The Ottawa free trader., 1888-09-01
THOSE PENSION \ETCES.
How Republican Senators Blnnde ed In
Regard to Pensions.

Regard Ia Pensions.
President Cleveland has in nothing
more conspicuously shown his fidelity TO
the people, his principle of working hard
al the business of his Office and his fear
lessness of consequences than in his mes
sages TO congress in relation to pension
bills. These vetoes in themselves would
make excellent campaign literature II the
Democrats had any need Of material.
The Republicans in the senate have
seized upon some of these effective weap-
ons and have endeavored 10 turn them
against the administration. They are not
likely To find much satisfaction in the
movement because the people are quite
aware Of what Is going on. The daily
press Is n great destroyer OF shams.
As the case now stands. the Republican
senators are at disadvantage They
passed lot Of pension bills which the
president could not sign without viola
tion of his oath of office. and which he
has not signed. The purpose OF the sen.
ators was TO refer this conduct Of the
executive to the military sentiment OF
the country, with the intention OF making
out case against president who refuses
to sign pension bills. Hence when the
WcTt ItsuTHCh q hioNAoA WIS
made to have 5000 copies of these bills
printed at the public expense for Repub-
lican campaign purposes. But Mr.. Cleve-
land has way Of giving his reasons FOR
his official acts, and in relation to these
pension bills he followed his usual course.
The result is batch of veto messages that
are not only mighty interesting reading in
themselves, but which convict the Repub-
lican senators of outrageous carelessness.
If not worse, in passing bills to pension
unworthy persons. So when the Repub.
licans wanted to print the vetoed bills for
campaign purposes the Democrats were
quite willing, provided that the veto mes.
sage went with them. The debate on
this point is still going on, and each ref
erence to it shows the Republicans in a
worse light. 1t now appears that the
woman Mary Doherty, whose name has
been made prominent of late in connec-
ton with these pension bills is still the
subject of lively discussion. Because
she is n woman the Republicans thought
fit to take up her case with q
great flourish in order to put the
president in as ungallant Light As
possible before an unthinking public.
Mrs. Doherty, it will be remem.
bcred, has husband living who is draw.
ing a pension. Some years ago, by fraud
and perjury. Mrs. Doherty succeeded IN
obtaining a pension, but the fraud was
discovered and her pension was discon-
tinued In spite of these facts the Re-
publican senators ordered second pen
sion for her The president vetoed their
bill on the ground of fraud, and exposed
her as pretty tough citizen. Having
as they supposed, committed the president
as cruel and heartless prosecutor of
women. the Republicans returned to the
attack First they tried to make out that
the Doherty woman, who had been ar
rested nine times, was nine women, and
that the president had libeled her. Then
they impugned the information given to
the president by clerk in the pension
Office to the effect that she had drawn
pension by fraud; finally they de
! clared that she had been injured by
an explosion in the arsenal at Philadel-
phia in 1864 and was entitled to a pension
Unhappily for this little job Senator
Cockrell had been looking into it. Dis
missing the first explanation as beneath
contempt, he proved that the president 8
informant as to Mrs. Doherty's previous
pension is a Republican of long experience
In the pension office, two-thirds of the
clerks in which are also Republicans. AS
for Mrs. Doherty's statement about the
explosion. Senator CoclSrell produced the
record. Every person wounded at the
time received lump sum of money from
the government and gave a receipt for it.,
Mrs. Dohertys receipt is not there.
Her claim is therefore fraudulent oace
more The Republicans have got them
selves into an awkward position OF first
neglecting their duty and passing import
ant acts on behalf of disreputable
woman, and then Of justifying their
highly culpable action by producing per.
jured Testimony, with no higher object than
to make political capital at the expense Of
the President. A more undignitied spec
tacle it would be difficult to present The
public is quickly mastering the true in.
wardness of the debate, and will not for
get the performance when the time for
remembering it comes round.