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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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 ratriotism and Cheese. 
 
 SPEECH 
 
 OP \ ^ 
 
 .W 
 
 HON. JOHN Mr ALLEN, 
 
 of mississippi, 
 In the House of Eepresentatives, 
 
 Wedaesday, June SO, 1S9S. 
 
 thereto— 
 
 Mr' Ip^AKfR^I woul<llike to discuss this proposition to make 
 
 I want to say a lew wu „entleman from Ohio, General 
 
 &'r?sven^k ShifsiS before the Republican convention ot 
 S the other clay, in speaking of those who do not tram with the 
 Repu'blican party in this House, said: 
 "^La if you will notice the Passa^ 
 
 ^^^^hey were willing to de.na.Kl that the Pr^^^^^ 
 
 ^iS^^^'^Jr'^trtLlZ'^'^i ^t^^TtSin the House, and aU but 8 of 
 ?he?n!n the Se^nate, voted "no" upon every P^-OP^^^^^; .^^^ 
 
 T have also noticed where the gentleman from Indiana [lur. 
 OverItreet], the secretary of the Republican Congressional 
 rTnT^Tnmee in a carefully prepared interview published in the 
 mshSn Post on the JoAi o? May among other reflections on 
 the political organization to which I belong, said: 
 
 The Democra/c leaders in congress wh^ 
 
 cial fallacies upon the country. The people iiave nut ^iga^gi^ip for the 
 
 ocrats in Congress claimed ^.^^^iiVufn ff-Vonductfn-^^^^ against Spain, when 
 purpose of aiding the^Adminstrat^^^ 
 
 it came tothetestand a\ote\va', letjuiieu, v initiative in the 
 
 the resolution which a"tti°"^^f„i^.'lf^'i®|''l^^^^^^^ Cuba, an act which 
 
 war and insisted "PO^ ^-e^ogm^ing the^i^^^^ .^^^ th^ 
 
 events have demonstrated would have been a^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^ 
 
 necessary provisions to raise f"^ds wth which to cairyo ^^^ ^^ 
 
 step, instead of manifesting tl^eir cm dial sy^^^ ^ ^^ .. coinage 
 
 a year proclaimed, they insisted inbnngmg to tneiront P ^ ^ ^^her 
 
 QUOTAS OF DEMOCRATIC STATES. 
 
 When the ^50,000,000 appropriation was auth^^^^^^^ 
 Democrats took occasion to P|edge the siipport or ^^e Pcoi intention to 
 
 for the aid of the nation, '-^nd/" eloquent terms^^^ respective 
 
 Ss'^Out- Sl^h^- 'oLfei^^LniiariS \Te^cln ^for volunteers there is 
 3521 T..'^.4>. 
 
-^•hardlv a State wherft Democratic Representatives so eloquently pledged 
 V their people to the cause that has furnished its quota under the call. 
 <v» • Mr. Speaker, in my judgment, there was never a more unjust 
 and baseless accusation brought against any political organiza- 
 •A tion than the charge that the Democrats and Populists m this 
 
 ^' House had exhausted their patriotism when they voted for the first 
 
 S')0,UOO,000 approDriation. If ever a set of men "marched up to 
 the rack, fodder or no fodder," patronage or no patronage, cheese 
 or no cheese, and gave their unstinted support to an Administra- 
 tion opposed to them in politics, the Democrats and Populists of 
 this House have done so in their support of the Administration in 
 the conduct of this war. 
 
 We have believed, Mr. Speaker, that when our country is en- 
 gaged in a war with Spain or any other foreign country we should 
 forget all partisanship— forget, so far as measures necessary to 
 successful conduct of the war are concerned, whether we are 
 Democrats or Republicans, and only remember that we are Amer- 
 ican citizens. [Applause.] . , -rrr-n- 
 
 And thus believing, we have stood here recognizing William 
 McKinley as the President of our common country, and have 
 given him and his Administration everything asked for. I do not 
 believe that the history of this or any other country will show 
 money as lavishly appropriated, with as few restrictions on its 
 use, and with as little opposition from the political opponents of 
 the Administration that was to expend it; and we have voted 
 almost without question for every measure asked for by the Ad- 
 ministration in aid of the successful prosecution of the war. 
 
