The National tribune., 1886-07-15
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE: WASHINGTON c. THURSDAY JULY R

by the Pension Office there WAS no such case in the
office The President said that ROmiser had never
indeed, convicted OF gross earelessness and doubt
less the President made the statement to illustrate
the loose methods Of the committee and his own
accuracy IN examining these private pension bills.
If this charge were unfounded. then the President
convicted of still grosser careessness because
the report of the committee had warned him that
there was case In the office. He Mr.. McComasl
held in his hand the very bundle of pension papers
in the of Joseph Romiser. The Jacket recorded
the proceedings, from the time of the filing of the
claim in 1879 until its rejection The records showed
that the Pension Office found that though Romiser
severely wounded bya mimic ball passing
through his head and face, because he not
mustered in the Office was constrained to reject
the claim. When the Presidents veto came to the
House declaring that there were such papers,
lac had telephoned to the Pension Office, and had
had no trouble in getting them Why had not the
President done likewise; why had he reproved the
committee for what now proved to be his own care
lessness. The committee had been diligent; the
President had been negligent; Congress had been
just; the President had denied justice to n citizen
whose case he had never considered. Romiser,
he said was justly entitled to pension because he
had been inspired by the spirit of the minute men
OF Concord aud Lexington. There were many pre-
cedents for the bill. The very first Congress had
passed bill pensioning the minute men of Con-
cord and Lexington and George Washington, Hn-
like President Cleveland, had approved it. Thomas
jefferson, the father of the Democratic party, had
signed bill granting pension TO men who had
never been mustered into the army, and Andrew
jackson had signed a similar bill. Abraham Lin
coin. IA a like case had said that he would not in
quire whether a man had been mustered in but
only whether he had done his duty. lApplausel
IL Members of Congress could not rise above
party feeling and go with Washington, Jackson,
Jefferson and Lincoln. let them go with Cleveland
and send back this poor soldier who had never re-
ceiyed dollar Of pay. who had the scars the bull
let left and who had 20 years of neuralgia for
serving his country. Every man who thought that
the fathers Of the Democratic party were instinct
with the heroism Of Concord and Lexington would
vote for the minute man of 1861 who got a bullet
IN his bead when on his way TO join the boys in
blue" Applause.
Mr.. Burrows, of Michigan, also assailed the
veto and maintained that there was no reason
why the bill should be referred to a committee
There were no facts to be ascertained, and in
such cases it was customary to act upon veto
without referring il.
Mr.. Warner, of Ohio, believed this TO be a
meritorious case and to be in the line of all pre-
cedents, but he thought it ought to be referred
10 the committee.
Messrs. Sowden, Springer and Matson con-
tinued the discussion, and the bill was referred
yeas 40, nays lis.
WILL HE VETO THIsf
The extraordinary amount Of friction in the
House in regard to pensions has awakened an
interest in the subject never felt before. When
ever it comes up in any form the opposing par
ties watch one another with keen anxiety. The
last hour of Saturday was occupied in consid-
Grafton of bill called up by Mr. Townshend,
Democrat, of Illinois. IL is the case of Mrs.
Waters, whose son, employed on a transport.
was killed by cannon ball while passing a
hostile battery on Red River in 1864. AS he
was not enlisted in the military or naval serv-
ice Of the United States the Pension Bureau
under the law rejected the claim. The bill
came up at the regular Friday night pension
bill session a week ago. Dir. Blanchard, of
Louisiana, made factious fight on it. and by
calling quorum prevented action on that and
all other bills considered during the session.
Saturday each side was given 10 minutes for
debate, and the time was used by TOwnshend
for the bill and Blanchard against it. Great
heat was engendered, and members from all
parts Of the hall crowded around the speakers
On yea and nay vote the bill was passed by
l3i to %. The Republicans voted solidly" yea"
as did about half the Democrats present. With
few exceptions, like Bragg, OF Wisconsin, the
noes" came from the South.