Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1890-04-03
DEPENDENT PENSION
The Senate Passes the Dependent
Pension Bill.
SEVERAL AMENDMENTS REJECTED.
Republican Senators Speak Against Profi-
gacy In Pension LegisIatiOn-The
Montana Election Case
Taken Up.

on Mr.. Plumb's amendment as to the ar
rears of pensions-making pensions on
account OF wounds or injuries or dis
ease commence from the death or dis
charge of the soldier-when Mr.. Berry
inquired of Mr.. Plumb whether any es-
innate had been made of the cost of re-
moving the limitations of the arrears of
pensions.
Mr.. Plumb replied that the Commis-
sioner of Pensions had stated some
weeks ago that the cost would be about
S47s, OOO, 900 and that the chairman Of
the House Committee on Pensions had
estimated it at $500, 900, 900. 1t would be
somewhere about these figures.
Mr.. Frye regretted that the amend
ment was before the Senate, not that it
placed him in a position where he had
to vote for or against it, but because he
should regard its adoption as terrible
menace to the soldiers of the country.
He had held for a long time land he had
undertaken to show it in addresses to
bodies of soldiers in his own State) that
there was pace too rapid altogether
for their welfare and for their good.
There was danger of overlapping in
the matter of pensions. When Mr..
Cleveland commenced to veto pension
bills the Democratic party ratified
what he did, and not only the
Democratic party, but many of the
business men of the Republican party
too. He said to Senators who were
pressing the amendment that they were
imperiling the truest interests of the
%inrr
dice against pensions. If the amend
ment were adopted and the bill enacted
into law the soldiers who looked for
ward for a Service Pension bill would
look in vain. He dare not vote for
proposition that would be absolutely
destructive to the soldiers interests,
and he should be compelled to vote no
on the amendment
Mr.. Hawley expressed his personal
obligation to Mr.. Frye for telling the
serious truth in the matter. He did not
believe that the American soldiers asked
for the amendment. He would stake his
political standing on the assertion that
out of any 500 old soldiers there would
be found a majority against it. Head
long extravaganza would bring men into
power who would stint and squeeze and
deny the soldier There was a limit in
the matter of pension legislation. He
appealed to every old soldier. He ap-
pealed to every old soldier to be reason
able and just The American Nation
had certainly not been stingy. Pension
expenditures for the next year would
amount to nearly $50, ,000, 900. No Ma
tion in the world had ever appropriated
for it's soldiers a sum that could be
compared to that He begged the
old soldiers to remember that the OBJ
lection to getting into another war
would be not the cost of carrying it on,
but the consequences of it. And he
also asked them to remember that those
enormous sums of money came out of
the pockets, very largely, of people as
poor as themselves. He told an anec-
dote of General Grant on the occasion
of his last visit to the Capitol. With
his characteristic modesty he kept out
OF the chamber, and sat in one of the
cloak rooms, where almost every Sena-
tor visited him. He sat with the ac-
customed cigar and talked freely on the
very question introduced. He said
that on his way to the Capitol
clergyman went to him asking him to
sign memorial asking that every man
who had ever been prisoner of war
should be pensioned. BE had told the
clergyman that he ought to be in better
business; that there were all kinds of
prisonerS-some who let themselves be
caught easily, some who had stomach
ache or sore toe when a battle was in
the air and who were caught by a squad
of rebel cavalry, and some who were
caught ahead of the skirmish line.
Some of them had good rest and were
all the better for being prisoners. 81
will tell you," said General Grant,
''what would do if l were President.
would sign any reasonable bill to re-
ieve the distress of an honest old SOL
dier, or of his widow and children, but
/ would not vote one dollar to the able
bodied men"
'The last expression" said Mr.. Haw-
ley, ''sank into my memory. I live up
to that That is my platform. do not
believe that my State asks me to add
$500, 900, 600 to the debt of the Republic.
The theory of a pension is that it takes
care of a man who is to-day a sufferer
by reason of his service in the army;
but not that it shall go back ten or fif-
teen or twenty years (when a man did
not apply for a pension) and pay him
IS, 900, Sc, 600 or $40, 600. If we are go
ing to spend $500, 600, 600 it would be
better to divide it pro rata and not
throw it away at random. Aim as sharp
" as you can at actual necessities and
take care of the old soldiers, but do not
be stampeded by claim agents Do ex-
actly what you think is generous and
right and the country will sustain you
in it"
After further discussion Mr.. Plumb's
amendment was rejected Yeas 9, nays
40
Mr.. Call offered an amendment to in
clude those who served in Indian wars
prior to 1870. 1t was rejected-sO to 2s.
Mr.. Vest offered an amendment pro-
viding that the money necessary to
meet the appropriation under this bill
should be raised by an income tax of
8 per cent on incomes between s., 600
and $1,000. ~ per cent between $1,000
and $40, 900 and 10 per cent over S1O,-
600. 1t was laid on the table; yeas 90,
nays II. A strict Iarty vote.
Air. Plumb offered an amendment to
pay pension of IS month to all who
served ninety days in the late war who
are sixty-twc years of age or as they at
tain that age. This was rejected-yeas,
10; nays. 80.
The bill was then passed-yeas, AZ;
nays. IL.
The Montana election case was taken