Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-08-03
THE HOUSE.
The Presidents Pension Record Ex-
pressed I'm Figures.


WASHINGTON, August 2.-The House
to-day proceeded to consideration OF the
Senate amendment to the Army Appro-
priation bills, and they were non-concur-
red in, and a conference ordered. The
Whole on the Deficiency Appropriation
bill.
In speaking to formal amendment,
Hovey, of Indiana, replied to speech
published in the Congressional Record of
Sunday last, purporting to have been de-
livered in the House on the preceding
Saturday by Representative Matson, OF
Indiana, on the subject of pensions. 1t
was not necessary, said Hovey, to re-
mind the gentlemen that no such speech
proceeded to make an extremely viru-
lent attack on the Democratic pension
policy, and President Cleveland.
A SAMPLE OF HIS sLUsH.
Hovey said the gentleman had labored
to show that the Democratic party was,
and had been the friends of the ex.
soldiers of the United States. In that
herculean task it was no wonder the
gentleman preferred to print his speeches
in the record rather than to have his
bold assertions meet with prompt replies.
There could not be found an intelligent
man who did lot fully know and under
stand the attitude of the respective par.
ties on this subject, and that the Demo.
cratic party from the President down,
was strongly opposed to all pension legis.
lation; that there had been a studied
and systematic course taken by the
Democrats Of the House against all
general pension legislation, could not
be honestly denied. He criticised
the Committee on Rules for not
reporting the resolution assign
ing "a day for the consideration OF
pension legislation, and he declared that
the petitions and prayers of thousands of
soldiers remained unread and disregard
ed. The history of legislation presented
no parallel to this outrage on the people.
The Democrats did not dare to vote on
these general pension bills because they
knew every Northern Democrat who
voted against them would sound his own
death knell. They knew they would be
in danger Of veto, either from their Presi.
dent or their constituents. He then pro-
ceeded to argue that the Mills bill, should
it become law, would destroy all
hopes that the soldiers might have
OF pension legislation. There would be no
surplus on hand wherewith to pay PEN
sions. He analysed several of the Presi-
dents yetoes to substantiate the declar-
alton that in each of them the President
virtually accused the claimants and
witnesses of perjury. If Cleveland was
not shielded by his Presidential mantle,
action for libel could be maintained
against him in any court of justice. In
conclusion he declared the Republican
party the party of the soldier, and that
the speech of his college could not con-
vince them to the con trary.
McKINNEY's CONVINCING REPLY.
Mckinney, of New Hampshire, de-
Tended the President from the charge of
being an enemy of the soldier. He had
during his term of Office, signed 1894
private bills as against 1924 signed by
all the Republican Presidents from Lin
coin to Arthur. He signed bills carrying
general pension legislation which ap-
piled to 144 800 persons.
McCutcheon declared that every man,
woman and child whose names were on
the pension rolls owe their position to the
Republican party.
The debate then turned upon the Ia
riff question and Rebel battle flags.
Without further action the Committee
rose and the House adjourned.