The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1886-07-22

opposing q pension for an aged woman whose son
was killed bya rebel eannon-shot while in the sery-
ice of his country In the waters of that State.
simultaneously with these manifestations among
the rank and file, the Democratic leaders of the
House, OF the Committee on Rules, consisting OF
Speaker Carlisle, exSpeaker Randall, and the party
leader the floor Mr.. Morrison, have brought
forward the astonishing proposition that the rules
be amended that no legislation for the disabled
veterans of the Republic or their needy dependents
could be enacted without having saddlcd upon II
the most odious form Of taxation. The pretense
that this outrageous invention for rendering pen
sion laws odious was originated out of regard for
the soldiers has been eectually disposed OF in the
debate upon the measure.
But, Mr.. Speaker, the manifestation OF Demo-
cratic purpose and spirit in regard to pensions has
not been confined to the White House and the Capt.
toll but has found expression through the aecred-
tied organs of that party. have before me q
newspaper published in the city of New York,
which has assumed, and to which has been ascrib-
ed the function of special organ Of the National
Administration in the great commercial emporium
OF the country; and in that newspaper, in an issue
published within the last three days, ind this
clear, unrnistaknble, unequivocal declaration on
the part ofthe mouth-piece of this National Admin
istration-I read now from the New York Star, the
paper edited by ex-District Attorney DOrsheimer,
one of the leading members of the Democratic
party in the United States, the personal bogTapher
Of the President of the United States recently the
United States District Attorney for New York I'M
der the appointment of President Cleveland with
whom he had recently been in conference here in
Washington. On Tuesday last In discussing this
question OF vetoes OF pensions, he makes this edi-
torial statement:
These critics of the President should incense
themselves very moderately. The country believes
that the business of granting pensions Il worse than
a nuisance and that 1t Is a fraud upon the Treas
ury."
That, Mr.. Speaker, is the declaration semi-offici-
ally made by the Administration ofthe United States
Government under the auspices Of the Democratic
party. We may well recognize it. There Is not
Member on this side of the Chamber or on the
other side there is not intelligent citizen of the
United States to-day who does not recognize the
fact that we have come TO the parting Of the
ways" that we have reached time when the
Democratic party feels itself sufficiently firmly
seated I'm the saddle to expressly openly and de-
family It's hostility to the men who went TO the front
to save this Union in its hour OF peril, and who,
after having defeated Democratic rebellion upon
hundred batefelds, have added 10 their offense in
the eyes OF Democracy by casting more than 30 per
cent of their votes at the polls in favor of the party
that sustained them throughout the war and that
now seeks to do justice to him who bore the bat
tie. and his widow and his orphan"
We have presented here spectacle unparalleled
In the history of the country. The great general
court of the United States sitting here for the calm
consideration and grave examination of public
matters have decided, upon unanimous reports of
their committees and by the unanimous votes OF
the two Houses in many cases. that 1t was beeom-
ing and proper for this great and rich Government
to extend In this its hour of prosperity ard wealth
little dole little pitance TO some one legged or
armed soldier, TO some veteran, dragged down Dy
disease or weakened or disabled by the unutterabe
horrors OF Southern prison-pens; or to grant TO
some widow left-as In one case recently vetoed
with seven small children support the small sum
ofsl2 = month to help her 20 feed and clothe and
educate good citizens the offspring Of the patriot
who laid down his life under that flag; and it re-
manned for the President OF the United States the
Chief Magistrate of fifty millions Of people, to refuse
his assent to the slight act Of justice to that
widow; and not only that, but to send Il back TO
the Chamber the other end Of the Capitol coupled
with slur upon the chastity Of the mother who
had asked so little at the hands of the great Gov
eminent for which she had sacrificed so much.
Twelve dollars q month One hundred and forty
four dollars year to care for the widow and seven
fatheress children of one of the dead soldiers Of
this Republic snatched from her after il had been
| granted by Congress, by the veto OF a President
surrounded by every luxury, and for the mere dec
Grafton Of whose table at single repast the people
have contributed more for flowers than would PEN
/ sion several such widowed households for year.
