The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-03-10

glory. To man who uever dressed or
undressod without an attendant, $l22
per month was being paid TO him.
The question arose was he entitled to
It'll 1t would not have arisen
had he (the speaker) been the secretary
of the interior. 1t would not have been
questioned had he had an opportunity
TO say then what he had an opportunity
10 say subsequently,. The attorney
generals opinion was invoked and he
said this old man was entitled to $l22
month. BY this time there had been
q change IN the department and II was
ms (felier's) duty to enforce the opinion
of the attorney-general He accepted
with alacrity. He said the Si22 month
was bagatelle. 1t was disgrace to
the nation that Ii was not more and he
ordered 1t paid. 1t was paid, but In the
meantime n distinguished sem
ator (vanWyck) had intro
duced a resolution requiring
that the secretary of the interior should
pay but one of these pensions. That
resolution has gone to the committee on
pensions, but there was an opportunity
now to pose as Watchdog Of the treas
ury. Here was money being paid out
beyond the law. The resolution forbade
the payment OF double pensions. Mr..
Teller did not withhold the
pensions. With his eyes open,
with proper respect for the senate he
denied the right of senator TO instruct
him. He denied the right Of the senate
to do so, and II the senate had said by
its vote that he should not pay the
money, he was free TO say here he
should have disagreed to that. Such
resolutions were not introduced for in
formation, but for the express pur-
pose of making an attack in cowardly
way, of skulking behind charges.
But he feared he should be out Of order.
When such resolutions were intro
ducea they were seized upon by the en-
emies OF the administration aud the
newspapers who were in the habit OF
making great deal of them. On the
4th OF last February resolution
was introduced, calling tor informa
tion in reference to certain
transactions in New Mexico. Ii II haC
been given the broad Interpretation
which Its language warranted, II woulC
have required every scrap OF iniorma
tion the department had upon tho ques
tion of fraudulent entries all over th.
United States. Subsequently the sen
ate modified the resolution. A dis
tinguished senator, not now a memDe
of this body (HilD, had stated TO th
senate and to the world tina
teport had been reluctantly brought t,
,he senate. He stated the papers woul(
implicato a certain land.oflicer and othe
officials In the government other thar
the land officer What was the infer
ence? When that report was sent /,
the committee, that same senator OBJ
jected 10 printing anything but the bar
report of the special agent. He (Teller
had not seen the report since
was printed, bat he would leave his sea
in the senate II there was word In
that implicated any officer ofthe govern
: ment, save register of the land offic
and an Indian agent. Tho attack wa
, not intended for these, but for the con
missioner OF the land Office and the sec
: retary of the interior. II was easy /
, determine from knowledge OF the eli
: oumstances for whom IL was intended.
Mr.. VANWYCK said the case of Oh
payment of double pension was that {
Con. Burnett. Payment was made, h
said, in viol stlon OF law and cougres
. had rebuked tho attorney-general Il
/. his action In the matter.
{ Mr.. TELLER said ne didn't care /
20 iuto the merits or the case, excent
n say. in his Judgment the attorney-ge
Q Gratis opinion was right, and as tho Ia
i stood Gen. Burnett was entitled to I,
/ pensions. II the honorable senat
70 from Nebraska could take any glory
. himself from the fact that he had 81
n ceeded in taking from this o
n veteran his $50 month al
IL sent him down 10 his gra
" In want he was welcome to II.
Q himself did not want the reputation
protection OF the public treasury at I
4, expense of that class of people.
d Mr.. VANWYCK reioiced that b
II question was not of glory but OF fao
v and that the facts were as he state
D. Adjourned.