New-York tribune., 1890-04-01
DEPENDENT PENSION BILL.
THE uFASI-RE PASSED By THE SENATE,
AZ TO -.
,r,ocp,rs VOTING WITH THE REPUBL1-
CANS FOR IT-MH PLCMbS Thoro9|D
,YrxDNrNTS-THE DEBATE.
,rv rr,rcn,Pn TO THE TRIBUNE.

,ry TELEGRAPH To THE TRlBcNEl
wosb,nrton March 3l.-Another important p"ono
oosurc was disposed of today III thc Nch"'e ''o ~
nea son pension 1ill passing by vote of A. to L..
pci"0"' rosit,on 70 this commcndable piece OF
nv oa,,o from the ranks OF the southern Demo
"s h ,horch too weak in both branches OF
crcrcss 10 defeat the bill IN the NLiN'l congress-
rere still able to dictate It's Ne'o ny No'"0 D.o
,,c president These were the senators WHO s'oou
~ .. da, in ,inGicatiOn of Mr.. CleNcands dchal
- ,ust measure Of relief to the disabled ana ocpohd
'" o.nans If the War of the Rebellion: Bate and
GU. 90 rerucsscc: Berry and Jones. of Arkansas,
n,cb,,rr of Kentucky Cockrell and Vest, OF MIS-
orr, coou. of Georgia Eca9an oi lexaS' f"s"' vi
Alabama and Wilson, of Maryland. Zen DcM"'lalS'
" ~, thcr hand turned their backs sQuarcy on the
rosad leader of their party ana his record ana
,otsd with the Republicans in favor OF the bL Ihcy
- ~ sana.ors call Of Florida George and Wathall.
90 mississippi Faulkner. Of West virginia Gibson OF
Iouisiana: Hearst Of California MoPhcrSoh' oi New
,crsav. Pavne of Ohio. and voorhees, ana Iuillc' VI
,s, Ten more Democrats lodged vote on the
question Comment devotion like TINS 10 thc
prccepts of the nominal hcau oi INC Do'""''""' parry
seems altogether gratuiodS.
The chief incidents Of the discussion to-day were
senator Plnmb's efforts. first. TO wipe ont all lmifa-
,ons as TO arrcaraGcS. and then TO add to the bill
.r,.ice pension clause applying to all veterans.
uhether disabled or not who had reached SlXty-t"o
wears Both propositions were beaten by It large
oiori,v senator Vests suggestion that an income
Tow he laid 10 meet the OF the pensions paid under
the bill though perhaps not offered IN great SerionS-
ness had to he dclcatcd by a strict party vote The
Pensions Committee succeeded in getting the bill
through finally without any notifications. Mr. Pmmb'
.he most persistent If the critics. giving up after
4 dozen or more attempts a. amendment. Inc bni'
a. passcd differs only in slight details from the one
vetoed by President Cleveland in l70'
The bill being taken up. the first question was on
Mr. Plumb's amendment removing the limitation d.
70 arrears Of pensions making pensions on account
Of wounds injuries or disease begin from inc oc'"
or discharge Of the soldier.
Nr Berry inquired If Mr.. Plumb whether any cStl-
mate had been made of the cost OF removing tie lim'a-
tion on arrears of pensions.
Mr. Plumh answered that the Commissioner Of Pen
sons had stated some weeks that The cost would
be about si7- 100000. and that the chairman of the
Uou,e Committee on Pensions had estimated Il at
s5ooO00oOO. 1t would be somewhere about these
figures
Mr. Davis chairman If the Committee on Pensions.
said that that committee had now before it eight
separate bills covering tie entire question Of pension
srrearaceS. The committee had deemed it t. lie lis
duty to take up first the bill now under con,.dcra-
ton which stood first in the desire, of those who
were Interested in tie matter Of pensions, The
amendment Offered by the senator from Kansas was
on a different, subject and covered different topic
introducing other considerations.
Mr. Cockrcll declared hi, conviction that if the
100000 it would cost not dollar les than $500
100000. and onc-half of that sum would have to De
paid out at the first quarterly payment. If the
amendment were adopted there would have 10 be
provided for paying that immense amount.