 It is true, Mr. Speaker, that most of us on this side of the House 
 did vote against the proposition to issue bonds. There was more 
 than $100,000,000 of unnecessary surplus in the Treasury, there 
 was a "large amount of silver seigniorage lying idle in the Treasury 
 uncoined. We favored utilizing these resources of the Govern- 
 ment first, and then, if more money should be needed, we favored 
 issuing greenbacks or Treasury notes to carry on the war. but it 
 was our vote against the bond issue that, with most Republicans, 
 stamps us as unpatriotic. 
 
 I confess, Mr. Speaker, that in the minds of many gentlemen 
 on that side of the House no man can be a patriot who does not 
 stand for and vote for every proposition to issue bonds. Some 
 gentlemen regard that as the very highest test of patriotism. 
 Dewey, with his brave men, might be willing to go into what ap- 
 p^red to be the very jaws of death, as he did at Manila; or Hob- 
 son and his brave crew might exhibit their willingness to go to 
 the bottom with the Mcrrimac; but neither of them would be 
 patriots in the eyes of some people unless they favored every 
 proposition to issue bonds. 
 
 I do not know, Mr. Speaker, whether the proposition to issue 
 cheese will be made a test of loyalty or not, but I hesitate now 
 to raise my voice against the addition of cheese to the regu- 
 lar army ration lest I be accused of a want of patriotism. But 
 being an old and experienced soldier and having had much ex- 
 perience with rations and the want of them [laughter] , I might 
 be permitted to express some opinion on this subject. I want 
 to sav that my experience was with the rations issued to an 
 army" that, judged by its achievements, was as good as the world 
 ever" saw. And when I look over the bill of fare now issued 
 as the rations to our soldiers, I can but think of what a ban- 
 queting feast it would have been to the soldiers who made such a 
 reputation for soldierly qualities on both sides in this nation 
 

 thirty-five years ago. Just listen to this bill of fare. This is the 
 daily ration now rerinired by law to be furnished the soldiers: 
 
 THE RATION. 
 
 A ration is the allowance for subsistence of one person for one day, and 
 consistsof the meat, the bread, the vegetable, the coffee and sugar, the sea- 
 son^-, and the soap and candid components. ^Paragraph 12ol, Army Regu- 
 lation's, 1895. ) See also paragraph 1258, ibid: ^ ^ 
 
 Article ■ 
 
 Quantities 
 per ration. 
 
 Meat components. 
 
 Fre*^h beef - - --- — ._.... 
 
 Or fresh mutton, when the cost does not 
 
 exceed that of beef 
 
 Or pork - 
 
 Or bacon 
 
 Or salt beef :-,""%" -V"-"'i' 
 
 Or. when meat can not be furnished, dried 
 
 fish- - 
 
 Or pickled fish 
 
 Or fresh fish 
 
 D 
 % 
 
 Bread components. 
 
 Flour - 
 
 Or soft bread ■ 
 
 Or hard bread ^ 
 
 Or corn meal .--■:^-"i;",j"'" V''^ 
 
 Baking powder for troops in the field, when 
 necessary to enable them to bake their own 
 bread - 
 
 Vegetable coynponents. 
 
 Beans 
 
 Or pease ... 
 
 Or rice 
 
 Or hominy. 
 
 Potatoes , . .1, 
 
 Or potatoes, 12J ounces, and onions, 6^ 
 
 ouncee ■ v: ''''„" 
 
 Or potatoes, \\\ ounces, and canned toma- 
 toes, 44 ounces; or +J ounces of other 
 fresh vegetables not canned, when they 
 can be obtained in the vicinity of the 
 post or transported in a wholesome con- 
 dition from a distance 
 
 Coffee and sugar cowipoiicnfs. 
 
 Coffee, green 
 
 Or roasted coffee 
 
 Or tea, green or black. 
 Sugar 
 
 Or molasses. 
 
 Or cane sirup 
 
 Seasonina components. 
 
 Vinegar 
 
 Salt - 
 
 Pepper, black 
 
 Soap and candle components. 
 
