The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-07-10
FORTY.NINTH CONGRESS-.
ALIYELY DEBATE IN THE HOUSE
ON THE
Vetoed Pension Bills - Assaults on
the President by the Repnbli-
cans-In the Senate.

journal the Speaker announced tina
the regular order was the vote to The
demand for the previous question on
the motion to refer to the Committee
on Invalid Pensions the message OF the
President vetoing the bill granting Q
pension to Sallie Ann Bradley.
Amid great deal of confusion Mr.
Burrows Mich. ], en- the part of the
Republicans, and Mr.. Matson lnd. j
representing the Democratic, endeav.
ored to come to some arrangement to
prevent the time being FILTERED away
with roll ca Is. ltwss finally agreed
that the demand for the previous
QUESTION should be withdrawn and
tnat Mr.. Grosvenor [0nio] should be
allowed fifteen minutes to oppose the
motion to refer, with permission to
some Democrat TO reply if so desired.
Mr.. Grosvenor said that he desired
TO heap no recriminstion or condem-
nation upon the President for his veto
messages. They were caused by a
total misapprehension on the part OF
the President of his relation to the
administration Of the government.
He (Mr. Grosvenor) had read all the
vetoes coming from that prolific source
of vetoes, and he thought the trouble
was that the President understood it
was his duty TO examine carefully
every act of Congress, and II he, as a
member of Congress, would not vote
for the bill, he gave no sort OF cons d.
Grafton or weight to the fact that the
legislative branch of the government
has acted afiirmatively upon it. The
President acted upon the idea that the
Executive had right and it WIS his
duty TO decide absolutely on every
question. Anott er idea of the Presi-
dents was that no private act should
be approved unless there was law au.
tborizngit, wholly oblivious to the fact
that Cor gress was the law making
power and had right to confer u
pension on anybody. Mr.. Grosvenor
detailed the facts of the special bill
under consideration and commented
on the fact, as he asserted, that the
President had approved the Fitz John
Porter bill on the very day that he had
vetoed the bill granting pension to
Sally Ann Bradley, the mother OF four
sons, two Of whom had died on the
battle field and two of whom were in
the hcsrita, disabled, Fitz John Por-
ter would 90 on the pension roll,
while Sally Ann Bradley would 60 to
the poorhouse, and this was the gov
eminent which undertook to cay that
it was dealing generously and liber-
ally with its soldiers. The HOUSE
was paralyzsd and terrified by the veto
of a single man, a proposition tyran-
nical and in the direction of absolute
usurpatioD, in the direction OF turning
from its normal position the Congress
of the United Safes and turning over
the administration of the gsnerOsity Of
the government to one man. APP
plauee on the Republican side.
Mr.. Matson merely embarked in re-
ply that he had Just learned that in
the Forty-seventhL Congress Republi-
can committee Of the Senate had re.
ported that The woman ought not to
be pensioned, for the SINE reasons
the President eaid he thought she
ought not to be pensioued. Applause
on the Democratic side
Mr.. Long MESS. suggested that at
that time the woman had a husband
living who was in receipt OF pension.
The bill and message we're then re-
ferred-yees, 122; nays, Ill.
When the veto me- sage OF the bill
granting a pension to Francis Deming
was reached the Republicans de-
msnded, and were accorded, half an
hour for debate
Mr.. Boutelle Me ] araigned the
President fer what he characterized as
his crusade against the veterans of the
country. The time bad come, he
said, when the Democratic party felt
Itself sufficiently firmly seated in the
eaddle to utter its defiance and hos
tility to the men who vent to the
front to save the Union.
Mr.. Brumm Pa. denounced the
Democrats IS poltroons and towards
who exonera ted their President when
ever he chose to slap them in the face
and spit upon them. The action of
the House reminded him of the play
OF Hamlet [Lau9hterl He would
substitute for the young Prince.the
young, courageous man Of nerve,
President Cleveland, and for the poor
old "Po.onius," the poor, miserable
towards of The Democratic party.
Laughter.
Mr.. Hill TO- made an argument to
show that the Democratic party had
the credit for much Of the pension
legislation of the country.
Mr.. CurtiH Pa sid that this vi
tupsration and abuse Of the President
was sll wrong. He asserted his entire
confidence in tie integrity of the
Presiden', and in his de:ite to do his
duty.
After further debate, the message
was referred without objection.
The next and last veto message
upon the Speakers table was then
LAID before the House. 1t was mes
sage vetoing bill granting ass'psnsion
to Joseph Rom sieer, and rs this is le-
garded as presenting specially strong
features, the r pubhCsns determined
TO make fight over its reference.
Mr.. McComes Nd. said the Presi-
lent declared that, though the Com
mittee on Invalid Pensions had re-
ported that Romeiser rad filed a claim
for pension which bad been rejected
by the Pension Office, there was no
such case in the Office. The President
said that Romeiser had never filed
claim. If this were true the commit
tee was, indeed, convicted of gross
carelessnese, aud doubtless the PIesi-
dent made the statement to illustrate
the loose methods of the committee
and his own accuracy in examining
these private pension bills. If this
charge were unfounied, then the
President was convicted Of still grosser
carelessnees, because the report of the
committee had warned him thst there
was a cas- in the office. He (Mr. Nc
Comas) held in his hand the bundle
of pension papers in the case of
Romei.er. The packet recorded all
the proceedings, fiom the time Of the
fling of the claim in 1879
until its rejection. Therecords showed
that the Pension Office found thst
though Romeiser was severely
wounded By minnie ball passing
through his head and face, because be
WAS not mustard in, the office Wss