The National tribune., 1890-05-08
CONGRESS-
Passage Of the Morrill, Service Pen.
sion Bill.



fions reported concurrent resolution which was
ordered 20 be printed and laid over, requesting
the President 10 negotiate with Great Britain
and Mexico with a view OF securing treaty
stipulations for the prevention OF the entry
into the United States of Chinese from Canada
and Mexico.
Consideration OF the customs administration
bill was resumed, and an amendment was
agreed 10 that in cases of the importation Of
books, magazines and periodicals ia several
parts, but one declaration OF entry shall be re-
puired The bill went over without action.
Nr. Teller (Colo.) submitted an amendment
70 the fortifcation appropriation bill, appro-
priating 100000, 10 be available at the rate
OF 100000 a year, for the manufacture of To-
inch l2-nch, I4-incb. l6-inch and 2O-inch
Service guns. The amendment requires the
Secretary of War to contract for the guns
with A. Ii. Emery. of Stamford, Conn.
The Senate adjourned AZ $40 p. m.
In the House. the bill Tor the classification of
worstod cloths as wooden cloths was passed by
yeas l3S, nays o, the Speaker counting a
quorum. ID authorizes the Secretary of the
Treasury TO classify as wooden cloths all inn
ports Of worsted cloths, whether known under
The name Of woTsted cloth or under the name
Of worsteds. diagoEals, or otherwise.
Dir. Mckinley co., from the Committee on
Rules, reported resolution providing for the
immediate consideration Of the Senate service
pension bill, TO which the Morrill, service pen
sion bill may be ordered as a substitute the
previous question to be considered, as ordered,
at 4 o'clock.
Mr.. Carlisle (Ky) protested against the
adoption of resolutions Of this character, which
took away from the Committee Of the Whole
the right 10 consider money bills, aud forced
the House 10 vote upon them after brief de-
bate. IL was estimated that the Morrill, bill
involved an expenditure Of Si0.Go00Oo, and
the Senate bin S37,000,000. lie conteuded that
! IL.
nearer S=9.000, 600 and S450y3000.
Mr. Mckinley co. defended the resolution.
He c0ntended that the country wanted results,
not speeches. The Democrats had considered,
and done nothing; the Republicans considered,
and did something.
The resolution was adopted. and Mr.. Morrill,
tkan.) took the floor in explanation and sup
port OF his bill. This act Of justice nc said,
had been too long postponed. Ii the Govern
ment was 20 grant a service pension, il should
grant il without delay. Tie idea Of applying
the principle OF dependence as a condition of
granting pension to 3 soldier is open 10 very
serious objection. The act for dependent
parents has led 10 many singular and conflict
ing decisions. in one case where a mother re-
ccyed an animal income Of 500 she was held
dependent and entitled 10 pension. In another,
where she had home and an average income
Of more than $3.50 per year. il was held that she
Was moi dependent ia still another case, where
3 mother was possessed Of $500 invested
81 ! per cent. interest, and owned some un-
productive Texas land, IL was held that she was
dependent. ID can readily be seen that IL will
be impossible 70 frame law so as clearly to
define what constitutes dependence. Again,
70 q certain extent il would depend on each
soldier. Many barely abe 10 earn scanty
Subsistence by uutiriLg industry would sturdily
refuse 20 acknowledge this dependence and
accept the benefits Of this act. Ii seems TO me
utterly unworthy a grea: Government when
il seeks 10 help those who fought its
battles 10 inquire either into the personal
habits o. lis brave soldiers their pecunary
condition. lt Is enough that one who responded
promptly u his cOuHtFy's cali IN lis hour of
peril is nov disabled. Let that be the only
test in granting pension 20 every soldier, with
out regard 20 has habits or his condition IN life
when be Is suffering from q disability.
u referring 20 the cost q proposed pension
legislation and the amount that can be appro-
priatea Eiib the present revenues he added,
that "this BIZ VIII afford relief 70 . larecr
number Of the veterans Of the war, without
additional taxation, tnan any other measure
presented is beyond question"
The tD.a. number Of persons put upon tie
pEHsiel-T.l. UHlCr tie provisions Of the bill
was esi. mated - 10000 AZ an annual cost OF
IS, 9z9.9J)- Tie object Of the bill was 10 rem
der aid 10 every soldier over 81 years Of age,
70 every disabled soldier without regard 10
age, ana - widows Of deceased soldiers who
needed assistance.
Mr. Yoder aO3 and Mr.. Martin und.)
spoke ia 81 pToTt q the per diem pension and
arteaTz Limitation repeal bin asked for by the
InicD Veterans Association. the Grand Army
and the Pennsylvania, Indiana aud Kansas
Service Pension Associations. Dir. Martin
wanted = 9icr il as : substitute but Mr. Kerr
(I0Wal objected.
Ar. Turner ~. y said that originally he
VS. ia favor Of The Morrill, bill. not because il
was what the soldier wanted, or what the
county could well Eay ior. but because IL was
. iair compromise. Bat when be was informed
HAT the Republican caucus had nUill6cd the
action Of The Committee on Invalid Pensions
by reducing be age Limitation. he did not feel
limsel; bound 70 vote for the bill
BIZ. IaIsaey No opposed the bill because IL
mace no 5crin!nallOu between the soldiers
WHO served three months and the soldiers who
served three wears: because II made no dis
tluctiOH between disability arising from scrv-
Zee De- the army and disability resulting from
tile vicious conduct Of The person 10 whom the
pension gag granted. The pending bill ought
not - 20 iutO history under the appcllalion Of
tie Morrill, BILL but under the appcllatiou Of
tie Immoral bill.
Mr. SgiHaia ~. y } criticized the FuafaFify,
To- LiBg through bin Involving $4,000 900
With boz three h0urs Debate aud 10 opBor-
tguiiy 90 the minority % offer amend ments.
IL attributed IL - cOwardicc. IL was a be-
tFaga. ~ tie veterans u tie country bv the
Republican party. il was cunning device Of
Tie majority ~ prevent Members Of the mi
Monty lr0ra Offering amen dsaents fOr the benc-
= ~ the soldier.
Mr. Bo9fAmaU 'O.J said that the bill vas not
Acceiaab.l 20 A3m Ia all Of its provisions. lie
would knock out tha age Limitation and make
bofae e.EcTeuce between long aud sb0rt-service
soldiers. But the cDucaBsus % opinion on his
side Was against him aud. therefore he would
take tiie bf ~ the best thing obtainable.
Ar. GrOsyauOT 90 said that this bill added
- tie prisoner Of war bin, when il was passed
wOuld add 10000 names 10 the pension rolls
ard would make that roll $4,000. The total
expenditure for pensions W0gld reach $50.
10000 pef aHHum. This gross sum amounted
q nearly - per cent 81 the gross income ol
the Government. Itdid not DO all he wished
bat 81 resulted Ia q mHuifccut generosity sucl
q tie word has never before witnessed and
exceeding that OF al the civilized nation,
combined
Mr.. Springer Jll was opposed % the biz
because IL was not based on "A Just principle {,
TIE soldiers. il granted tire same pension 10
man who served 80 days when the war wal
lo0aed upon az picnic - b. q man who fought
loI four years. This bill was not asked for bJ
the soldiers u the country. III the question
bad not gone into the Republican caucus iheT,
would have been 2 large majority Of the Hous,
"a favor o, per diem pension bill.
Remarks ~ favor u the bill were also made
~ Measrs. Craig -ta.), Post III, Reilly Pa.
Kerr iowa, Taylor o., Perkins Kan.
L9uE Tenn, CGtchegn Nicb.).