Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-06-24

Gofnan-"rhe Senator from Colorado
and myself voted for Q pension bill not 20
liberal - this conference report. and ne
all thought is did exact Justice think il
unvise 70 20 on and make such q provision
~ We are about TO DO in this act when re
know that ve cannot make . provision to
sdlast the claims nov pending in the pen.
sion oiice Without bankfupting the treasa-
~
Ingalls, advocated the conference report,
but denied that the delay in adjusting cases
10 the pension ONCE vas the result Of an
inadequate clerical force. but asserted
that is vas the result of failure Of apph.
cants to furnish requisite evidence. II vas
idle and superfiuous for the Senator from
Mary land to attempt to produce an impres
sion upon the people of the county
that the republican party had been holding
out to soldiers delusive and impossible
promises. He vas in favor of the fenov-
al of the Limitation in the act Of granting
arrears Of pensions, He did not care
whether il cost a hundred millions or
thousand miliions, it vas part of the con-
tract. He believed es,Iy surviving Union
soldier ought to be put on the pension roll
for service, irrespective Of disability; it 10
regretted that the conference report did
not contain such provision.
Teller declared that no disbursements of
government met With more universal favor
and approval than the paying of pensions.
Vest spoke of the monstfous abuses that
had grown up under the pension system,
and declared in his belief the pending bill
vas being passed for personal and political
motives. He asserted the pension list vas
| unduly swollen in Indiana because it was
the pivotal State and its vote necessary to
elect President. He prophesied the peo-
pie Of the United States would revolt
against the pension system and its abuses.
Turpie said he had not heard Of any
| charges in Indiana against the admins.
tration Of the pension bureau and was rot
prepared to say that political bias hal any
| thing TO do with the granting or refusing of
pensions.
Hawley expressed an opinion that the
soldiers would not get an idea, from what
wss said today, that the Senate was favor
able to the payment of arrers of pensions,
or the equalization Of bounties, or the pay.
ment Of the difference between paper
money and gold. lie thought there was
altogether too much said about what the
nation owed its soldiers. The Union sol
| "'Ns "SSsN ~ wy sVssy oAN eshaAhCu ~
be called upon to say how much the nation
owed him in dollars. The prominent feel
ing in his State vas that the needy soldier
should not suffer, but that nothing should
be wasted on = man who did not need =
pension for his support.
The only criticism he would make on
the bill vas that it provided for pensions
without regard to the wealth or poverty of
the men who got them. The true soldiers
Of the republic did not want money wasted.
They wanted their suffering comrades aid
ed; they wanted the glory Of having fought
for their country without respect to money
considerations. The discussion closed and
the conference report was agreed to--yess
"a. nays Is. Frye and Hale voting yea.
conference was ordered on the fortif-
cation bill. Dawes. Plumb and Gorman
we're appointed conferees on the part of
the Senate.
After = short executive session the SEN
ate at ) Z. NJ. adjourned.