 Candles '( when" Vliuminating oil is not fur- 
 nished by the Quartermasters Depart- 
 ment) 
 
 10 
 
 Quantities per 
 100 rations. 
 
 125 
 
 125 
 75 
 
 ij'r 
 
 87 
 112 
 112 
 
 112 
 112 
 100 
 125 
 
 15 
 15 
 10 
 10 
 100 
 
 100 
 
 100 
 
 15 
 
 3521 
 
Why, Mr. Speaker, when I was a soldier, this ration cooked, as 
 we Iniew how to cook, would have furnished a feast more tempting 
 than any that could be set before me now by Delmonico. It is 
 admitted the Commissary Department is opposed to adding the 
 cheese ration. My understanding is the regular soldiers are well 
 satisfied with the present ration. If there are complaints from the 
 volunteers who are unaccustomed to the hardships of war, I tliink 
 they will cease when they become inured to camp life. 
 
 I am willing to do everything necessary for the good and com- 
 fort of our soldiers. But if you want good soldiers, you do not 
 want to coddle them too much. You hear a great deal of talk 
 about "hard-tack"' and "sow belly," but I have not been real 
 hungry since the war that I did not crave hard-tack and bacon. 
 
 Why, Mr. Speaker, a man with a good appetite who is really 
 hungry, who can get some hard-tack or baker's bread and a piece 
 of bacon, put a stick through it, hold it over the fire and broil it, 
 and drip the grease on his bread and eat it ha§ what is to me a 
 very good repast, if he can get enough of it. When I get hungry, 
 as I have many a time, I think much more about broiled or fried 
 bacon and bread than I do about terrapin and champagne or lob- 
 ster a la Newberger or punch a la Romaine. [Laughter and ap- 
 plause.] _ , ■, , ^ 
 Why, sir, last year I bought a few boxes of hard-tack and took 
 them down to some of my old Confederate friends just as a re- 
 minder of old times. [Laughter.] I do not want our soldiers 
 confined to hard-tack and bacon, but you see by this bill of fare 
 they are not confined to it. You do not want to overdo this thing 
 and get your ration too big. Our Army is not going out just for 
 the purpose of eating. [Laughter and applause.] They have 
 other business in hand to which they will properly attend if you 
 will give them a reasonable amount of food and a chance to fight. 
 Look at the Regular Army, who have been furnished with the 
 rations now prescribed by law. You will not see a finer, healthier, 
 or hardier set of men anywhere. They have plenty of such things 
 as experience has demonstrated were best for them. Let the 
 Government see that the contractors do not swindle them in the 
 quality of the food furnished. I doubt very much if this prop- 
 osition to furnish cheese is made as much in the interest of the 
 soldiers as it is in the interest of the people who have cheese for sale. 
 Mr. Speaker, so far as I am indi\'idually concerned and those 
 ■who cooperate with me in this House, we want to give to the Ad- 
 ministration every possible facility for the proper conduct of this 
 war. I do not believe there will be found on either side of this 
 House anyone voting to obstruct a successful prosecution of 
 this war: it should not be a partisan war. 
 
 I do not believe any party would attempt, for partisan purposes, 
 to hamper or impede the Administration in the conduct of this 
 war, and I for one enter my protest against the efforts which have 
 been or may hereafter be made to make political capital in favor 
 of or against any political party, especially when there is no more 
 ground for it than exists up to this time. 
 
 Mr. Speaker, I want to say to my Republican friends, let us lay 
 aside our bickerings and contentions until we have "licked" the 
 Spaniards [applause], and then we can resume our partisan quar- 
 rels and fight it out before the American people. [Applause.] 
 In the face of a common enemy let us put efforts for partisan ad- 
 vantage behind us. I do not intend that any of you shall display 
 any more patriotism than I or my people. 
 S531 
 
It will be seen that the gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Over- 
 street], who seems to have felt he had discharged his duty to 
 the country when he delivered hii5 interview against the Demo- 
 cratic party, and who, I believe, has ever since been absent from 
 his seat, took occasion to' reflect on the patriotism of some of our 
 States bv saving? they had not at that time furnished their quota 
 of troops, i think the States have been remarkably prompt m 
 supplying the troops called for. 
 
