Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-12-06
REINFORCEMENT.
Going to Be a Hard Task to Get
Bill Through Congress
The Whole Matter May Go Over to the
Next COngress-Party Leaders
Greatly PerpleXed.
The Democrats in the House After Pension
Commissioner Raum-sayers Makes
Strong speech.
Unable to Agree.

! Special to the Gazette.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-THE reap
portionment bill will be a matter of
| faction has been expressed at the work
OF the census, especially in New York
| and Texas, that il is now question
| whether it is possible TO pass q
| reapportionment bill this session. The
whole matter may go over to
the next congress. Party leaders are
| greatly perplexed by the situation in
which they find themselves. 1t seems
impossible to unite the Democrats in
support of measure fixing the number
at S32. The present limit is less one
member each in Indiana, Mary
land, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and
South Carolina. The Democrats
from these states cannot bring
themselves to vote for the reduction of
their state delegation, though it would
benefit the whole South. The Republic
cans propose to fix the membership at
354, which will save those states from
any loss, but would give the Republic
cans al immense advantage.
RAUM' S NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
The Democrats in the house are after
Pension Commissioner Raum with a
sharp stick and they have been beating
him over the head for two days. He has
made glaring errors in his figures re-
gardlDg the number of pensioners and
the amount deemed necessary 10 pay
them. Sayres has taken the leading
part in the fight on the Demo-
cratic side. He is especially
well qualified to speak on this
question, as he has made IA study of fiscal
affairs for several years and Is a most
valued member of the appropriation
committee. He speaks with force and
feeling IS follows: The missioner Of
pensions has the hardwood, the I'M
blusning effrontery to come here ami
give us figures for the workings of the
dependent pension bill away under the
actual amount. Does the gentleman
think that the men on this side of the
house are idiots? Mr.. Chairman, 1 do
not place great faith in
THE ESTIMATES OF THE COMMISSIONER OF
PENSIONS.
These estimates are made upon the same
basis as the estimates of 1891, In which
he told US that S97 200, 200 would suffice,
and yet we find il required S135, 600 600.
Viewed in the light of the ability of the
pension bureau to prepare cases and the
activity Of the claim agents of Washing
ton, It will be impossible to prevent
deficit in the next year.
If the commissioner of pensions acts
honestly and conscientiously in the prep
aratou of claims and the issuance of
certificates, If the commissioner does
couscientiously and honestly administer
his office i'll the matter of prompt isSu-
anre of certificates, the pension expeDdI-
lures for 1892, instead of being Sl35,
600. 200 will be nearer Sl75 900 ,000.
There are two ways he can avoid this,
one by allowing only claims for
small pensions and the other by
withholding the issue of certificates
for claims allowed until the beginning of
the following fiscal year. Mr.. Sayers
then proceeded to a lengthy, detailed
aud statistical argument to prove that
If the pension bureau proceeds at
the rate it has IN the past year
and with its increased force
of 600 clerks, many thousand
more names must be added to the
pension rolls than the commissioner esti-
mates and the appropriation increased
accordingly.
No attempt was made to answer the
statement of MIR. Sayers. Dur
ing the course of his remarks many
prominent Republicans left the cha Der,
ana the gentlemen having the bill in
charge did not open their lips to make
adequate reply.