NJ Blair favored the principle Of Nr. Plumb,
amendment. but argued that 1t should bc brought
forward as an independent measure BOT an amend
mcnt 10 the pending bill. There never was irstcr
measure than tha, for the payment Of Of pen
sons. lie thousht it likely that the cost of arrears
Of pensions would reach $500 100000, and It might
reach 81 900, 900 900.
Mr.. Frye regretted that the amendment before
the senate, not that it placed him in position where
he had tp vote for il or against IT, but because he
should regard It's adoption terrible menace to the
soldiers of the country He had held for long while
and re had undertaken TO show it in addresses 10
bodies Of soldiers j his -tatc-that there was
pace TOO rapid altogether for their welfare and their
good There danger Of Overlapping in the matter
Of pensions. When Mr.. Cleveland began to veto
pension bills the Democratic party ratified what he
cid and not only the DcmocIa party. but many OF
the business men in the Republican party too.
He said 10 senators who were pressing The amend
ment that they were mperlinc the truest interests
OF the soldiers and creating pFejudiccs asan-
pensions If the amendment were adopted. and the
bill enacted into law. the soldiers who looked for
ward TO a service Pension bill would look in vain
lie dared not for proposition that Ic believed
would be absolutely destructive 10 the bc>f interest,
OF the soldiers: and he should be compelled to vote
no" the amendment.
Mr. Hawlcy expressed his personal Obligation 10
Mr.. Frye for telling the scrou, truth in the matter.
Io did not believe tha. the American soldier, asked
for the amendment. He would stake his political
standing on the assertion that ont Of any 500 old
soldiers there would be found majority against II.
Icadlonr extravaganza wolld bring men into power
who would stint and squeeze and deny the soldier
There was limit in the matter Of pension legislation
lie appealed to every soldier 10 be reasonable and
just. Tho American Nation had certainly not been
stnv. Pension expenditure, for the next year
would amount to Icarly $I30OOO0OO. No nation in
the world had ever appropriated for it, soldiers
that could be compared 20 il. lie begged the
old soldcrs remember that the objection 10 getting
into another woud be not the cost Of carrying II
On. but the consequence, Of il. and he also asked
them remember that those enormous sums Of money
largely Of the pockets Of people aS poor as
themselves.
He told an anccdole of General Grant on The oc-
casion Of last the Capitol with hl- char
modc~ty General kept ont Of the Chamber
and ssl in Of the cloak rooms where almost every
Senator visited him. lie at with the aFcu-'omcn
cigar and talked freely on every question introduced
lie said that on hi, way TO the Capitol clergy man
came II him urging hin 10 sign a memorial ASKING
tha, every man who had been prisoner Of war
should be pci,iDned. General Grant had toM t'''
clergyman tia, ought to bc in better business tha'
there were all kinds Of prisoners some VINO r' them
selves be caught easily some WHO had stonac!-achc
or Toe when a battle in the air. and Ni' |
were caught by a squad Of rebel cavalry ana s"mc
who were caught ahead Of the ,hrnish line some oi
them had good rest, and all the better Tor being
pnsOneis. Il will tell yOu' said General "fant'
What would DO # 1 were President you'd sis,
any reasonable BIZ relieve the distress cf an hOhei
pa solder. or Of his widow or chdrcn, but "oniu
not vote dollar 10 the able bodied men"
mat last expression SAID Mr. IidNlcN, SANK mo
my memory. | live up 20 that. That j. my PAi',
iorn. do not believe that my stale ask ne - auu
cOoO,OOc 900 t. the debt OF The public me theory Oh
pension j. that il take, oi a man VINO j. 10 u'N
sufferer Of his service IN the Army but hvt
that II shall 20 back hf;ccn o. twenty wears
when a man did not apply fOi pension ana pas nm
sD.ODD. or 5000 10000. II gONS u 'l'Nh
cJ00.OOOOOO II would be better 10 divide II pro rata
ana not throw II away - random. l-c IT. Ann ~
sparsey can at actual necessities, and take care