Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-06-24
THE DEPENDENT PENSION BILL.
Its Passage by the Senate-Only the
Presidents Signature.

The dependent pension bill now only needs
the signature of the President to become law.
1t has been banded about in conference and
caucus, and yesterday, after a lively debate,
the Senate adopted the conference report by a
vote Of "a to 18. The report was strenuously
opposed by Senators Berry and German. The
latter said he had always favored liberality in
the matter Of pensions, but there must be q
limit. There had been paid in pensions since
1861 II, los, 32G ,0Oo-a sum sufi if the pen
sion bureau had been properly administered
and the law properly framed, to provide amply
and well for all who had served the country.
The pension expenditures for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1890, were S109. 600. 900, with
out taking into account the expenses of the
pension bureau. The rate at which the pension
list was increased under existing law might
safely be estimated at $40. 900. 600 a year, SO
that in 1891 the expenditure under existing law
would not be less than 1925, 000, 900. In 1892,
at the same rate of increase, the expenditure
would be S135. 900, 900, and so on, until within
five years the pension expenditure under the
existing laws would be 300. 600. 900 a year.
Senator Blair argued that these pensions
formed an indebtedness which the country was
compelled to pay, regardless of other consider
ations.
Mr.. Davis then discussed the figures put for
ward by Mr.. German and denied their correct
ANoo. iAo " III "do tldb OUU.UUU sur
7ivors of the war not now on the pension list
were suffering from such disability g the
pending law provided for, and that. taking 80
a month as the average pension, the annual
cost OF pensioning these men would be esq.,
4OO,OOO. The amount OF pensions to widows
under the pending bill would be 81, POS. 900 and
the total amount, including pensions to chill
dren Of surviving widows. $40. 254, 900. He de-
MED that the pending bill was a service pension
bill and asserted that it was a disability bill
pure and simple.
MIR. Ingalls, advocated the conference report.
He denied that the delay in adjusting cases in
the Pension Office was the result of an made
quate clerical force, and asserted that 1t was
the result of the failure of applicants to fur
nish the requisite evidence. 1t was idle and
supertiuous for the Senator from Maryland to
attempt TO produce an impression upon the
people OF the country that the republican
party had been holding out to the soldiers de-
luslve and impossible promises-''juggling
with them in a double sense. holding out the
word of promise to the ear and breaking it to
the hope" He referred contemptuously to
frugal patriots. ~parsinonious defenders of
the treasury" and said that the honest debtor
did not inquire as to the amount of his obliga-
ton, but whether it was due and whether he
had the means to pay ii. That was the atti-
tude OF the government toward those disabled
veterans. This was an obligation just as sacred
as that under which the soldier was paid.
A number of other Senators participated in
.no ueoote ~ 'heh INC 'ote, as iolo"s, was
taken:
Yeas-Messrs. Allen, Blair, Call, Casey, Chan
dler. Cullom. Davis, Dawes, Dixon. Dolph, Ed
munds, Evarts, Farwell, Frye, Hale. Hawley,
Hearst, Higgins, Hoar, Ingalls,, Henderson,
Moody, Paddock. . Pettigrew, Pierce, Plat,
Plumb. Power, Sanders, Sawyer, Spooner,
Teller. Turpie, Washburn-3L
Nays-Messrs. Barbour, Bate, Berry, Black
burn, Coke, George, Gibson, Harrison, kenna,
Mcpherson, Morgan, Pasco, Payne, Pugh,
Reagan, Vance, Vest, Walthall-1S.
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