Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-01

vi ptuoiun5' III tui,Cisy 10 WI po vi AItu
engaged in inventing Legislation TO take
more money out OF the Federal Treasury.
The report OF the Commissioner of Pen
sons shows that when the arrears OF the
pensions act Of 1879 was passed there were
some 10000 applications for pensions
pending. The very next year the number
of applications jumped to 10000
Claim agents invented that law and put
limitation on it, and the number of APP
plcations for pensions jumped in one
wear from 10000 to 10000 and the
amount of disbursements from $50, 000,
600 to s57, 900, 000."
Mr.. Vest went on to gay that OF the
1900, coo men enrolled as soldiers during
the four years OF war there were appli-
cations from 100000 for pensions on
account of disability. Such military
execution, be'said, had never been known
in the history Of the whole world. The
Confederates had thought that they had
poor powder and ordnance stores, and
vet. making due allowance for the effect
of climate in producing disability, it
would appear that one Confederate sol
der. half clothed and half fed. had dis
abled three of his adversaries. There
had been no such destruction il military
annals since the children of Israel
marched through the wilderness. de-
stroying whole nations IN n single day.
The craftsmanship of the Persian Prince
in the Arabian Nights, whose arrows
crossed mountains and rivers aud de-
spised space in their flight, had been no.
thing to that OF the Confederate soldier
His bullet must have hit two or more at
n same time aud struck where it was
not aimed. Fifty per cent. OF all the
lost of the Union army were APP
plicants for pensions on account OF
disability. Who, he asked. believed
that they were honest applicants? Who
believed that the pension bills had not
degenerated into political abuses which
cried aloud IN the faces Of all honest
men for redress He had n great re-
gard for many Of mis- friends on the OPP
posite side Of the chamber, and in the
words which he had spoken he had
wished TO give an opportunity 20 some
of them who had ldrked back i'll the
contest over the bill TO throw his shining
lance among "the Confederate briga-
diers " and try to carry Republican for
the presidency. The recent dispatch
from Paris had caused political candI-
dates to become as thick "as leaves
in Valambrasia Before that dispatch
had come under the yeasty waves OF the
ocean the Republican party had been IN
the condition of tue man who, having
gone home some hours before his usual
time in the morning, and having been
asked why he had gone home so soon,
replied that every other place in town
was shut up. The doors OF the Republi-
can party were now open, and presl-
dental candidates we're coming to the
front without limit as TO quantity or
locality. The Senate had been engaged
for some DAYS past in a political auc.
ton for the soldier vote. First had
come his friend from Nebraska
(Manderson), backed by the Grand
Army of the Republic, and lie Vest
had listened with real qualification TO bis
dulcet and modulated voice from the be-
ginning to the end of his speech. Even
that Senator'S filings at the President Of
the United States had not detracted
from the general merit of his bid for the
soldier vote, and when he received a
floral tribute AS token OF regard from
his admiring constituents behind him lie
| (Vest) had but one single suggestion to
make. and that was that lilies should
have been embroidered over the portals
OF the White House. That was the ob-
iect of all the debate of all the bidding
for the soldier vote of the country in
| the coming contest. When the Senator
from Nebraska took his seat he
mir. Vest had thought that the bid was
in his favor, but that the present occu-
pant of the chair, the Senator from Maine
/ (Nr. Frve), had caught the eye OF the
/ auctioneer the Grand Army OF the
/ Republic-and had "gone one better. "
That Senator was prepared to vote a
pension to every man who had served a
/ dav in the Federal army. He (Air
| Vest) was about to knock down the prize
TO the Senator from Maine, when his
friend from Kansas (Mr. Plumb came
70 the front and outbid the Senator from
| Maine by an amendment TO the bill
which would increase the expenditure
under it $50, 100000 or S75.00O,O0 He
Vest had then been strongly Of the
opinion that the auction should close
and the prize be given TO the Senator
from Kansas. but then the Senator from
! Illinois (CullOm) had come to the front
and made a bid from that great prairie
State which had staggered his Vests
conviction as to the propriety of closing
| the sale. Since that time he had been
IN condition of anxiety waiting to
hear from other bidders in the great
national auction. The Senate had
not vet heard from his dulcet-
toned friend from Iowa (Alllson),
who had kept his seat and merely
nodded acquiescence to the most extreme
propositions for the benefit OF ex-sol-
diers. nor had the Senate yet heard from
the distinguished Senator from Ohio
(Sherman), who in such Il contest ought
certainly to come to the front and blI
something for the vote which candidates
thought was to determine the contest
neither had the Senate yet heard from
the presiding officer Ingalls,, who
had been nominated by the District
of Columbia-and every one knew
that the District of Columbia only
acted from the most disinterested
and unselfish motives. He Vest would
rather have the nomination from the
District of Columbia than from any
State in the Union, because (ss every one
knew it came from the heart and never
from the pockets. No man, woman, OF
child in the District had any otner object
than the promotion OF the national
honor and prosperity, and so. when he
read in a Democratic paper of Washing
ton last Sunday (before attending church,
that the presiding officer Of the Senate
was the nominee of the District of Co
lumbia, he said Eureka we have
found man at last, and the question is
finally settled.
The whole of Mr.. Vests speech was
listened to with the closest attention by
senators and by the audience in the gal
leries, and his felicitous sketch OF the
Republican candidates and their sup
Il