The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-11-04

| mother" This bill was referred TO the COM
mittee on invalid pensions. No attention
was paid to il by Mr.. Youmans and, conse-
quenty, no attention was paid to it by the
members of the committee and the bill died
there.
| Mr.. Youmans also introduced bill to
increase the pension of Olive q. Morton,
widow of Peter Tuman, soldier in the
revolutionary war, from $12 per month to
$50 per month, during her natural life." 1t
was a creditable bill, but nothing was done
with it beyond its introduction. Mr.. YOU
mans has made no effort that l can leain of
| to secure favorable report upon this bill,
and it is filed away in a pigeon hole in the
committee on pensions and will never be
heard of again. l presume that Mr.. YOU
mans has been smart enough 10 inform Mrs.
Morton and her friends that he Is doing the
best he can, like the piano player, but he
can never accomplish any legislation in a
democrat house. 1t requires fOrcefulness of
character to secure legislation when the
democrat majority has control of the house,
and Mr.. Youmans has no force whatever.
Mr.. Youmans introduced bill to remove
the charge of desertion now standing against
Almond Munson, late of Company K,
Twenty-second Volunteer Reserve Corps,
and to give him an honorable discharge.
That bill was referred to the committee on
pensions and ordered to be printed. 1t can
no caap hy tbat opa hill how I;ttIa Mr. You-
mans knows about legislation. A bill to
remove the charge of desertiOn and grant an
honorable discharge to union soldier
should always be referred to the committee
referred his bill TO the committee on pen
sions, where it does not belong. COnse-
quently the bill died there because Mr. You
mans never knew enough about legislation
committee room. On the contrary, when
he referred it to the committee on pensions
he gave away the fact that Mr.. Munson
wanted to have the charge of desertion re-
moved from his record in order to get a
pension. 1t Is presumed, when bill is in
troduced to have the charge of desertion re-
moved from the record of soldier. that the
soldier intends to seek pension as soon as
his record is cleared up. But the wise and
shrewd legislator never gives away the fact
in advance, but simply goes through with
the bill to get the charge of desertlon re-
moved. Mr.. Youmans, however, i'm the
case of Almond Mmson, gave away the
case of his constituent by his foolish refer
ence of bill to the committee on pensions
which should have gone to the committee on
military affairs.
But that was not the only bill of the kind.
Mr.. YOumans also introduced bill to re-
move the charge of desertiOn from the rec
ord of Frederick Stewart, late private in
the Tenth Michigan Regiment of Cavalry.
And this bill was also referred to the COM
mittee on pensions when it ought to have
been referred to the committee on military
affairs. The committee on pensions has
nothing to do with the records of service of
soldiers. That belongs to the committee on
military affairs. 1t seems strange to me
that an intelligent people should select such
men to represent them in the lower house
of Congress. Sitting in the press gallery
and looking down on the representatives
and sizing them up, Intellectually, it is no
wonder that the regular correspondents of
of leading papers of this country entertain
and cherish feeling of contempt instead Of
pride.
STILL. STUPIDITY STUMBLING.
Mr.. Youmans introduced a bill to place
on the pension roll the name of Mrs. Jane
NJ. Purdy, widow of Robert Purdy, late a
private of Company III, Fifth Michigan
Cavalry. The bill was referred to the COM
mittee on pensions, just as the others were.
The others belonged to the committee on
military affairs and this would belong to a
separate committee, known as the commit
tee OH invalid pensions. This bill also was
referred to the wrong committee, and has
died in the committee room. 1t seems that
almost every step taken by Mr.. Youmans
was taken in the wrong directions. He
lacks experience and also lacks good judg-
ment in legislative sense. But, like the
piano player, she is doing the best he can"
and ought not to be shot; unless he is fired
out of a seat which he is unworthy to occupy
because Of his lack of brains.
Mr.. Youmans also introduced a bill ''to
amend the records of the War Department
and show the name of Andrew b. Knapp,
honorably discharged from the service as
second lieutenant Company ii. One Hun
dred and Second New York Volunteer In
fantry, on the 4th of April, 1868" This
bill was referred to the committee OH milit-
airy affairs, where it properly belongs, and
as it is good measure, it ought long since
to have been favorably reported; but, as a
matter of fact, Mr.. Youmans did not follow
1t to the committee-rOom nor make any eff
fort to secure favorable report upon it.
Consequently this bill, in common with
other bills introduced by Mr.. Youmans,
died i'm the committee-room and that is the
~ %