The Indianapolis journal., 1890-09-24

It's provisions extend to the widows. minor
children and parents of veterans who are
dependent.
This, il will be seen, is dependent PEN
sion bill pure and simple. but a much better
one than Mr.. Cleveland vetoed-a veto
which was sustained by 125 Democrats.
only IS Democrats voting to override II.
Several amendments were proposed to the
bill. all of which were voted down. 10
cast stigma upon the measure. Senator
Vest of Missouri, who opposed all pension
legislation, offered an amendment which
would have attached an income tax to the
bill to raise the money with which to pay
such pensions. That amendment was re-
Jected by vote cf 20 to IL. the seventeen
votes being those of Democrats, including
Mr.. Voorhees,. Mr.. Plumb of Kansas offered
an amendment to pension all veterans
sixty-two years of age, who had served
ninety days or more. at the rate of s. per
month, which was rejected by a vote of l9
to 50. All the votes for the proposition. ex-
cept those of Turpie and Voorhees,, were
those of Republicans. A majority of the
bill was finally passed by vote of AZ to IL,
ten Democrats voting for it.
The bill then went to the House and was
referred to the pensions committee, OF which
Major Morrill, of Kansas is chairman.
While it is jnst such a bill as the Repub-
Gcans were pledged to pass by the national
convention and the platform Of the In
diana Republican convention 1T was not
committee believed to be right and just.
Consequently that committee reported a
bill which provided for the pensonlng OF
all veterans sixty-twO years of age, who
of S8 per month. 1t also provided for the
pensioning. at s. per month. of every vet
eran of service of ninety days who is. or
may be, suffering from physical disability
equivalent to the grade now established In
the Pension Office for the rating of So per
month. The same provision applies to the
widows of veterans. This. it will be seen,
is disability and limited service pension
bill. the dependent clause having been elm;
to have passed under suspension of the
rnles. to do which a twO-thirds vote is re-
qulred- The vote for suspension of the rules
stood-yeas, 169; nays, 81. Nownote the vote:
OF the 169 in favor of suspension, 135 were
Republicans and thirty four were Demo-
Gratis. while ALL every man of the eighty
seven voting against suspension, were
Democrats. Every Democrat in the border
States. like Kentucky. Tennessee and Mis-
souri,. and In the Southern States, who was
recorded, voted against resolution under
which the Morrill, bill would have been
passed In less than an hour. This list OF
opponents includes Carlisle. the Demo
cratic candidate for Speaker and the
leader of the Democratic side.
COMPLETING THE MORRILL, BILL.
Not able to pass the bill under suspen-
assigned day for consideration of pension
bills, and on April 80 the Morrill, bill above
referred to was offered by him as substi-
tute for the Senate bill. The bill was
amended on motion of Mr.. Cheadle, so that
the aye of veterans entitled to pensions
should be sixty instead of sixty two years
The first vote was on substituting the Nor
rill bill for the Senate bill. and it stood
nine were Democrats, and all of the nay
were Democrats. At this stage of the con-
sideration. Mr.. Y0der, Democrat, of
Ohio. moved to recommit the bill
to the committee; with instructions
to report back a substitute by which all
persons who had served in the late war
should receive pension "at the rate per
month of cent for each days service rem
dered." That is. an ex-soldIer who had
served 100 days would receive pension of
81 q month. or Sl2 year. and one who had
served two years. or $50 days. would re-
ceive $50 month. This motion was re-
jected by vote of As yeas to 161 nays. The
yeas were given by Northern Democrats
publican. A large number of members did
not vote 11S), mostly Southern Democrats.
The bill was then passed by q vote of 179
yeas and al nays.T not voting Only 81
Democrats voted for the measure. while II,
| or nearly two to one. voted against it.
The bill then went to the Senate for it's
| action. That body nOn-concurred in the
| passage of the House bill and conference
committee was asked for. This on
| May Is. The conference committee held
| several sessions, which resulted finally.
June IL, in an agreement upon a bill which
struck out of the House bill the section
granting pensions to all veterans of sixty
| years of age. and striking out of the Sem
| ate bill the dependent feature, making it a
disability bill The word manual" was
inserted before labor" and the rate of
pension was fixed to range from Sl2 to Sc
! per month. The House agreed to this bill
| by vote of 145 yeas to 56 nays t126 not vot-
| ing. OF the 145 voting yea % were Demo-
Gratis while all the votes against the bill
| were given by Democrats, there being two
Democrats against to one in favor of the
| bill In the Senate the bill was agreed to
| by a vote of 81 yeas to Is nays. OF the
yeas three were given by Democrats-Call
| of Florida, Hearst of California and Turpie
of Indiana. All of those voting against
| the bill were Democratic. President Har
! rison. who had for nearly ten years ad-
| vocated measure to prevent veterans
| from being sent to the poor-hOuses ap-
| proved the bill June "a; and it is now a
law, and already thousands of veterans
have applied for it's benefits.
Another bill has become law by the
! votes of the present Congress, by which all
| totally disabled soldiers. by reason of in
| jury while In the service, or who. from such
| service, may hereafter become totally dis
| abled, shall be pensioned at the rate of S72
| per month. In order to expedite the ad-
| justment of claims eighteen medical exam
liners have been voted by the present Con-
| gress.
From the above historical statement of
the legislation of the present Congress, the
| following deductions may be made:
First-That not more than four Demo-
cratic Senators have voted for any exten-
| sion of the pension system.
| SecOnd-That all the votes against the
| pension legislation in the Senate were
| given by Democrats.
| Third-That in the House from two-thirds
| to othree-fftns of the Democrats voting are on
| record against every proposition to extend
| the benefits of the pension system.
| FOurth-That every Republican in the
| Housevoted for the Morrill, liberal bill, with
the sixty-years-of-ag service pension and
| for the conference bill which became law.
Fifth-That. with a Democratic House and
| Mr.. Cleveland as President the present dis
ability pension act could not have become
| a law. and consequently the old soldiers
would have been obliged to wait four years
| more before any laws which recognized dis
| ability beyond the laws in force when Mr.
| Cleveland was elected could have been put
| upon the statute book.
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