The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-12-05
DUMPING A DEFICIENCY.
The Radicals to Saddle the Pensio
Shortage on the Democrats.

ans nSulCalS u caOQle the PENSION
Shortage on the Democrats.
WAsHrNGToN, Dec. An the House to-
DAY the unfinished business iu the
morning hour was the bill for
the punishment Of every guardian,
conservator, curator, or other judiciary
agent, for the embazzlement of the pension
OF ward. The previous question was Or
dered by vote of 113 yeas to 90 nays, and
the bill was pas ed.
At the expiration of the morning hour,
the House went into committee Of the
waoIe on the pension appropriation bill.
Mr.. Morrow explained that the bill appro-
prlated for the payment of pc Isions the sum
OF 1888, l19 ,00O He believed that here would
te no deficiency next year, but. on
the contrary, that there would prove
to be slight excess OF appropriations.
He said this because he anticipated that the
gentlemen on the other side would call
attention to the fact that there had been
pension DEFICIENCIES during the past few
years, and would claim that it was the pur-
pose of the republicans to allow deficiency
to grow up IN 1892. He believed the appro-
priation to be amply sufficient.
SURE TO BE A DEFICIENCY.
Mr.. Sayers of Texas argued that the esti-
mate of the commissioner of pensions was
totally unreliable, and that the amount of
money required to pay the pensions would
be largely il excess of the amount appro-
priated by the pending bill He ventured
to sly that the Flfty-Second> congress
would be compelled to meet a
deficiency of not less that $4,000, 0OO.
No man, however houest, could fix within
$4,000, ,0J0 the amount actually to be ex-
pended under this bill The commissi oner
had failed to tell the House what would be
expended in 1890; he had made similar
failure in 1891, aud be would make greater
failure in 1892; and the democratic congress
would have to pay the penalty.
THE PROBABLE EXPENDITURE.
His conclusion, after careful investiga-
tion Of the matter, was that, instead Of the
governments expenditure for pensions be-
ing confined TO $lS3, 900, 900, they would be
nearer Sl75 600. In conclusion, he gave
it as his deliberats judgment, from full
investigation of the facts and figures,
together with the experience of the House
as TO the workings of the
pension Office, that if the commissioner
would work faithfully and energetically is
suing certificates as fast as they were pre-
pared for issue, there would inevitably be
deficiency during 1892 Of not less than $S5,-
000, 900, which tae democratic House would
have to meet
COOPER'S ATTACK ON RAUM
Mr.. Cooper of Indiana renewed his attack
of the lasJ session upon Pension Commits
sioner Raum. Referring to the large force
of employees in the pension bureau, id to
the vast expenditure of money for pensions,
he said he proposed to show why this
force Of men shoGld be presided over by a
man of high oaarac or, and why this vast
sum of money should be disbursed by a
man above criticism and above reproach.
1t was his purpose TO call the attention of
the country to the fact that the present
commissioner of pensions was not such
person. Carrying OUT this pur-
pose, he quoted literally from the
testimony given before the special commit
tee which, near the close OF the last session,
had under investigat on his (Mr. Cooper's)
charges against Commissioner Raum, of
favoritism toward one prominent pension
claim agent, of borrowing money fro an
attorney who practiced before the pension
bureau and of floating the stock of a fraud
ulent corporation among the employees Of
that bureau.
SHARP COMMENTS MADE.
He commented sharply upon this testi-
mony and paid no attention to the objsc-
tions of Messrs Cannon and Sawyer that
no report has been made to the House by
the Investigating committee, and that the
testimony was not a proper subject Of dis
cussion in the absence of such a report.
After some discussion Of the status of the
investigation above referred to, the COM
mittee rose aud the House adjourned