The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1892-09-09

ludinuhpuis rchfine'
FACTS ON PENSIONS.
The Number or Mr.. Cleveland =
vetOes.
by q &. A. X. Veteran Of Many
81 Battles.
, Republican FalxehOOd Is Ieefuted.
> TO THE EDlToR ~ SrR: For 10, these
many DAYS, months and years. the re-
'lpub'icam press and orators have been
.lmisrepresenting the record OF cx-Presi-
dent Cleveland. Among these papers
the rankest and most unfair is the
American Tribune. repnted soldier
'pnblication at the state capital. For
several weeks that publication continuep
; 10 print and publish the glaring false.
hood that President Cleveland had
vetoed 524 special pension bills. When
; Il called the attention Of the editor TO the
'lnnfairness OF his publication he stuck
'lmy article down on the southeast corr
, ner of his, first page in solid type. ana
then attacked my statement In column
and 4 half of loaded type on his editorial
page. This regarded as unfair to me
and my statements. II will not be Rec-
iessary to notice the line of argument
adopted by the editor Of the Tribune.
The main point, which made 10 my
article was the publication Of the state
ment that President Cleveland had not
vetoed 524 of these special pension bills.
4 That euch statement was "unfair ana
'linvidious.r Ii was not true. Then the
learned editor Of the Tribune came
down and said that Mr. Cleveland vetoed
Just 254 OF these special bills, and IN his
very next Issue he republished the old
statement that 524 were vetoed.
i Since my little tilt With the Tribune
Imam for fairness in this matter, have
Iprocured statement from the Hon.
Daniel Nc Donald, clerk Of the pension
committee of the house Of representa-
'ltiyes at Washington City, who has made
careful examination Of the records In
'lthe matter. Here Is his statement,
J which desire The Sentinel to publish
lin fun. so that our democratic soldiers
aud all others may have the fscts:
4 WASHINGTON. ID. O.. Aug 3. 1892.
! Col. i. b. Mcdonald, Columbia City, Ind:
4 DEAR FRrEND.- Your favor Of The
,2s,h uit.. incIosing an article written by
/, YOU 10 tho American Tribune. pubIished
/. st indianapolis. and the lengthy philippe
ot the editor in reply thereto, has Deen
|received.
Your article Incorporating the num-
her Of special pension bills signed by the
, several presidents from Lincoln 70 Har'
: rison. and the number Of special acts
;'vctoed by Grover Cleveland during biz
/. term SO president, were. as you say, sur'
Inisbed 10 you by me. and 90 the editor
/ OF the Tribune haa denied the truthful
I ness OF the figures. cheerfuIly comply
-lwith your rsQnest 10 verify the came.
! The number Of special pension bi'l'
rIsigned by the several presidents from
Lincoln 10 Harrison IL su ubstanttally cor
street. as an examination of the record'
-Ishows, and the statement Of the editor
!. lof the Tribune IL rnisleading; purposel,
= lao. think. for the reason that he get
tlhs Information from . speech delivered
. lby Mr.. Mckinney in August 1888, in
} stead cf from the record, which. closed
q on The 4th Of March, 1879.
The record OF special bills approved
: by the presidents named Is as follows:
4 Lincoln 4
!. Johnson -
-lGrant 03'
Garfield and Arthur ~
4 Cleveland lS2'
b Harrison approximately lao
J, From the time Mr.. McIIinney' = speecI
was made until the close Of Mr.. Cleve
lands administration congress had beer
in session nearly five months, and dur
ling that time nearly six hundred privat
lpension bills had beeu passed and signed
making the total signed BY Mr.. CIevc
-.;lland during his fonr years exactly l,S2
as 1 stated in my letter 10 you. and .
Won stated in your letter 10 the Tribune
!" AT present have no means at hand
''lby which can say exactly how man
Especial bills President Harrison has sign
--s'led, but the number gave You is approx
n elimately correct about fourteen hun
r--ldrcd, or about four hundred aud twen
,sssIty five fewer than were signed BY Nj
!, ,,lCleveland.
4 The number OF special pension bills W
yltoed, Ibclievt, gave you Is 299. "a
= ceived the inform ation from . clerk i
1.-THE department. and supposed II wa
!. correct. