Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-03-22
CONGRESSIONAL GRIST.
Money for the COuntry's
Defenders.
PENSIONS AND PATRIOTISM.
AND PATRIOTISM.
The Pensions Appropriations Bill
Passes the House After
Lively Debate.


today went into committee of the whole
on the Pension Appropriation bill.
Cheadle, of Indiana, spoke at length in
favor of service pension law. He ex-
planned the provisions Of his bill, author
izing service pension for life to every
veteran of fifty years of age, who served
sixty days and was honorably dis
charge; idnvalid pensioners who receive
less than So month, and all who receive
no pension, to be beneicisries under it.
At the conclusion of Cheadle's speech,
Clements, of Georgia, said that after
listening to the speeches of the gentlemen
on the other side he was inclined to won
der why Commissioner Tanner had been
requested to resign. The gentleman from
Kansas (Peters) had justified the action
of Tanner in putting upon the pension
rolls those who rendered good service
before they left the army without
permission, in increasing the So rate
and re-rating pensions. Then why had
Tanner been asked to resign?
Morrow, of California, said the ques-
ton could be answered easily; but as
the answer would involve going into
matters of detail, he would refrain from
doing 20 at present.
Clements said in the employment of
thirty additional medical examiners and
the utilizing of the employees Of the
Pension Bureau, large increase in
the amount of pensions must result,
even under the existing laws. Clements
doubted whether the sos. SOC, 900 carried
by the bill would be sufficient to pay all
the pensions under the present laws, but
if Congress passed other laws increasing
the number or rate of pensions, there
would be deficiency.
Clements did not oppose Just and
liberal pensions; he was not going to
vote against the pending bill. His only
objection to it was that it appropriated
less money than the administration
knew would be necessary to pay the PEN
sions for the next year.
Bynum charged the Republican party
with being false to it's promises to the
country in the matter of pensions. The
Democrats, he said, were determined
the Republicans should carry out their
pledges to the soldiers.
Cutchson inquired whether the Demo.
Gratis. while in control of the House. had
passed service pension bill.
Bynum replied they had not, but they
had not gone home and asked for votes
under false pretenses
Spinola said the Democrats intended
to draw the line of battle on the Service
Pension bill. The Democrats did not
intend the Republicans should mask
Themselves as the friends of the veterans.
The Democratic party had forced the
pension rolls from $2S,000,000 up to
$1O0, 900 900, and yet the Republicans
went on the stump and told the people
they were the friends of the men who
saved the Union.
Enloe, of Tennessee, impressed upon
the House the necessity of thoroughly
investigating the workings of the Pension
Bureau.
Allen, of Mississippi, said he did no.
belitte the services Of the Federal
soldiers. To do SO would be to belittle
his own. He had been one of the men
whom they had had to overcome. He
had high regard for the Government;
he was mighty sorry he had tried to
break itup, but if the gentlemen were
going to carry pension legislation to it's
legitimate conclusion, Congress had
better stop and have an accounting 1t
looked to him as il the country would
have to let the GraEd Army of the Re-
public take The Government.
Breckinridge, of Kentucky, expressed
himself in favor OF liberal pension sys-
tenn, but was opposed to the abuse of
that system and opposed to making the
Pension Bureau great political ma
chine.
Grosvenor said the minority had sud-
denly become wonderfully patriotic, and
if it could only destroy the unpstriotic
record it had always made it wonld be
wonderfully benefited. The gentleman
from New York (Spinola) had said the
Democratic party had run up the appro-
priations for pensions from $2S 900 900 to
500, 900 900. There was not dollar OF
that money that had been appropriated
under any general pension bill ever
passed by the Democfatic party, or ever
signed by a Democratic President, sx-
cept that increasing the pensions to
widows. With this exception every dol
lar appropriated for pensions was due to
the patriotism of the Republican party.
Referring to President Clevelsnd's veto
of ther Dependent Pension bill, he said
when Mr.. Cleveland was re-noninated
no man had shouted louder in his
behalf than had the gentleman from
Indiana (Bynum), and yet Cleve-
land, who had hurled his vetoes
in the faces OF the soldiers, was the
most popular Democrat in the United
States, and three years hence would drag
the Democratic party at his Car wheels.
The Democrats we're not to be credited
with any of the pension legislation of the
country. but they were to be credited
with the fact that today there were 20, 900
Union soldiers in the poorhouse who
would have been comfortable under the
bill which Cleveland had vetoed.
Tarsney inquired whether the Repub-
licans intended to pass the Dependent
Pension bill vetoed by President Cleve-
land.
Grosvenor replied they would not.
They would pass Republican bill which
would not contain pauper feature; a
bill that would have nothing in it that
would degrade manhood.
In the course of further remarks,
Spinola stated that the great bulk of the
Union army was made up from the Dem
ocratic legions of the North. This
caused sarcastic laugh on the Republic
can side.
After further debate the committee
rose aud the bill was passed.
A bill WAS passed appropriatiDg $780,
600 to enable the Secretary OF War to
purchase $500 tents for the people
driven from their homes by the floods in
Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana.