Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-06-23
The President and Pension Bills


The President isn't afraid to speak out
/ plainly when he knows that he is right.
He sent message to Congress on Mon
day, in which he announced that ne had
vetoed the bill granting a pension to
Elizabeth DeKrafft, and in commenting
on the bill he took occasion to tell Con-
gressmen that they neglected the duties
OF their position, and were not true to the
trust reposed in them by their constitu-
ents so far as private pension bills were
concerned.
1t seems that more OF these private PEN
sion bills have been passed this season of
Congress than during a half dozen pre-
vious sessions. Not one Congressman in
ten knows anything about these bills. In
deed, the few who are present in tho
House or Senate when they are consid-
cred do not even take the trouble to read
the reports which accompany them. Even
the Senate and House committees, whose
duty it is to inquire into these claims,
know nothing whatever about them. One
member of each of the committees, per-
haps, undertakes to examine and report
upon them, but often he turns the work
over to the committee clerk. The result
is that the government is burdened with
all sorts of pension claims, very many OF
which are not founded on justice and
truth.
The President has already vetoed a large
number OF these pension bills, and it is
expected that be will veto a great many
more OF them before he gets through with
vel n oh hao n
1t is rather remarkable that Congress
men who pretend to be honest, and who
take every means to make their constitu-
ents believe that they are attending
strictly and conscientiously to their legis-
lative duties, SHOULD vote thousands of
dollars out of the Treasury, or per-
nit it to be voted out without
protest, to pay fraudulent
claims. In the House, on the nights
devoted to the consideration of private
pension bills, there are often not more
than twenty-five members. Only those
who have bills of this character, which
they want to have passed, are present.
There is a sort of understanding that
there shall be no objections from any
body. The great majority of the Repre-
sentatives are at places of pleasure, or
enjoying themselves at their homes. They
do not seem to care to what extent the
burdens of the people are increased for
pensions.
The President very properly complains
that hundreds of these pension bills are
dumped upon his table which have been
passed but never considered by Congress,
and which he IS expected to examine thor
Ougbly. He hasn't time, OF course, to do
that kind of work. There is Pension
Bureau, with hundreds of clerks, exam
liners and experts whose duty it is to set
tie pension claims. Why doesn't Congress
let the Pension Bureau pass upon all PEN
sion claims? If the laws relating to pen
sions are not satisfactory, make them so.
The country wouldn't blame the Presi-
dent il he were to refuse to examine any
of these private pension bills. He should
veto them all and in that way put stop
to the consideration of such bills. AS
rule, Congressman don't care whether
these bills, which are for the benefit OF
constituents whose votes are sought, be-
come laws or not. Ii they are in a posi-
tion 10 say that they got the bills through
Congress, but that the President vetoed
them, they stand about as well with the
claimants for pensions as if the bills had
become laws. They willingly impose
burdens on the people to gain selfish ends,
and put the responsibility of protecting
the people against such burdens on the
President.