Morning journal and courier., 1884-10-08
THE PENSION RECORD.

Secretary McPherson of the congressional committee has prepared an interesting and accurate account of the recent action of the two parties upon pension bills in con- gress. This account shows very plainly the general drift of the Democratic party in the matter of pensions.
 The house passed on March 3, 1884, under 0 suspension of the rules, 8 bill to pension soldiers and sailors of the Mexican war The senate amended this bill so as to give pen-- the rebellion who are or shall become dis abled and are also dependent upon their own labor for support, at a rate proportion ate to the degree of disability, $24 month being given to those who are totally inca pacitatea to perform any manual labor, and that amount being made divisible upon that basis for any less degree of dis ability. It also increases the pen sions of widows minor children to SIP per month, repealed the limit as to age of children in case of widows who have minor children of unsound mind or are physically helpless; and added other clauses for the relief of dependent pensioners. This amendment was agreed to in the senate by a party vote-yeas 31, all Republican,; nays 27, all Democrats. On the final passage of the bill Democrats voted with B Republi- cans in favor of it and 2 Republicans voted with 25 Democrats against it, the vote hay ing been 37 yeas and 27 nays. The bill was taken in the house on July 3, 1884, five days before adjournment, when flibustering was resorted to under the leadership of Hon.
 Goldsmith w. Hewitt, Democratic repre- sentative from Alabama, to prevent concur 1 renee in the amendments of the senate This
 ilibustering was participated in chiefly by the southern Democracy. As a result no action was taken and the bill remains undis- posed of.
 It appears that for the original legislation on this question the Democratic minority in the early days after the war can claim no credit; that upon the arrearage act of the forty-ffth congress the majority of the Dem ocratic party voted in opposition; and that for the failure of legislation recently in the house the responsibility is clearly with the southern wing of that party. It not only flibustered to prevent consideration of the | senate amendments, but distinctly antago- nized that bill with another and an original house bill to pension soldiers of the Mexican
 war, the Greek, the Seminole and the Black Hawk wars of 1832, 1885, 1886 and 1842 Eighty-four Democrats in the one case, sev- enty-nine in another and forty-one in third
 joined in thus antagonizing the Mexican war 1 pension bill, which had passed both houses,
 and was then pending in the house on the
 senate amendment intended to benefit Union l soldiers of the war of the rebellion, their widows and children.
 | It completes this record to add that while
 this bill was pending in the senate motion
 was made to repeal section No. 4,716 of the
 revised statutes, which provides that no
 money on account of pensions shall be paid to any person, or to the widow, children or
 heirs of any deceased person, who in any manner voluntarily engaged in or aided or | abetted the late rebellion against the author 1 ity of the United States. This motion to re-
 peal was defeated-yeas 28, nays 29. The
 affirmative vote was solidly Democratic, save
 l. The negative vote was so1idly Republi- 1 can.
 l The Democratic party never thought much ! of the soldiers who fought to save the Union I The only hope that confederate soldiers have of being pensioned is in the return of the Democratic party to power.