The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-10-02
preston ne makes upon me, he has been talk
Ing after pleasant fashion

,
MI. PRESIDENT, how you regard these congress
SIGNAL assaults made on you personally 2"
| In regard to personal assaults made upon
me by my political opponents, l am free to say
care little for them. L know they are not
true. and believe they are meant to be under
stood-by myself, at least-in a Pickwckian
sense. l confess that the speeches of some of
the senators surprise me, for l look upon the
senate OF the United States as the most digni-
ned body in the world and certainly there
have been speeches delivered there which do
not comport with that dignity. But if they
can stand it L can. / am a little amused,
though, sometimes that these very republican
senators who are the most bitter against me
nave no hesitation in asking very particular
favors at my hands,
PENSION vEToEs.
\ our pension vetces have been criticised
with some asperlty?"
Il believe in codifcation of the pension
laws aud complete reimbursement of their in
equalities. They absolutely need it. and if
congressman would address themselves to that
they would do the soldiers far more good than
IN the passage of private pension bills. These
operate, as q general thing, unfairly and un-
equally. That is to say, some person with con-
! gresslonal influence succeeds in getting PEN
sion, when there are many others in precisely
the same case who fail because they have no
such influence. Now, there should be gem
eral law under which all could come in,
whether they had influence or not. L have
signed moro pension bills than all my prede-
cessorS put together, and those l have vetoed
were bills that never should have been passed.
L am willing TO stand before the people on the
reasons l have given for my vetoes.
deprive some poor person of SIP q
month from the public treasury, but why
should any person not justly entitled to it have
VIZ or II cents out of the peoples money?
These are matters of principle, not of gener-
osty. But some of my Yetoes have been in
the interest OF the applicant. Take for in
stance that case of Mrs. Smith. / vetoed the
bill because her case was pending in the pen
sion bureau, and if it passed there, she would
be entitled to a larger sum OF money than she
would get by the bill. 1 see by Walla Walla
newspaper that Mrs. Smiths claim has passed
the pension bureau after had brutally vetoed
1t. This is true, and that is the very ground
upon which I did veto it. If had not 'bru-
tally vetoed it, Mrs. Smith would have gotten
some $500 or 500 less than she will get now,
because her payment would have commenced
with the passage of the bill, whereas now it
commences from the time her claim was fled
in the bureau"
ONE STORY EXPLAINED.
1.-THE opposition seem to be raking up good
many stories about you."
II do not pretend to keep pace with the
campaign lies manufactured out of whole
CLOTH and only wonder az the ingenuity
that devises them.
at was said short time ago that I had
never appointed Catholic priest as chaplain
in the army or navy. Nov, the fact is
there have nevor been but three Catholic
priests appointed as chaplains in the United
States service. and appointed two of them.
NOT FREE TRADER.
"And that story about my saying believed
in free trade as l believed In the Protestant
religion. cannot imagine where people pick
up such absurd statements. IN the first place
don't believe in free trade at all, and in the
next place free trade and protection mere
4nrp # FOL,
upon religion as matter Of policy. That is
something of very much higher moment than
anything political. But l never said and
never could say anything that might be even
distorted into such an expression"
HIS SUBSTITUTE.
GLOW about that substitute, Mr.. President 2"
eyes. it is true that hired substitute dur
ing the war. | am under the impression that
some very eminent republicans did the same
thing. | was drafted at time when it was i'm
possible for me to go. Two of my brothers were
already in the service, and if it had feen pos
sible for me to have gone in justic1 20 our
1amiiyI would lave gone voluntarily. 4 friend
brcu sht me the substitute, who was q NoTwe-
gian sailor, just paid off from his ship and who
was desirons Of gong into the army and max
ing the most he could out of it. He was
splendid looking fellow. and l remember the
provost marshal omplimented me on bringing
In so fine a recruit. He enlisted and served
through the war, and, so far as / know was q
Buffalo and called to see me. He was poor,
and l gave him So. He was afterward adj
mitted 20 the Soldiers home, at Bath n. v,
and died there, as many other soldiers did.
He never was in q poorhouse, so far know,
and he certainly did not die in one"
The common pictures ofstho president give
q wrong impression Of him. They convey the
idea of dark-eyed, dark-complexioned man.
His eyes are blue, or blueish gray, his hair
and mustacbe are brown, and his complexion
is fair. Some of the pictures OF his profile are
very good. He has a large head and wears o
u hat.
OAK VIEW.
During the heated term the president and
Mrs. Cleveland are living at Oak View, his
country seat. This very pleasant place COM
prses twenty-six acres OF land about three and
half miles northweSterly from the city. On
the land on one side there is a very beautiful
oak grove, while off III southeasterly direc-
ton there is superb view ola portion of the
city, of the capitol, the monument, and the
Potomac cleaning in the distance. And that
gives the name to the place-the "oaks" aud
tho "View."