Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-06-11
Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent.


work of critically examining, dissect-
ing and veioing private pension bills
If he cannot defend the Govern
ments treasure vaults against avarice
and fraud, he is at least narrowing
the opening through which the
money is dragged out. For each
veto sent to the Senate. the Presi-
dent has given conclusive reasons,
and he added that he was by no
means insensible to that influence
which leads the judgment towards
the allowance of every claim alleged
to be founded upon patriotic service
in the nations cause. Yet he did
not believe it to be duty or kind
ness to the worthy citizens for whose
benefit the scheme of pensions was
provided, to permit the division OF
the nations bounty among objects
not within its scope and purpose.
The Republicans have no intention
of trying to pass these bills against
the veto, but they hope to make some
political capital out of them. Some
of them have been writing to appli.
cants that it is useless to present
their claims to Congress as the Pres
ident will not let them become laws.
Their idea is that the would be- pen
sioners will not be likely to vote for
another Democratic President.
This is the way in which the Sen
ate Pension committee is enabled to
report tif'" private pension bills a
week. Sc. ltor Sawyer of Wiscon-
sin is its NEST active member. He
employees tw men. one an ex-clerk
of the Pensio office and the other u
physician, to ok over and arrange
the papers III each case referred to
him by the Committee. The Sen a.
tor only glances at them to decide
how they are to be reported. 1t is
not surprising that to some of the
pension bills which the Senate passes
ou Mr.. Sawyer's favor. BILE reports,
the President is unwilling to attach
his signature.
II was during the discussion OF q
private pension bill that Senator In
gals took occasion to make venom
Gus attack upon Gen. Black, the
Present Commissioners of Pensions.
The Republican Senators and Rep.
resentatives have been very desirous
of findlng fault with the Commis.
sioner since he accused his Republi.
can predecessor of, and proved that
he used the Pension Office as a party
machine.
After Mr.. ingalls, had charged
that Gen. Black was not now and
never had been entitled to the pen
sion now drawn by him. and that he
had willingly slandered Col. Dudley,
word passed quickly through the
Capitol that lie was stirring up the
Senate with sharp personal speech.
Senators hurried 10 their seats, Rep
resentatives came into the Chamber
and additional visitors appeared in
the galleries.
The Kansas Senator with his char.
acteristic recklessness in the use OF
words, made one of the most bitter
denunciations ever heard in the Sen
ate. He paced back and forth rapid
ly rs if impatient of the restriction
of parliamentary language, and the
veins of his forehead stood out as he
declared over and over again that
Gen. Black was an imposter.
The face of Senator Voorhees, also
flushed when he arose to defend
Gen. Black and squarely denied the
truth of Senator Ingalls, accusations.
He mentioned that Gen. Black never
knew the cessation of pain for a mo.
ment, bones had been removed from
both his arms, rendering them USE
less, and that to this day his wounds
had to be dressed daily by physi-
cian. II was in this condition that
Gen. Black was performing his off.
cial duties, and the Indiana Senator
thought if The Senator from Kansas
felt any pride in assaulting a man
who was suffering thus, he should
be allowed to enjoy it.
Senator Cockrell also defended
Gen. Black, who, he said, had al.
lowed more pensions during the first
year Of his administration than any
other Pension Commissioner. He
suggested that Mr.. Ingalls, ought to
have the courage and manlness to
introduce q bill for the repeal oi
Gen. Blacks pension if he really
thought it had been obtained under
false pretences as he had charged.
The Ingalls, attuck upon the Com.
missioner of Pensions was nothing
more than the malice of an irritable
man who is disappointed because the
integrity of the new Administration
is sufficient to stand in the way oil
the reckless pension-giving which il
going on. Gen. Black is a Democrat
who received bis wounds while asht