Daily Kennebec journal., 1890-03-22
Animated Discussion Over the Pen
sion Appropriation Bill.

Immediately after the reading of the
the whole, Burrows Of Michigan in the
chair on the pension appropriation bill.
Chesdle of Indiana spoke at length in
favor of the service pe.ssion laws.
Clements of Georgia inquired whether
the e99, 500 900 carried by the bill would
be sufficient for the next fiscal year.
Morrow replied that it would be sufic-
lent to pay all the pensions under the pres
ent laws, but il Congress passed further
laws increasing the nun unber or the rate Of
pensions, there would be deficiency The
present administration had criticized the
last administration for doing what it was
now doing itself.
He (Clements) did not oppose just and
liberal pensions. He was not going to
vote against the pending bill. His only
objection was that it appropriated less
money than the administration knew would
be ne essary to pay the pensions for the
next year.
Bynum of Indiana, charged the republi-
can party with being false to its promises
to the country in the matter Of pensions.
The democrats were determined that the
republicans should carry out their pledges
to the soldiers. The democrats were
ready.
Buchanan of New Jersey, suggested that
This was the first time the democrats had
oeen ready in FIVE years-
Cu.chcon Of Michigan inquired whether
the democrats while in control of the
House had passed a service pension bill.
Bynum replied that they had not, but
they did not 90 home and ask for votes
under false prete nces.
Spinola of New Yo:k said the democrats
did not intend that the republicans should
mask themselves as the special friends of
the veterans. The democratic party had
forced the pension rolls from s25, ,OO0, 900
to Sl00, ,000,0 %, yet the republicans wen:
on the stump and told the people they were
the friends of the men who saved the
nation
Allen Of Missouri said he did not belittle
the services of the Federal soldiers. To
do so would be to beli,tse his own. He had
been one of the men whom they had to
overcome and that had been . herculean
task. Laughter) He had high regard
for the government and was mighty sorry
he tried to break it up but il the gentle
men were going TO carry pension legislation
to its legitimate conclusion. Congress had
better stop and have an accounting. Il,
looked to him a. if the country would have
to let the Grand Army of the Republic
take the government. daughter
Breckinridge of Kentucky expressed him
self in favor of 4 liberal pension system
but opposed to the abuse of the system and
opposed to msking the pension bureau a
great political machine.
Morrow of California stated the trouble
With Commissioner Tanner when he came
into office he found abuses existing in the
machinery Of the bureau. The fault with
Tanner ~as he did not obey the recon-
nendstiops of the Secretary Of the Interior
G-osvenor Of Ohio said the minority had
suddenly become wonderfully patriotic and
If it could only destroy the unpatriotic
record it tsd always made it would be ron
derfully benefited.
The gentleman from New York (Spin-
ola said the democratic party run up the
appropriations for S2s, 900, 900. Not dol
lar Of that money vas appropriated under
any general pension bill ever passed by the
democratic party or signed By democratic
President except increasing widow pensions
With this exception every dollar appropri-
ated . due to the patriotism of the republi
can party and its love of the so diers.
Grover Cleveland, who hurled his veto in
the faces of the soldiers, vas the most
popular democrat in the Cnited States, and
three years hence would drag the demo-
Gratis at his car wheels. The democrats
are to be credited With the fact that today
there are 20, 900 Union soldiers in the poor
house, who would have been made COM
Portable under the bill that President Cleve.
land vetoed. The democratic party never
favored pension legislation except when i,
vas out Of power. Every wrong done "a
the Union soldier has been done By the
democratic party. and every right has been
done BY the republican party.
Spinola suggested that . democratic
Congress passed the arrears bill and the
bill increasing the pension Of widows from
% to el2 . month. The bill President
Cleveland vetoed vas IN insult to the vet.
erans of the country. In the course of hil
remarks Spinola stated that the great bull
Of the Union army vas made up from the
! democratic legions Of the North.
! Keer Of Iowa, aenied the correctness OIL
, Spinola's statement ~ to the number oi
| democrats in the Union army.
| Flower Of New York. declared that vhel
the army vas in the 1eld every northern
State vent republican. Never until th'
soldiers got back did the democrats STAN
. chance in those States. {Laughter.)
Ssfuble Of Iowa, vigorously antagonize,
the suggestion made BY Bynum Of Indiana
! that an income tax be levied for the puf
pose Of paying pensions-
! Allen Of Mississippi thought is time ths
men Who we're speculatins While the sol
diers we're in the dald we're bearing nam q