The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-03-22
IN A NEW ROLE.
Democrats Would Like to Appear as
the Soldiers Friends.

WASHINGTON, March 21.-The House, i'm
mediately after the reading of the journal,
went into committee of the whole on the
pension appropriation bill, and Mr.. Cheadle
of Indiana spoke at length in favor Of the
service pension law.
MIR. Clements of Georgia inquired whether
the sos, 100000 carried by the bill would be
sufficient fo- the next fiscal year.
Mr.. Morrow replied it would be sufficient
to pay all pensions under the present laws.
If Congress passed further laws increasing
the number or rate of pensions there would
be a deficiency.
Mr.. Clements said the present administra-
tion had criticised the last administration
for doing what 1t was doing itself. He did
not oppose just and liberal pensions, and was
not going to vote against the pending bill.
His only objection was that it appropriated
less money than the administration knew to
be necessary TO pay the pensioners next
year.
Mr.. Bynum Of Indiana charged the Repub-
lican party with being false to its promises
to the country in the matter of pensions
The Democrats were determined the Repub-
llcanS Snoulo carry out their pledges to the
soldiers. The Democrats were ready.
Mr.. Buchanan OF New Jersey suggested
that this was the first time the Democrats
had been ready in five years.
Mr.. Spinola OF New York said the Demo-
Gratis did not intend the Republicans should
parade themselves as the special friends of
the veterans The Democratic party had fore
ed the pension rolls from S28 0O0, 600 to $780,
100000, and yet Republicans went on the
stump and told the people that they were the
friends of the men who saved the Union,
Mr.. Allen Of Missouri said he did not be-
little services of the federal soldiers. To do
so would be to beliLtle his own, He had
been one of the men whom they had to over
come and that had been a herculean task,
Laughter. BE had a high regard for the
tried to break it up, but If gentlemen were
going to carry the pension legislation to its
legitimate conclusion, Congress had better
stop and have an accounting 1t looked To
him as if the country would have to let the
Grand Army of the Republic take the
government. [Laughter.] The fault with
Tanner was that he did not obey the recon-.
mendatiOnS of the Secretary OF the Interior
Mr.. Grosvenor of Ohio said the inority
| had suddenly become wonderfully patriotic
If it could only destroy the unpatriotic rec
| fully benefited. The. gentleman from New
| York Mr.. Spinolal said the Democratic par
| ty had run up the appropriations for pen
| sions from $28, 1000, Not dollar of thai
money was appropriated under any genera
| party or ever signed by a Democratic Presi
| dert, except that increasing the pensions O
| widows With this exception, every dollal
| of the appropriations was due to the patriot
| ism of the Republican party and its love o.
the soldier. Grover Cleveland. who hurled
his veto in the faces od the SO soldiers was thu
| Three years hence he would drag the Demo
| cratic party at his car wheels. The Demo
Gratis were to be credited with the fact tha
today there were 10000 Union soldiers in tn,
| poor house who would have been comforta
BILE under the bill President Cleveland We
| toed.
After further debate, the committee ros,
and the bill was passed Bills for the retire
ment of Gen. John ,C: Fremont, with th
rank Of major general, and appropriatinI
for the ParcMaass 81 menus LOT sufferer
| also passed.
At the evening session. the House passe
fifteen private pension bills and at 1880 ad
| journed until tomorrow.