Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-02-29
THE PENSION QUESTION.
LONG DISCUSSION IN THE SENATE
ON THE DEPENDENT PENSION BILL.
Mr.. Manderson shows a Strong Hand
The House Takes Action in a Number
ofPublic Building Experimentation
Telegraph Probabilities.


soldlers and sailors pension bill, the ques-
ton being on the adoption of Mr.. Calls
amendment making the bill apply also TO
those who served in the war with Mexico
or for 30 days in any Of the Indian wars
The amendment was agreed to.
Mr.. Blair offered a resolution changing
the phraseology of the second section and
in explaining it, he said that the construc-
ton given in the debate yesterday TO the
word 'incapacitated" would make the bill
one of he most far reaching of any pension
bill vet passed, inasmuch as the minimum
pension for the slightest incapacity would
be Sl2 month. He did not believe that,
with that construction given to it, the bill
would ever cross successfully the wide
waste lying between the Senate and the
statute book
Mr.. Cullom said that il seems to him that
the farther the country got away from the
late war, the less was being done or at
tempted to be done for the ex-soldiers
Instead OF increasing pensions, Congress had
been going the other way and diminishing
them. 1t seemed to him that the time had
come when Congress ought 10 attempt TO do
more for the soldiers, instead of attempting
TO do less, as appeared to be the case in the
pending bill
Mr.. Manderson appealed TO the Senate to
pass the bill, as it had been formulated BY
the Pension Committee of the G. A r.
Mr.. Davis, who has charge of the bill,
conceded with Mr.. Manderson in the opin-
ion that all of the amendments adopted
yesterday should be struck out and the bill
left as reported unanimously from the Com
mittee on Pensions.
Mr.. Plumb intimated that there was
something of "a juggle' concealed in the
bill. The effort seemed to be to get up a
bill not 10 meet the wishes of Congress, but
to meet the wishes of some body else The
Senate was asked not to change the bill BY
dottlng an Il" or crossing 't" and vet no
one was able 10 say what the Grand Army
Of the Republic desired to accomplish bv
it He asserted his conviction that the e.
A. X. did not want this bill. He did not
mean TO say that the bill had not come to
the Senate with the sanction of that organi-
ration; but he believed that somebody was
going TO be cbeated-either the Pension
Committee of the G.. A. R. or the G. A r.
itself. The question WAS, who was going
70 be cheated
Mr.. Manderson contradicted the state |
ment that the g. A. r did not desire the
passage of the bill, and said that the vote
in =, us posts had been LOG, leo for the bill |
10 S,609 against it.
Mr.. Plumb repeated his belief that the |
G. A. r. did not endorse the bill Is it stood |
But, whether il did or not, he was in the Sem |
ate to legislate, and to consider what was
Qut -sOluleTS OF the l mon and 10
Tighten public opinion.
In conclusion he called on the Demo- |
cratic members of the Committee on Pen
Ions TO express their views as 10 the bill
Mr.. Faulkner, member of that commit
tee, said that after a careful analysis and
examination of the bill. he had given it his
support in committee and will give it his
support in the Senate unless the amend
ments now in it were retained. If those
against the passage of the bill. He de-
clsred that if the bill passed with the
amendment of the Senator from Kansas,
striking out the word totally" befor. the
word 'incapacitated." the annual pension
list would exceed $3.50 OO0. 600 II the bill
were defeated the responsibility would not
rest on the Democratic side of the chamber
1t would rest on those Senators who had
put amendments into the bill with a GER
tain knowledge of its being vetoed; who
had done it with their eyes open. and with
the understanding that not only consistency
but the conscious sentiment of duty tai
though an election was coming on this year)
would require the same to be done now as
was done last session with a like bill
Mr. Teller protested against the Senate of
the United States being threatened with an
executive veto. He had never heard such
a thing before in the Senate and he hoped
he would never hear it again 1t seemed
To him TO be a great degradation to the Sem
ate for a Senator to stand up and say that
AZ proposed 10 be governed in his vote by
what the Executive thought, or felt, or
wanted.
Mr.. Beck hoped that the Senator
from Colorado would tell the Senate what
he thought of the speech Of the Senator
from Nebraska (Mr, Manderson) as to the
action of the Grand Army Of the Repub- I
lic-the beneficisries under the bill-as to
what their lodges and posts had determined /,
that the Senate shouldo, and how far that
was legitimate.
Mr.. Manderson suggested that if the Sena-
tor from Kentucky proposed to take away
the right of petition from the Grand Army
Of the Republic he would meet with no {
support even on his own side Of the Cham
ber
Mr.. Beck denied having ever suggested
that the Grand Army of the Republic |
should not exercise the right of petition
The senator's speech, he said, was more de-
grading 10 the Senate than allusion TO the {
Presidents actions on the bill could be- S
Mr Manderson said he was at loss to I
how the Executive was so immac- |
ulate and unapproachabie that his action !
was not to be criticized.
Mr.. Blackburn said that he deprecated I
the violation of that very proper rule S
which prohibited a Senator or Representa- i
tive from undertaking 10 influence legisla- G
tive action by any reference TO the pre- l
sumed course of the executive. He had 6
heard that rule violated by three Senators, c
Mr.. Davis Mr.. Manderson, and Mr.. Blair 7
These Senators had all said that the bill 5
had TO be framed and fashioned to avoid a ]
veto message at the hands of the executive. I
He did not know what authority they had ]
for the statement But he did know that I
there was but one political organization
in the country to-day which was
in perfect marching order, ready TO take
the field with knapsscks packed, and all
things ready. 1t was not the Democratic =.
party; it was not the Republican party, Z :
but il was the Grand Army of the Repub- 7
political system on the =
continent to-day. After some re-
marks BY Senators Manderson and u
Blair, Mr.. Blackburn went on to say that
1t was not TO be wondered at if those Sena- I
in their zeal should undertake TO warn the :
tors SUPERFICIAL of the land against the loyal I
policy of loyal executive. If those Sena- :
tors were unwilling TO submit the bill for
the determination of an American Congress Z
but insisted that it should go through in a
stereotyped form latter procrustean =
fashion) because the Grand Army of the L
Republic so decreed il, and if they meant to
dispose OF the surplus in the Treasury in
that way and no other, they should be
frank enough to face the policy and to go Z
TO the country upon il. e
After further debate by Messrs. Teller, v
Hoar, Blackburn, Blair and Manderson, tn, I
bill went over without action and the Sen. a
ate proceeded to executive business and a. l
p. m. adjourned. b
The House. !:
WASHINGTON, February 29-The House q
in Committee Of the Whole on public h
building measures, agreed to bill appro I
pristing 800, 900 for a public site at omahs o
md s25,Ooo for . public building at Bar is
dsrbor, Maine. The next bill called up p
vas that sppropriating eight hundred thou D