/ Not that the people, rich poor, grudge the Chief
Magistrate the elegances betting the exalted sta
ton he occupies, but the thought cannot be re-
| pressed that the generosity of the people should
beget in return a thoughtfulness for the Nation .
especial wards, the Borrowing ones whose blood
| and tears have purchased our great deliyerance
and rendered possible the prosperity out Of which
they have q right to be remembered.
read, sir, a few days ago. in paper published
In this city an account OF the marvellous industry
OF Chief Magistrate ia this crusade that he has
! inaugurated against the veteran soldiers OF his
country. find that the l4i cases that he has con-
| sidered have been disposed Of by him within 10
days or 30 hours, counting night and day; that
If he had set up nights and gone without food and
| rest he would have devoted but two hours apiece
To the pension which had occupied the atten-
ton OF Representatives and Senator's some Of them
| for weeks and months.
find it stated in regard to one batch Of these bills
| that lac occupied only between the hours Of 10
o'clock in the morning and O'Clock in the after
noon TO dispose OF ID veto messages in pension
cases, five hours In all but allowing hour fol-
! luncheon, which would not be unreasonable
time for gentleman of his ayoirdupois, il would
leave four hours, 30 minutes, less than IL min
Htes for the President To dispose of each easeeases
too some OF which had occupied the careful atten
tion OF the committees of the two branches Of Con
gress for months at n time.
That Il the calm, judicial review upon which the
President seeks to set aside the deliberately ex
pressed judgment of the Senate and the House o
Representatives And this newspaper further tell.
US that the President was jocular over his work
Ii says:
In writing his veto messages the President wa,
quick to take advantage of any discrepancies II
the reasons given for allowing pensions and made
them appear In very terse language, sometime
- vein of humor!" God help the Nation who's,
Chief Executive can find no more fitting subject FOL
his gibes than the battered wrecks OF a great wa
from which he held aIoof; the widows and the or
| phans of those who may sleep in unknown graves
where they fell, bat whose white Eoreheads hav
felt the kiss OF angels.
Truly it has been said that the spirit and style
| these veto messages have precedent and IL i
safe to say that in his heartless at the un
fortunate he need fear no future rival iunitator
With great questions of national and interna
tional Importance pressing for action; with a scan
dal in his Cabinet so gross that his party pa
pers demand his attention to it with our fisher
interests paralyzed by foreign aggression of whie
II seems impossible To induce the Administrator
TO take note; with daily afironts to our flag AN
arbitrary seizures Of vessels by the petty all
thorities of British colony. calling aloud for tn
exercise of craftsmanship, or at least some show
interest, the Executive head of this great Natio
can find nothing more important to do than I
haggle with Congress about few private pension:
and the papers announce that he denies himself I
. callers on business and poStpones Cabinet meeting
in order TO devote himself undsturbed To the GRIND
ing of his grist OF pension yetoesi What employ
ment for q great statesman In his honeymoon
cracking poor jokes at sick soldiers and glib
arguing away the little pension that would barrel
keep the wolf of hunger from the door of som
c destitute but loyal homel
{ Ny God, Mr. Speaker. what a spectacle this prs
SCENTS! think l can see the muse of history look
ing at the grand procession of the Chief Magistrate
of this country seeking out the ilustrious feature
In the lives of each to be depicted in the great pnf
4, | tleon of American history and can imagine Ill
expression of ineffIbe disgust which would pa.
over the features of tile Goddess OF Liberty as sL
might he called upon To survey the allegorieal reI
y RESERVATIONS of the Characteristic achievements
our great rulers, frcscoed forth in the Rotunda
/ the Capitcl, her gaze should first rest upon Il
picture Of Abraham Lincoln standing on the BATH
field OF gettysburg, amid the graves Of the hero'
OF the Union aud there dedicsting and plcdgng {,
= all time to come the gratitude OF the American PEI
70 pie To the Nations defenders; and then passing
the next panel upon which should be dencate
e with all the felicity OF art the picture of the Chi
Magistrate of to-day, sitting in his shirt-seeve
a with his collar unbuttcned, perspfrinS over q
yeioes OF little pension bills TO the heroes OF q
e American Republic. LAppiause.l
~ Mr.. Speaker, 1 want to say a word about u
IA manner in which votes have been divided Ia son
striking cases on this floor. OF the - votes III
east March g. lsoo, against putting Ulysses
a. Grant upon the retired list of the United stat
1. Army. 65 were cast by Democrats. who on Feb
- 1881. voted To- put Fitz-John Porter on t,rt list
- those IS Democrats s. from the States tn