The Portland daily press., 1884-02-20
Especial Correspondence Of the Press.l

Pension Fraud.
Especial Correspondence Of the Pressl
WASHINGTON, Feb. Is.
The wool-growers are growing more dssper-
ate and less hopeful every day. Soma Of them
continue to insist that they will get relief from
this Congress. but the majority now admit that
they have little hope.
1--WE can hardly expect, said Judge Law
renee, the First Comptroller OF the Treasury,
who, by tho way, Is one OF the largest WOOL
growers OF the country, 1--WE can hardly sx-
pect House organized on tariff reduction
issue to make an increase In ths tariff on any
article, but We propose TO fight 1t just the same
aud to make our influence felt, If not in this
Congress, iu the next. The fact Is We are mad
we are very mad. The wool tariff OF last
year went into effect in May last. In June, =
month following the date at which the reduc-
sion went into effect, Ohio wools brought 81
cents In Boston against 431 cents at the same
date Ia the preceding year In July they sold
Al 81 cents against AZ in July the preceding
year. In August the situation was precisely
the same, and IN September the prics waa 81
cents against Al GEMS in September OF 1882
In October OF 1888 OHIO wool sold at 36 ceets
,eainst 4OA cents i'll the preceding October. Ia
Novem6rr it brought 37i cents Against 40k
lar earlier. and in Dscemoer 81 cents against
o93 cents in the previous December. Now
there is q ,howipg for you'll The advocates OF
t.riH rel, rm claim that = reduction OF the tar
III on foreign wools does not affect the price
received for ths native product. Here you see
Is falling of Of about Is per ceut. In the
prices received for our native wools, clearly
the result of the reduction OF the tariff.
well, Judge, in toe language Of that ether
retormer, what are You gong TO do about III"
'Dp ao0uti2 We are going 10 have the tar
III restored. We sre goiug to do as other In
lerests do; sat II work deiber ,tely, aud with
malice afo-sthought aud demand and cure
our rights. The wbiskey interest when it wants
anl thug IRON Congress, rganixes all over tho
couhtry and throws its influence IN favor OF
elec log meu that will vote for lis measures In
Congress-. II il can't get Democrat that will
serve its purpose it selects a Republican most
likely to do so aud gives its influence fIr him.
Well, we propose to make u fight of this kind
ourselves. Do you know how many WOOL
growers there are In this country? There were
~ 1850 l,O2O,72S, aud there are moro now.
Nearly all these of course are voters and with
a million or million and quarter oi voters
the wool interest is iu a position TO demand its
rights, and it will do SO. We have our war
paint On and propose to fight for our righ's
A., Have you given up getting anything from
this Congress, then?"
Yes, he said, ito be frank, 1 have no hope
tnat We sh all get any Increase in the tariff from
this Congress, although OF course We shall con-
nu4 TO demand 1t all the same
do your"
~ not tnlnk tnero Will De law enacted
reducing the tariff on wool, though it would
not surprise me t1 see Morrison's bill, which
cats the tariff 20 per cent more, pass the
House. Indeed. rather expect that. want
To ses the matter pressed to "A vote and ths
parties forced to show their hands"
THE EMPTY CHAIR IN THE HoUsE.
There are indications that the second district
of Mississippi will not bs represented in OF
least the first session of the 4sth Congress, II IL
is in the second session. The more the course
of the House last week Is studied, the stronger
the feeling becomes that no further action In
the case Of Chalmers and Manning is likely to
be taken soon. There are many men on the
Democratic side who are Of the opinion that
Manning really has DO claim In Law or justice
to the seat, and while they are unwilling TO
give him the seat to which be is not entitled,
they cannot consent to vote into the seat .
man who is 90 notorionsly party renegade as
is General Chalmers. The fact Is, Chalmers
whether in the Democratic or Republican par
ty. His course has been SO clearly and openly
that oil time-5erver and a man willing to aban-
don any and all parties for tho sake Of ONCE
ana poIticai revenge, that he finds few II any
real friends In Washington. The probability
is that the Democrats, feeling that Manning il
not entitled to the seat, will prefer TO see il re-
main vacant rather than to put Chalmers into
IL, and that the case will be allowed to run
along through one and perhaps both sessions
OF congress without action. Chalmers has
Changed . good deal during the past two wears.
since his new political csrser began. He
seems 10 realize that he has forfeited all claims
70 recognition or respect by either party. Be-
iieved on the Republican side to be responsible
10 measure az least, for the Fort Pillow mag
sacre, be can never be respected there, while
on the Democratic siie he Is hated with a ha-
trea more intense than was ever awarded him
IN tne north IN the days Of the most bitter sec-
tlonAi feelings. His long iron gray hair is fast
growing white, his thin, scrssny beard is keep
lug 1t company in color, aud his narrow. re-
treating forhesd grows farther towards the
oack Oh bis head as the hair in front seems to
ave grown thinner during the past year He
has an uneasy bang-dog look, seldom speak
lng 70 any one, seldom looking you fairly In
Lhe eye.
PENSION FRAUDS.
The difficulties under which the Pension
Committee lsbors in examination Of the bills
which come before it, granting pensions to all
alleged sufferers by the late war, Ia indicated
ID recent report of the Senate Committee.
One Louis Him, claiming to be of Compauy
"A New York, Havy ARTILLERY had introduce
Ia Congress DILL granting him q pension
blaming that he Was shot iu the right hand 1t
Ihe Datile OF Cold Harbor ia 1854 The conn
sittee reports tdst an exa niuat,ou OF the case
SHOWS mat tb1 mus er rolls in the war DEPART
nent lndicate that tbe wound was seif-ihhict-
10. Alleged statements by half dozen OF his
TO prove that he received the wound
n battle, were found npon investigation 10 bc
aise aud forged Some OF them % AXE oath
mat they never furnished the testimony which
10 offered IN their Dsms. Que Of the number
' Snose bamO is used, died in Andersonyiiie
prison, in August, 1864. The COMMITTEES re-
'orts that 10 its op nion Hi-n's Claim is offer
"a TO elraud the government, aud they rec-
'mmend that the bin be indefinitely post-
,oned.