Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1886-07-24
Washington Letter.

IuB very udIu W Iutlhc pUllllCdl Cdpl-
tai against the President on account
of his pension vetoes. Dut the vetoes
are too well supported by facts and
common sense to furnish material for
partisan appeals. 1t was to be expect
ed however, that the private pension
gift Senators and Representatives.
would gnaw wrathy as the kind of
work they were engaged in was
brought to light. The failure Of their
little schemes together with their ex-
posture melted them to a reckless pitch
of determination to secure the adop-
ton of these bills anyhow, though
there is little prospect of their sue
cess.
The Democratic leaders are resolv-
ed to stay here all summer, as one of
them said, before abandoning their
position in the matter. But the Re-
publicans have proposed a compro-
mise which will probably be accept
ed. Under its terms two hours will
be allowed for debate upon such of
the vetoed bills as may be selected,
and at the expiration of the time an
aye and nay vote will be taken the
result of which is to be regarded final
as to the other VetOes.
The report of the Senate Pension
Committe upon the vetoed bills, was
little more than long and ill-con-
cealed howl of baffled rage. 1t even
accused the President of casting slur
upon the chastity of woman and of
! sneering at wounds received in the
service of the country. But so many
of these private measures are obvious
ly without merit, and mere attempts
to bestow gratuities upon favored
persons who have no real claim upon
the bounty of the Government, that
the Presidents action will be more
applauded the more attention is call
ed to the grounds upon which it is
) based.
The Republicans of the House of
Representatives made speeches upon
=. this issue that were intended to be
: very severe upon the President, but
they were more plainly bids for poll
4 teal support than evidence of patriot
> ism. They proceeded upon the as
sumption that the vetoes of private
5 pension bills are unpopular and will
not be sustained by public sentiment.
One answer made by Representative
3 Matson to some of their complaints
: was interesting. He called attention
y to the fact that many of the cases re.
g jected by Mr.. Cleveland had already
: been vetoed by Republican Com.
Q missioner of Pensions. The rejection
+ by the Senate of Mr.. Goode to be Soil.
e citor- General was the subject ofmuch
s discussion at the Capitol on Saturday
u The unanimous verdict was that the
/ opposition all centered in Senator
y Malone, and the vote of the Repub
q lican senators was their way of help
/ ing the thwarted, scheming little
,, politician to assert himself in Vir.
e ginia. AS no Democrat opposed the
9 nomination, many CongressmenthinB
+ the proper thing for the President tC
y do would beto renominate Mr.. Goode
e He might have done this if the Sen
}, ate had merely neglected to confirm
IL but since the senate had rejected, hi
will not be likely to renominate.
The Senators were determined tt
have Mr.. Goodies case all to them
selves, for when it came up they hel(
u strictly Star Chamber Session last
r. ing six hours. The Sergeant at Arms
. visited the floor on which the CALLER
IL les, the document and large humble
Il of committee rooms are located, ant
o. ordered the employees and visitors t,
-, vacate. These rooms were LOCKED
~ and then the correspondents, telegraph
: operators, and representatives of tn
NJ Associated Press were driven out Q
80 their portion OF the building. Dee
10 and loud complaints were heard o.
&c all sides at being so summarily order
ed away from posts Of duty, an
", much inconvenience was experience
y, ~ by the sudden ejectment, but all ha
q to 60. Sentinels were placed at tn
a. stairways and doors leading to tn
n galleries which had to be left open il
no order to prevent the Senators fror
~ suffocating.
80 The new broom of this Admins
;s stratian is sweeping clean every
10 where. The expenditures of tn
- Government Departments here hay
bo been found to be 500, 100000 less dul
Of ing the fiscal year just past than i
the ono nrncedinu IL and better r,