after all this, it as the 16th of June, amounts that would be required to pay addi1880, when the appropriation was at last tional claims, it being the province of the Secpassed. Thus, owing to the peculiar provis-retary of War to submit such estimates to ions of this Democratic law, and the sluggish Congress. The estimate ($420,082.48 to pay action of the Confederate Congress, the delay claims certified up to June 30, 1879) was duly in this case covered nearly one year! To restate transmitted to the President of the Senate the case in a nutshell: and Speaker of the House of Representatives on the 10th of May, 1878. So that when Congress passed the act of June 14, 1878, it had all the facts in its hands, and the Democratic majority was without excuse for its action. Nor is this all. Twice since have similar estimates been sent to Congress one on the 21st of April, 1879, for $225,000, and one on March 27. 1880, for $265,000. Thus, three times has Secretary Sherman, though not reThird-The same Democratic majority required by law to do so, called the attention of First-Congress enacts that all moneys remaining on hand after two years shall be turned into the treasury by the 30th of June; a wise and salutary measure. Second-The Democratic majority legislate so as to cut off the two years' use allowed by the former act; so as to leave the Secretary without a cent available for bounty payments after the 30th of June. |