The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-05-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, d. c., May IS, 1891.

w ~. W., may 10, 1911.
Another oft repeated Democratic false.
hood has gone to roost. During the
first session OF the last Congress, in the
campaign of last fall, and during the
closing session of Congress Democrats
were continually saying that at the end
of the present fiscal year there would
be deficiency in the payment of pen
sions amounting, according to the imag-
ination OF the speaker, to from ten to
fifty millions of dollars. The Republi-
can Commissioner of Pensions and
Chairman of the House and Senate Pen.
sion Committees were greeted with Dem.
ocratic jeers when they stated their be-
lief that there would be surplus instead
OF deficiency.
Now the proof is in sight, but if the
people depended upon the Democratic
press for their news they would never
know it. Commissioner Raum has sent
an official communication to Secretary
Nople stating that he has made careful
approximation of the probable pension
payments up to June 80, the end of the
fiscal year, and that, Notwithstanding he
has instructed all pension agents to
make as many payments as possible be-
tween this and that time, he is satisfied
that surplus will remain OF the pension
appropriation for the current fiscal year
amounting to at least S9,769,00O. The
cause Of the large surplus is, just as Re.
publicans in Congress stated that it
would be, the allowance of the large
number Of claims under the new pension
law, which did not carry with them such
large first payments as those allowed
under the older laws. When one con-
siders that the Pension Bureau will have
to wrestle with Democratic House for
it's next appropriation it almost becomes
a matter of regret that Gen. Raum can
not fix some way to pay out that nearly
$4,000, 900 of surplus instead of turning
it back into the Treasury, as he will, of
course, do.
Naval officials are delighted with the
test of armour plates made several days
ago at Annapolis. because we are just
in the condition to benefit thereby, hav-
ing number of vessels almost ready to
be armored. Further tests are to be
made of the armor which resisted all at.
tempts to penetrate it the other day,
and il it stands it, as the naval officers
are confident it will, all of the vessels
now being built for the government will
be armored with it, which will give us a
fleet which, though small in number,
will consist OF the most formidable war
vessels afoat, as the heavy guns which
we are now making right here in Wash.
ington with which our new ships are
provided are superior to any in exist
ence and easily capable of breaking up
the armor by which the war ships of the
navies of the world are at present pro-
tected, all of which adds an additional
swagger to the strut OF your Uncle Sam
uel, as with thumbs in the arm holes of
his vest he takes in the situation and
tips wink to the potentates of Europe
while he advises them in friendly way
to beware of attempting to interfere
with his plans for the commercial uni
fication of the American continent.
The President returned to Washing
ton to. day from his nine thousand mile
tour looking somewhat better than he
did when he left here and feeling
splendidly, greatly pleased with the
cordial reception he everywhere met
with, as we'll as with what he saw. He
will pitch right into work on the impor.
tant business which has accumulated
during his absence with the determine
ton to clear his desk as soon as possible.
1t will be great drawback as well as a
disappointment to him in dealing with
foreign matters, of which there are a
number awaiting his attention, if the
state of Secretary Blaine's health shall
be such as to prevent his actively assist
ing, as Mr.. Blaine has all the points in
all OF these more or less complicated
cases at his fingers end and no one else
has. He has taken a special pride in
personally mastering every foreign ques.
ton that has come up since he became
Secretary of State.
1t is believed that the President has
already selected the men who will oc-
cupy the bench of the new U. S. Circuit
Court and that their names will be an
nounced in few days.
1t is stated that Associate Justice
Bradley, of the U. s. Supreme Court,
who is well past the age of legal retire
ment, will retire sometime during the
next eighteen months, and that vacancy
will be rendered to Senator Edmunds,
who has already twice declined seat
upon the bench of our highest court,
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