The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1886-10-21

TIE House. or 1 ILn 81 March this
year The Genelfi re1sion bill for the
year was passed. 10 appropriated the
enormous sum Of ssYenty-fiye millions
Of dollars. Il Was really a colossal ap-
priation bin Il involved several ques-
tons important 10 the soldiers, and yet
by referring % the Record Of March
5th. page 9030. yOu will find no evil
dance Of his participation I'm the de-
bate, and be did not even vote on the
bills
The democrats usually pretend to be
the friends Of the soldier. They claim
10 be always ready to vote pensions on
the most liberal scale. But the only
real claim they can make to have Sc
cured pensions for soldiers consists In
the fact that Southern democrats pre-
cipitated the rebellion. and Buchanan
and others from the North Wept
themselves into It, as but for the re-
belliOn there would have been no pen
sions. Mr.. Morrison Of Illinois, sol
der himself. and a democrat, iHtrOdu-
ced q resolution into the House to
change the rules, the practical opera
ton Of which would have been to levy
especial tax 10 accompany pension bills.
Since the foundation Of the govern
unent the pensiOner stood on the same
footing as the other creditors Of the
royernmpnt. In the revolutionary
war. In the war Of 1912. the Creek and
BLACK Hawk and the Mexican wars.
there was no invidious distinction
made against the pensioners. What
was considered as justly due him was
paid like anything else from the gen.
eral public fund. II l. not unfair 70
say that such a distinction as that pro-
posed By Mr.. Morrison was designed
to check pensions, to make them, IN
short, more odlOus to the taxpayers.
When this measure was considered, as
will be seen by the Congressional Re-
cord Of June oath, 1886, some votes
on the different pending propositions
we're taken. and in all Of them, on pa
aes 8. $40. $3.50, 1881, $3.50, 1854, Mr..
Anderson did not vote, once.
On the ID Of August. 1886, q meas
ure came before the House to increase
the pensions Of certain One-armed sol
diers. There certainly could be no
question about this measure, for the
miserable pittance paid to the MANNED
and crippled defenders Of the republic
was, as everybody knows, inadequate.
Here was fine opening for the special
friend Of the soldier. We might natu-
rally look for some amendments In the
soldiers interest, or at least speech.
The Congressional Record Of Aug. 8,
page 1854, shows he did not vote for
It. I might extend and amplify this
list, but his action, or rather nom
action, on all the important pension
measures Of the last session, Is indica-
tive Of the sincerity which appeals for
your votesOn such pretexts. There are
other alarming and frequent absentee
isms, which make us wonder how the
country got along when this equal Of
Edmunds, and Kelly and Garfield was
away. The most important general
appropriation bill Of each year Is the
Legislative. Executive and Judicial
bill. The Record July is, page 1920;
shows be did not vote. The next most
important is the Sundry Civil. This is
the bill Of all others requiring the at
tention and seiutiny Of the statesmen
on whose ability and acnmen the cOun-
try has to depend. The Cong. Record
of Aug. 4 shows he did not vote. 1
win only give you one more. The VI
gent Deficiency, required to keep
the government machinery in motion.
It passed March 9Th, and the Cong. Re
cord Of page 20s2, shows that he did
vote.
This champion Of the people is chief
" famous for securing the forfeiture
Of Railroad land grants. We are told
that he has been slaughtered Cor his
war on railroads. Let us examine his
record: A bill was passed through the
House In January last FORGETTING land
grants that had been made to eight
roads in the Southern States, iny0lv-
ing q restoration Of about 800 600
acres Of land 10 the public domain, on
the ground that they had not compli-
ed with the terms imposed by Con-
gresS. The bill went to the Senate,
which by q unanimous vote struck out
one Of them, the Gulf and Ship Island
road. on the ground that that road had
at least attempted to comply with the
terms Of the grant, and should not
therefore be included in the same bill.
The bill came back to the House thus
amended, but carrying restoration OF
the greater part, 1900, 600 acres, There
ara two men more eminent than all 9TH
ers IN the House, in their attempts to
restore unesrned land grants to the
pnblio domain. One Of these, the chair
man Of the committee on public lands,
Is q Democrat, the other, Mr..
Payson, Of Illinois, is a republican.
lido not hesitate 70 say that both are
safe, honest and answering servants
Of the people. Ar. PaysOn Is a young
-ef member than Mr.. Anderson. has
not been so long In Congress, and for
that reason, under the etiquete Of the