The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-07-15

that there were Just seventeen Demo-
Gratis. Seventeen in nearly LOO!
That is Just one per cent. And this
was the genuine Civil-Service reform
which as administered by General Dud-
ley, wsls sanctioned by every Republic
an Administration Globe.
PRESIDENTIAL vETOES.
The Foolish, Careless and luxurious Leg
islation which the Sturdy Chief Execu-
U. 8. Treasury.
The President has sent another batch
of vetoes to the Senate. One of them
stopped bill which was almost gro
tesque illustration of the carelessness
with which Congress passes these
soldiers widow to be placed on the
pension roll, subject to the pension
laws. 1t turns out now that her name
is on the pension roll under the law
already, and has been there since Feb
ruary Of this year, her pension dating
from November of last year; so that
the bill seems to have been drafted and
passed in sheer ignorance of the facts
of the Widows case. To send up such
a bill for the Presidents signature is,
of course, to say the least, disrespect-
full
Another Of these bills puts on the
pension roll the widow Of Commo-
dore in the navy who died Of heart
disease ten years after the war, and
her application had already been re-
jected by the Pension Bureau because
of her failure to show that the disease
of which her husband died had any
connection with the war. Another
pension, $1,000 of back pension, for .
he had made no claim on account of
incapacity on account of disease, and
removes the limit of time fixed by the
law of 1879. or in other words repeals
it for the benefit of this one man. An
other gives widow q pension on ac-
count of the death of her husband from
Inflammation of the stomach ten years
after the war, and disregards the fact
that her application is pending before
the bureau. Another provides for the
erection of United States buildings at Q
cost of 800, 600, at Sioux City, Ia, not
because the business of the Govern
ment at that point calls for them, but
because the population is growing rap
idly, and there is already consider
able number Of other buildings in the
town. Another orders substantial
and commodious public building, with
fire-proof vaults" at a cost of $780,
600, with an open space around it to
protect it from adjacent fires, which
is to provide accommodation for the
post-office, and internal revenue Office
and pension Office, at GAINESVILLE, O..
though the only Federal Office in the
place is the post-office.
What gives these bills importance is
not so much the amount of money
they vote away, as the careless. reck-
less spirit in which they are concocted
and passed. On this point the Presi-
dent, in vetoing one of them. observes
very forcibly:
.'In speaking Of the promisccous and ILL.,
| advised grants of pensions which have lately
spoken, OF their apparent CONGRESSIONAL Sane
| ton fri recognition of the fact that large
prSpS,tioSp Of these bills have never been
nominal sessions held for the express
spective houses Of the legislative branch of
"Thiis in considering these bills, have not
felt that 1 was aided by the deliberate judg-
| ment of the Congress; and when have
biiis Presented, I nave hardly regarded nv
action as a dissent from the conclusions OF
the peoples representatives"
In other words. large body of men.
who are paid high salaries for attend
ing to the public business at Washing
ton, but who have not during the past
session furnished the country with a
single piece of useful legislation, or one
instructive debate, allow schemers oi
all sorts to get their formal sanction
for appropriations of the public money
without their knowing it The most
charitable conclusion one can reach
about these bills is that a considerable
proportion of the members of both
houses are too idle and lazy to watch
the business which passes through
their hands under their own rules Of
procedure.
This, considered q q state of mind,
is bad enough; but there is another as.
pect Of the case, equally serious, which
the President also touches on when he
says in vetoing the widow De Kraft's
pension bill:
"Every relaxation Of principle in the grant
ing of pensions invites applications without
merit and encourages those who for gaiI
is the demoralizing lesson taught the people
that rs against the public treasury the mos
questionable expedients are allowable"
That is to say, not one such pension
can be granted without diffusine
through a considerable portion of the
community the feeling that there ii
plenty of money in the treasury for al
most any purpose, and that almost any
mode, of getting it out is allowable
What congressman think SO lightly of
their constituents do not long continue
to regard as very serious, and from
getting money to which you have M
J claim, out of the treasury, under th'
forms of law, to downright fraud ol
the treasury is very short step. II
fact, the poison of corruption turks il
the whole business, and Presiden
{ Cleveland has done the country n,
greater service than reprobating it il
/. hard words.-M y Post.
The announcement that th
Committee on Commerce of the Re
publican Senate is making large add
lions to the River and Harbor bill
passed by the Democratic House, an
, , that it is likely to call for two or thre
millions more when the upper brancl
: gets through with it, is an unfortunat
, response to the Republican platform
t recently adopted in Maine and Vel
mont condemning the Democrats TO
their extravagant appropriations. IN
Y. Post.