 But I want to call attention to the fact that m most of our 
 Southern States conditions are very different from those m which 
 most of you reside. In my own State the majority of our popula- 
 tion is colored. The call having been made in the States accord- 
 ino- to population, and no call for colored troops from the State, 
 has left our quota to ba filled from the whites. Besides, we have no 
 surplus population. The war found our people all at work; most 
 of them are farmers: they had commenced their crops, and it is a 
 more serious problem for a man dependent on his work to give 
 up his job or his crop than one who has nothing to do. 
 
 They doubted if their services would be needed, for they did 
 not believe that with our 75,000,000 of the greatest people on the 
 face of the earth, with our unlimited resources and unlimited 
 credit, with our 4 per cent bonds worth $1.20 on the dollar, that a 
 nation like Spain, incomparably our inferior in numbers, in wealth, 
 in intelligence, and in all the attributes that make good soldiers, 
 with her 4 per cent bonds worth 30 cents on the dollar, one-fourth 
 of what ours are worth— they did not think it could be much of a 
 war, and that it would necessarily soon be over. 
 
 And if they did not go as readily as some others, under these 
 conditions, our quotas have been filled reasonably fast, and you 
 will find that svhen it comes to fighting, the troops from no State 
 in this Union will show more courage or do better fighting than 
 the Mississippians. They will go where ordered, and I am willing 
 for the patriotism of my section to be tested by the way they dis- 
 charge their duties as soldiers rather than by whether their Rep- 
 resentative votes for or against bond issues or for or against the 
 cheese ration. [Laughter.] 
 
 I notice the gentleman from Ohio. General Grosvenor, when 
 called down by an editorial in the Washington Post about his 
 speech, to which I have already referred, in a card in answer to 
 that editorial threatened at some later day to furnish a catalogue 
 of the crimes or votes of the Democrats as evidencing their want 
 of patriotism in connection with the prosecution of the war. I 
 suppose these charges will be chucked into the Record just 
 about time of adjournment to be used for campaign purposes, and 
 I suppose those of us who vote against this proposition to furnish 
 a market for the cheese makers will be held up as obstructing the 
 successful prosecution of the war, and it may be that the secre- 
 tary of the Congressional Republican committee will supplement 
 his charges against the Democratic party with this accusation. 
 But, MiC Speaker, I am going now to make a proposition that I 
 think is a better test of fervent patriotism than a vote for or 
 against bonds or a vote for or against cheese, and I make it in the 
 most perfect goQjiMtll---' It is understood we are going to adjourn 
 in a few days. °I am willing to head the list of a company of Con- 
 gressmen to be commanded by General Grosvenor [applause] 
 to start from here and go down to Cuba and join Teddy Roose- 
 velt's Rough Riders right at the front. [Applause.] 
 A Member (on the Democratic side). Cheese or no cheese. 
 
 3524 
 
Mr. ALLEN. Cheese or no cheese, and I will tell you another 
 thing I will engage to do, notwithstanding there are a great many 
 more Republicans here than Democrats. I will take my stand and 
 let them form on me, and for every Republican on that side of the 
 House that you will get to march up and take his stand beside me 
 to go in that company I will furnish a Democrat from over here. 
 [Applause.] And I tell you when they see us coming, and when 
 they see the gentleman from Ohio heading this band of gallant 
 Congressmen who helped to bring on this war, then the war will 
 soon be over and we will not have much more use for cheese, 
 [Laughter.] 
 
 That proposition is made in perfect good faith. I am ready to 
 go, and I am ready to go from here; ami, so far as I am concerned, 
 I do not want any commissiomj I want to occupy the same high 
 and distinguished positibn ilTtlie next war that I occupied in the 
 last one, and I want to show "Old Glory " that I can do just as 
 good fighting under her as I did when I fought against her as a 
 private soldier. [Applause.] 
 
 Mr. BAIRD. Do you think the Spanish could stand cheese and 
 Congressmen both? 
 
