Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1870-05-20

-
or indirectly, take or receive or de-
maid a greater sum than forty cents
for such service, shall forfeit and
pay $500 for each offense, to be re-
covered by Indictment IN any court
of competent jurisdiction.
Mr.. LAWRENCE. Let us answer
to our constituents that it was "our
objections which compelled an
amendment to be reported OF the
25th of February, which I have read
to the House to be inserted in lieu
of this section four, and which, il
adopted, will save the pensioners
from all this expense.
Then, again, as the bill has stood
up to this day, it left the payment
OF pensions to be semi-annual
only.
Let as answer to our constituents
that 'our objections" have called
out at last an amendment from the
gentleman from Missouri providing
for quarterly payments. Let US an,
swer to our constituents that my
bill was introduced on the 4th oi
February and from that hour TO this
| have been ready, willing and anx.
ious to secure speedy action on the
whole subject. And the only OBJ
lection I ever made to the consider.
alton of the bill of the committee
was on the 2lst of December, fol
reasons I gave to the House on the
following day. That objection has
secured valuable amendments, which
will result in benefits to every pen
sioner. These are the answers We
give our constituents
Mr.. Speaker, I do not unite in the
spirit of denunciation which declare:
CLAIM agents "piratical crew.. A
class of men believe them homes
and honorable. But if they be the
''piratical crew" they are represen
ted, why has the gentleman from
Missouri sat here for five long years
a member of the Pension Commit.
tee with no measure yet enacted
and none proposed until recently
to cut off the services of claim
agents.
But now / accord to tie gentle
man the honor to which he is sc
justly entitled for his efforts to re
lieve pensioners of the fees of claim
agents so far as relates to the col
lection of pensions. On that subject
he deserves the gratitude of the pen
sioners, and / unite with him in his
purpose.
1t has been objected that the bill
l introduced requires no bonds O
the officer The officers it authori
zes to be designated as pay officers
are all bonded officers except the as
SCISSORS But as no money can come
into their hands, did not suppose
new bonds relating to the new duties
we're material But / have added s
provision requiring bonds, SO thai
AFFECTION is obviated.
The gentleman from Missouri
draws fearful picture Of some ol
the postmasters, and insists that they
are not the right men to intrus
with the duties of pay agents. He
says:
"Most Of the postmasters in the
country have some trading establish
ment in which the post office is kept
Some of them are not of kind thai
favorably impresses the stranger
who looks in upon it while the stage
is waiting for the mail to be distrlb
uted. This becomes the headquar
ters of all the pensioners of ths
county. The head of the establish
ment is the claim agent for all ot
them. He has a monopoly of the
business licensed by your laws. The
pensioners money first comes to his
hands, from which an amount of toi
can be taken limited only by his CON
science. In many cases the whole
grist will be appropriated"
If all that could be said against
postmasters were true, it should be
remembered the bill introduced
authorized the Secretary of the 1n
terror to designate
Amy collector or assessor of In
ternal Revenue, postmaster, nationa
bank or Assistant Treasurer of the
United States or other officer.
And will it be urged that no one
among all these can be found il
every county sufficiently competent
and honest to perform the duties re
quired? Sir, the gentleman from
Missouri did not mean, / hope, to
disparage postmasters as class o
men, AS a class they are honest
capable, and faithful The dishon
est. or incompetent are rare excep
tions.
And will any gentleman here ven
ture to go to his constituents anC
say to them as a reason for not vot
ing to provide some officer in every
county, to pay pensioners, that no
one officer could be found in every
county who has honesty and capac
ity enough to perform the duties
Sir, republican America can and
does furnish competent and honest
officers in every county within ou
wide domain.
Mr.. BINGHAM. I would asl
my colleague Mr.. Lawrence] wha
section of the bill proposed by tn
Committee on Invalid Pensions sub
jects the pensioner to any charg
| whatever
Mr.. LAWRENCE. would b.
glad if my colleague Mr.. Bingham
had considered this subject as
think have.
Mr.. BINGHAM. But that is no
ans werIng my question.
Mr.. LAW RENEE. The first sec