The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-06-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D c.,
Nav 81. 1854

YORK OF cr1ulcaIly examining, us
iecting and yetoing private pension
bills. If he cannot defend the Gov
,rnment's treasure vaults against
avarice and fraud, he is at least
narrowing the opening through
the money is dragged out.
For each veto sent to the Senate,
the President has given conclusive
reasons, and he added that he was
by no means insensible to that. in
fuence which leads the judgment
towards the allowance of every
alleged to be founded upon
patriotic service in the nations
cause. Yet he did not believe it to
be a duty or a kindness to the
worthy citizens for whose benefitthe
scheme of pensions was provided,
to permit the division of the ma
items bounty among objects not
within its scope and purpose.
The Republicans have no inten-
ton 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 applicants that it is use
less to present their claims to Con-
gress as the President will not let
them become laws. Their idea is
that the neutrality-suspicious. will
not be likely to vote for another
Democratic President.
This is the way in which the Sen
ate Pension committee is enabledto
report fifty private pension bills a
week. Senator Sawyer, of Wis, is
it's most active member. He en-
ployes two men, one an ex-clerk of
the Pension office and the other a
physician, to look over and arrange
the papers in each case referred to
him by the Committee. The Sen
ator only chances 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 on Mr.. Sawyer's favorable
reports, the President is unwilling
to attach his signature.
It was during the discussion of a
private pension bill that Senator
ingalls, took occasion to make a
venomous attack upon Gen. Black;
the present Commissioner of Pen
sions. The Republican Senators
and Representatives have been very
DESTROYS of finding fault with the
Commissioner since he assused his
Republican predecessor of, and
proved that he used the Pension Of
fee 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 thai
he had willingly slandered Col
Dudley, word passed quickly
through the Capitol that he was
stirring up the Senate with SHARP
personal speech. Senators hurried
to their seats, Representatives came
into the Chamber and additional
visitors appeared in the galleries.
The Kansas Senator with hi.
characteristic recklessness in tn,
use of words, made one of the mos
bitter denunciations ever heard il
the Senate. He paced back anc
forth rapidly as if impatient of thu
restriction of Parliamentary Ian
! guage, and the veins of his fore
head stood out as he declared owe
again hat Gen. Black was an i'm
postor.
The face of Senator VOORHEES, al
so flushed when he arose to defen,
) Gen. Black and squarely denie'
, the truth of Senator Ingalls, accu
/ sations. He mentioned that Ger
, Black never knew the cessation o
pain for a moment, bones had bee
removed from both his arms, rem
dering them useless, and that t.
this day his wounds had to- b
dressed daily by a physician. !
t was in this condition that Ger
f Black was performing his officia
; duties, and the Indiana Senate
thought if the Senator from Kan
sas felt any pride in assaulting
: man who was suffering thus, h
: should be allowed to enjoy it.
: Senator Cockrell also defende,
e Gen. Black, who, he said, had al
lowed more pensions during tn
. first year of his administrator
: than any other Pension Commits
sioner. He suggested that Mr.. In
gals ought to have the courage AM
manliness to introduce a bill 70
the repeal of Gen. Blacks pension
if he really thought it had been OBJ
tanned under false p~retences as h
had charged.
The ingalls, attack upont the Com
missioner of Pensions was nothin,
, more than the malice of an irrita
BILE man who is disappointed be
cause the integrity of the new AID
ministration is sufficient to stant
in the way.of the reckless pension
giving which is going on. Gen
;. Black is a Democrat who received
his wounds while fighting in the Tn
ion army. If he had been awound
ed Republican and a Democrat,
Senator had made such an attacl
upon him, a cry would have gon'
UP all along the Republican line
accusing this Senator of disloyalt,
to the Union. Juno.