 Mr. ALLEN. I do not know how the Spanish are on cheese. I 
 wanted to discuss this matter of patriotism. I was not much in 
 favor of war. I was not so anxious for a fight. I was one of the 
 people over here who thought that, with the idea of liberty that 
 had been instilled into us from our earliest youth and of which 
 we had talked so much and prized so highly, we bad taught the 
 Cubans to aspire to it and try for it— that in their attempts to 
 throw off the yoke of a very bad Government and be free it was 
 a shame that our Government should be spending millions m 
 helping Spain and keeping people who w^anted to help the strug- 
 gling Cubans in their effort to obtain independence from doing so. 
 [Applause.] 
 
 I wanted a long time ago to acknowledge their belligerency. I 
 wanted to acknowledge their independence. I was not anxious 
 for war, but if the war is properly conducted it may not be a bad 
 thing to put a war in which we are all together between us and 
 the terrible war in which we were against each other. But this 
 war has been a godsend to the Republican party. It has let you 
 out of the trouble you were in over the failure of the Dingley bill to 
 produce sufficient revenue, and has made the people for the pres- 
 ent forget many of your other shortcomings. 
 
 Mr. Speaker, I am a member of that great committee of this 
 House that reports the bills that appropriates the money for the con- 
 duct of this war, and I appeal to the chairman to know if any Demo- 
 crat on that committee has ever shown any disposition to with- 
 hold from this Administration anything that was asked for in aid 
 of the successful prosecution of this war. [Applause.] Then 
 when that committee has discharged its duty and its bills have 
 been brought into the House, I say, for the members of the Dem- 
 ocratic ])arty, that if the Administration conducting this war 
 had been their own, they could not have shown more disposition 
 to intrust that Administration with unlimited sums of money to 
 be expended in the discretion of the Administration than we have 
 done here. 
 
 I do not want to criticise anybody now. There are many 
 
 things being done that do not meet my approval, and I have 
 
 felt like criticising them: but, just as I said a while ago. while 
 
 we are doing up Spain let us not be trying to do up each other. 
 
 15 M 
 
I do not want to make any capital ofE of anybody, but I do ap- 
 peal to this Administration, ^Tliile we are exhibiting this con- 
 fidence, while we are placing in its hands unlimited amounts 
 of inonev— I do appeal to the Administration and appeal to the 
 Committee on Military Affairs in charge of bills here affecting 
 this war to see that our confidence is not abused; to see that 
 all parts of this country have a fair showing; to see that nothing 
 is done as a matter of favoritism, but that all that is done is done 
 in the interest of the whole people of our common country. 
 
 If they mil do that for us, I want to say to you, my triends, 
 that as an American citizen no man on your side of the House 
 will applaud President McKinley and his Administration more 
 heartily than I when he conducts this war to a successlul termina- 
 tion with just as little stealing as is absolutely necessary. [Laugh- 
 ter 1 We expect some, of course. We do not expect to get 
 through without some. What I want is, gentlemen, that it shall 
 be done with absolutely as little as possible. I want the steal- 
 ing and jobs kept out of it, if it can be done; we want to be 
 loyal supporters of the Administration that does it. \\e may 
 differ about methods of raising revenue to do it, but we will not 
 differ about any method when it becomes necessary, and it is 
 shown that that method is necessary to a successful prosecution 
 /-vf "fills wjir 
 
 I have felt, Mr. Speaker, that it was not improper for some 
 Democrat to say this much in behalf of our party. I am right 
 with you, shoulder to shoulder, in this struggle. We may differ 
 about whether cheese is necessary or not. That is a mere matter 
 of detail. You know in these matters of detail the greatest lati- 
 tude is permitted when you agree on the general proposition. 
 
 Now the question of cheese or no cheese, with that sort ot Dill 
 of fare already in existence, is a mere matter of detail, and not a 
 test of patriotism one way or the other. If it is necessary to the 
 soldiers, give it to them. If it is necessary to raise the price ot 
 cheese and give a good market to the cheese interests, why, let us 
 postpone taking care of the cheese makers until we take care of 
 Spain and not mix it with war measures. 
 
