The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-07-08
The Prominent Members of that Party Talk
ing and Voting to Sustain the Vetoes Re-
Gently Sent in by the President.
Veto of the Bill Granting Right of Way
Through Indian Reservations.
Prediction that the Democrats Will Attempt
to Give Fitz John Porter His Back Pay
Congressman McAdoos Rash Promise.


Leading Democrats Talk and Vote in Favor
of Sustaining the President.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON; July AFTER the exhibition OF
Democratic hostility to pensions given on the
floor of the House to-day there need be no hope
by the soldiers of the country for justice long
as the present party in power continues to hold
the reins of government Numerous leaders of
Democracy, among them Chairman Matson, of
the committee on invalid PENSIONS and the pre-
tentious Holman, Endorsed the vetoes of Presi-
dent Cleveland and voted to sustain him in his
work of depriving soldiers, their widows and or
phans of what is justly due them. Generals
Browne, of Indiana, Hepburn and Henderson of
Iowa, Mr. Cannon, of Illinois, and other promi-
nent Republicans, exposed the fimsy hypocrisy
of these demagogues, who pretend to work for
pensions but who are secretly opposing them;
yet the hypocrites spoke and voted with the Pres
ident.
Up to to-day President Cleveland has vetoed
eighty eight private pension bills When he
vetoes eleven more he will have vetoed as many
private pension bills as the aggregate of all ve-
toes, of every class, by all other Presidents. 1t
seems that Mr.. Cleveland is bent on outdong
the whole record of vetoes by all of his prede
cessors, and apparently does lot intend going
outside of private pension bills to do it. 1t has
been claimed by Democrats in Congress that the
President is justifable in vetoing so many pen
sion bills because enormous sums of money,
aggregating millions annually, have been voted
away in specific or private pensions 1t has
been ascertained that all pensions drawn by
nsoI oEG n I, 10
less than half million dollars year, AND that
statements to the contrary are based upon those
greatly exaggerated and uniformly deceiving
estimates made designedy by Commissioner
Black. Nearly all pensions granted by special
act are for only So month, and at least nine
teen out of twenty are for this
1t is learned that number of times Pres-
dent Cleveland has dismissed Cabinet meetings
when matters of national Importance. such as
the fisheries, Chinese. financial and other ques-
tions were being discussed, to veto private pen
sion bills. Further, it is learned that the Presi-
dent has relied solely for evidence upon which
to write his vetoes on the briefs made at the
Pension Office; in the cases where they were
rejected all these briefs were written years ago.
many of them twenty years ago; none contain
the new testimony in the cases. and all applica.
tions contain more or less of new matter A good
deal was said to-day in the debate and in private
about the sneers, slurs and iocular observations
of the President in his vetoes, and a good deal
of feeling is being shown on account of them.
These add insult to injury, are wholly gratuitous
and show the fippant disregard of Mr. Cleve-
land not only for the condition of soldiers and
those depending upon them, but the cause they
represent. "He is just like all copperheads, "
was heard number of times to-day. Repre-
sentative Owen, of Indiana, a true friend of sol
diers and just pensions, expressed the belief that
there had never been such bold work on the floor
of the House by the enemies Of pensions as that
of to-day