The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1881-11-24
sions.

w III NC dSheu tl tuo lleAt SeSSlOll W Il ppTO-
pirate Sl2O,OOO, 900 for the pension bureau
$50, 600, 900, of deficiency, and $780,
600, 900 to meet the demands of the ensu-
ing fiscal year. The measure was the out
come of demagogery on the part of Con-
gress and of moral cowardice on the part
ofPresident Hayes. Fearing the effect of
veto upon what is termed the 'soldier
vote" he signed bill which had found
no favor in any of the executive depart
ments, and which was opposed by those
who cannot be accused of any lack of
sympathy with the veterans who fought
the battles Of the Union, or with their
widows and orphans. Among those OPP
ponents was President Grant. In the
Democratic House which passed the bill
Hon. Americas Nespucious Rice, who had
in view the Governorship of Ohio, was
particularly active, and claimed to be the
father of the measure. Another prominent
advocate was W. S Holman, Of Indiana
who also had designs on the soldier vote
In other directions Mr.. Holman was Mig
gardly in the extreme, and liked to be
known as the watch dog of the Treasury
He had no scruples about cutting down
the pay of a crippled soldier, or of reduc-
ing appropriations SO as to deprive hun
dreds of these men of employment but
to attain political end he did not hest
tate to advocate a measure Of which it
was said at the time that it would involve
the country in the expenditure of untold
millions. Behind such demagogues as
Rice and Holman there was a motive
power furnished 10y syndicate Of claim
agents, whose object also was personal
gain, but in the form of fees and commits
SionS.
Aside from the enormous and rapidly
increasing demands upon the Treasury,
which may yet cause serious embarrass-
ment, or at least stand in the way of re-
duction Of taxation, there is a suspicion
in the public mind. strengthened 10y adj
missions from official quarters, that Il
very large percentage of the pension
cases passed are fraudulent Indeed, it
has been stated somewhere that the fraud
ulent cases are likely to be the best pre-
pared. This is probable, for while an
honest claimant might be unable, for va
ri0uS reasons, to secure certain proof re-
garded as essential. the dishonest claim
ant would not hesitate at completing his
proof 10y forgery or perjury or both, and
the frauds be difficult to detect Then,
the incentive furnished by this arrears of
pensions act has 50 increased the number
Of claims that the present force Of the pen
sion bureau is unable to dispose of them,
and from two to three years must elapSP
after the filing OF a case before il comes
up for decision. Then. if further proof is
required. it must wait another year or
two. This involves hardships to the
many deserving applicants, whose claims
are delayed and preiudiced by those of
the undeserving. 1t is very evident that
Congress should at once take up the pen
sion question and enact such legislation
as its present unsatisfactory condition
urgently demands. With a Republican
Congress and a Republican President
there need be no fear that the interests
of the soldier will suffer, and the interests
OF the country will also receive consider
alton.
There seems to be no way of avoiding
an extra session of the Legislature this
winter. This is of course to be regretted
for the people have declared themselves
in favor of biennial sessions, and the re-
ductiOn i'll expenses is an object. But
as there are now no laws providing for
the election Of either a legislature or rep
resentatives to the 18th Congress, unless
islature under the old apportionment and
the election of congressman on a general
ticket will not violate the essential re-
quirements Of the Constitution and the
laws, it will be necessary to convene the
Legislature in extra session. Governor
Plaisted's organs announced long since
that he intended to call the Legislature
together, but the same papers now init
mate that he may not do 50. This change
of purpose might be easily accounted for
if it were worth while to waste words on
the matter. But when the Plaisted or
gans charge the Republican majority in
the Legislature with creating the neces-
sity for an extra session they must think
that the people have short memories.
The Legislature passed a legislative APP
portionment bill, which the Governor
vetoed. The report of the Senate com
mittee on the veto etfectualy disposed of
Gov. Plaisted's objections to the bill, so far
as intelligent people are concerned. His
first objection, that there had been no
proper ascertainment Of the inhabitants
of the State, would apply to any appor-
tlOnment that could have been made at
that time, If his final objection, that in
the House the cities are given a large
representation at the expense Of the
country is well founded, then no consti-
tutional apportionment has ever been
made by any Legislature of Maine. Other
objections were properly dismissed by the
committee as ''frivolous and without foun-
dation." As the Bangor Wing pertinent
ly remarked at the time:
The issue joined is whether Harris NJ Plaisted
or the Legislature Of Maine shall regulate the dis
tributon Of the membership Of the Maine Legs-
ture. The people OF the State will fully sustain
the Legislature in its refusal to waste money on a
useless State Census, or to waste any more time
pl2jstaa