 "But I want to be understood about my proposition to make up 
 this company of Congressmen to go to Cuba. I will tell you what 
 is the truth. The American peoi^le would spare a company ot 
 Congressmen as readily as any company that has ever gone to the 
 front. [Great laughter.] There has been some complaint that 
 there was too much talking and not enough disposition to hglit 
 up here. Now, I say 1 do not doubt that the people will look with 
 much complacency after the battle on the list of dead Congress- 
 men, especially those who wrmt our places. 
 
 3 But I make that proposition in good faith, and I will .lom a com- 
 ^pany of Congressmen. We will not ask any pay, we will not even 
 ask cheese; we will just ask the Government to give us this ra- 
 tion, and will stand on our Congressional salaries. [Great laugh- 
 ter 1 That is better than the other boys down there get. [lie- 
 newed laughter.] We will not ask any increase— .lust the Con- 
 gressional salary. The Government gives us this ration, and we 
 Avill go down there, and I tell you what is the fact— Iknowit tuey 
 can get a full coinpanv of snch men as I am, it will n^t take us 
 long to bring this tiling to a termin:ition. [Great laughter | 
 
 Just think about a company of such men as I am being led hy 
 the gentleman from Ohio, charging the enemy. Why, gentlemen, 
 3534 
 
LIBKHKY Uh CONUKtbb 
 
 013 785 894 ^ 
 
 8 
 
 the flag would soon float over Morro Castle. I want to say 
 one more word about that ration. I went into the Confederate 
 army weighing about 100 pounds. I was a sickly boy. You 
 never would have thought I would have come to be what I am 
 if you had seen me then. [Great laughter.] 
 
 You never would have expected it. When I went into the army 
 and got to eating rations from a commissary that was very poorly 
 supplied, I fattened on it; I grew on it. With a very much in- 
 ferior ration to this, I came out an able-bodied man without any 
 necessity, even if I had been on the successful side, for a pension. 
 
 I want to test my patriotism by the side of some of you pa- 
 triots, and 1 want to do it in the usual way, by fighting. I am not a 
 great fighter. 1 have fought some. I never went in without fear; 
 always scared; but still I went, feeling like the fellow that ad- 
 dressed the rabbit when he was running from the battlefield, when 
 he said that if he did not have any more reputation at stake than the 
 rabbit, he would have been going too. [Laughter.] 
 
 I never got over this fear. After the war, for thirty years I 
 used to be punished in my dreams by the yankees being after me. 
 I would see the bluecoats all around me and not much chance to 
 get away. But now I see people who were with me then. I see 
 Butler and Wheeler and Fitzhugh Lee and Gates and Rosser and 
 a great many others who were there fighting the bluecoats and 
 who are now wearing them. [Applause.] 
 
 1 have not the same fear that one old Confederate expressed to 
 a gentleman when writing a letter not long ago. He wrote to 
 know if he was going to the war. The Confederate said no; he 
 did not believe he would go. He had been thinking of it right 
 smart, and he would not mind to go, but he did not believe he 
 would go. He said he wouldn't mind to go, and he thought he 
 could make it all right with the boys who were living, but the 
 thing that troubled him was that if he were to wake up at the day 
 of judgment with a blue uniform on, what the boys who were dead 
 and dfdn't know anything about this war would say. [Laugh- 
 ter.] He said they would look up and see him with a blue uni- 
 form on, and they would say, " Deserted, damn him." [Laughter.] 
 
 Now, I am not afraid of that; I am not afraid of not being able 
 to make it all right with the boys already dead; I am not afraid 
 of the blue uniform; but I tell you what I want is to stop all 
 this business about what political party is going to fight this 
 war. I say that all the troops you want from Mississippi you 
 are going to get, and you are going to get them just as good as 
 ever shot a gun. [Applause.] And you are going to get them 
 from every other State represented here by Democrats, Repub- 
 licans, and Populists. 
 
 Now, let us make a little armistice here to-day, and let us clean 
 up Spain, and then 1 will give you all you want of Democratic and 
 Republican politics. [Laughter and applause.] 
 
 3524 
 
LIBRARY OF CONG 
 
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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