The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-08-03

no soldier could apply for a pension
without first swearing he is paupe
and proving that he is an object OF char
ity. He (Mr. Hovey) would pay pen
sions to every soldier who served in the
war for sixty days and received an hon
orable discharge. He wanted no charity
for men who had fought on his side
He wanted that Justice done which hac
been meted out to all soldiers from the
Revolution down. He then anaiyZet
several OF the Presidents vetoes to sub
stantiate his declaration that in each o.
them the President virtually accused the
claimant and witness OF perjury. i
Mr.. Cleveland were not shielded by hil
presidential mantle, suit for libel could
be maintained against him in any court
OF Justice. In conclusion he declared
that the Republican party was the friend
OF the soldier, and that the speech OF his
coueaguecould not convince them to the
contrary.
Mr.. Holman inquired whether the bill
to which the gentleman referred as hav'
ing been sent to the Committee on Pub.
lie Lands was that granting bounty lands
to soldiers.
Mr.. Hovey replied in the affirmative.
Mr.. Holman said that during the war
he had sought to procure the passage Of
such bill, but that It had been defeated
in Republican House. Subsequently
he had secured the passage OF such bill
through the House against the epposi-
ton OF the leading Republicans. It had
gone to the Senate Committee, and
had been reported back adversely by
General Logan. The Republican party
had for twenty years granted lands to
corporations and refused to grant II to
soldiers, and to-day there were not
30, 100000 acres Of public land left suit.
able for agriculture without irrigation.
Mr.. Hovey replied that it was not i'm
poFtantto him what the past legislation
OF Congress had been. He stood here
for his constituents, and for the soldiers
who had fought with him, and he want
ed them to have the same rights their
fathershad. Down to 1851 every soldier,
who had fought one day in battle had
100 acres. The gentleman from Indiana
said that there was no agricultural land
left for the soldiers OF the rebellion |;
then give them rocks. Laughter.
Mr.. Mckinney, Of New Hampshire,
said the Democratic party was true to
those who fought the Country's battles,
and that during the three years the
present administration had been i'll
power the Union soldiers had received
greater consideration than they had
ever received in n like period during the
years of the Republican administration.
He defended the President from the
charge OF being an enemy to the soldier
A Republican Representative had con-
fessed to him that President Cleveland
was right in nine cases out OF ten when
he vetoed private pension bill. Mr..
Mckinney then declared that no rebel
flags had been returned except by Re-
publicans, and referred in that connec-
ton to Adjutant General Drum, whose
letter to the President on the subject he
proposed to have printed in the Record.
Mr.. Cutcheon, OF Michigan, replying
to Mckinney, said that the gentleman
had cOntended that the Democratic I'D
ministration had been better friend Of
the soldier than had the preceding I'D
ministration. He declared that every
man, woman and child whose names
were on the pension rolls owed their
position to the Republican party, and
not name had been added by the Dem
ocratic party except OF those persons
whose names had been restored to the
rolls after participation in rebellion
against the Government. All pension
legislation, with that single exception,
was n Republican origin.
Touching on the subject OF battle flags
Mr.. Cutcheon criticized the Presidents
action in issuing the order for the re-
turn, and declared that the President
had been forced to recind it by the voice
of the great loyal North which had come
laundering down upon him like a
cyclone. 90
The consideration OF the bill was then
resumed, and for some time ran smooth
ly, until Mr.. DOckery, OF Missouri, pre-
cipitated brief tariff debate by few
remarks on the subject OF the surplus.
During the progress OF it, Mr.. Bynum,
OF Indiana, said that he was not vio-
lating any OF the, condolences OF the
committee room in stating that when
the Mills bill was being considered in
committee, the gentleman from Penn
sylvania (NIr. Kelly had made n motion
to repeal the entire tobacco tax. On
that motion Messrs. Kelly and Reed
voted in the affirmative.
Messrs. Mckinley, Browne and Bur
rows voted against it. He cited this as
showing that the majority OF Republic
cans, us represented on the committee,
were not in favor Of the repeal OF the
tobacco tax.
Mr.. Dingley declared that il the to.
bacco provision OF the Mills bill had
been put into n separate bill, it could
have been passed ut any time.
Pending further debate, tue Commit
tee rose and the House adjourned.