The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1886-07-02
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, June 28th, 1885.
. Regular Correspondent.

NAbHlNdIoNs JUNO sotn, 1000.
From our Regular Correspondent.
With nest of hlibusters in Congress and the
PRESIDENT cruising about Chesapeake bay in the
Corsair, some patriotic citizens solictously in
il become known. however. that Mr. Cieyeland
had been enticed from his hard work of the past
week. for little recreation, than he was again at
his desk refreshed for another round of executive
vetoes of spurious pension bills.
Some idea may be obtained of the steady. hard
work of the President lately, when il is stated
bills apd vetoed thirty, giving each case careful
personal attention before action. The veto mes
sages were written by himself and each averaged
over page of foolscap paper, closely written.
In examining each bill separately, he had for his
guidance the reports from the Senate and House
Committees and the report from the Pension Bu-
reau.
The Treasury has never had so reliable watch
dog as President Cleveland. Not only has nc
beaten the record on vetoes, but he vetoed more
bills on one day alone than any previous Presi-
dent had disapproved during his entire term of
office. His total record Is now about seventy-six
while previous to his accession the whole number
of vetoes from the foundation of the Government
was only 100. All but seven of MFR. Cleveland's
vetoes were of private pension bills. Before his
administration only one pension bill had ever
been disapproved and that was by Gen. Grant.
The prospect of an early adjournment of Con-
gress has also received summary disappIoval
from the President. He has notified the able leg
islatve politicians who have been In the habit of
crowdng through their schemes during the last
gasps of the session, that he intends to read each
bill carefully and inform himself of its provi-
He asserts that he will not go to the Capitol and
approve bills as fast as they are brought to him
for fort the sake of exPediting adjournment; With
duty to consider every item. and he warns the
members of the two Houses that they need not
send him long bills appropriating large sums of
money written day or two before adjournment
with the idea that he will approve them blindly.
With his feeling of responsibility he declares that
he can do nothing of the kind.
While the Democrats are delighted with Mr..
Clevelands aggressive attitude with relation to
indignation. Representative Bayne, of Pa, made
vicious attack upon what he called the Presi-
dents unparalleled monopoly of power. and the
Republican side applauded his vituperation. Mr..
Bayne was insulted beyond expression by the
temerity of this man (the Presidency who had
sneered at the reports of committees of this
soldier, but walking the paths of peace while
these other men imperiled their lives to save the
Union.
Some of the vetoed claims were so grotesque
that the President, in his messages, could not re-
frain from presenting their ridiculous aspect for
instance this case. soldier remained in the
army one month and seventeen days, having en-
tered it as u substitute at a time when high boun-
ties were paid. Fifteen years after this brilliant
service he discovered that an attack of measles
had had some relation to his army enrolment, and
that the disease had settled In his eyes. Another
claimant asked a pension because of the death of
SOIL killed in action. Being poor, he sent his
son to live with an uncle and afterwards with
stranger. The son was killed in '6s but the father
did not know of it until '6i. The President
thought after such an exhibition of abandonment
and heartlessness on the part of a father, he
should not be allowed any benefits of patriotic
sons death.
The Republicans in the House of Representa-
tves are engaged in the business of filibustering
against the Introduction of a rule making it in
order to provide an income tax for raising the
necessary revenue to any pension bill. This is
clearly and almost confessedy done to catch the
soldier vote.
After a good deal of speech making which
changed no votes, Fitz John Porter has again got
ten safely through the Senate. having passed the
House some months ago. Unless President Cleve-
land interposes veto. Congress has at last after
twenty years wrestling finally disposed of this
question and Porter will be restored to the army
and placed upon the retired list.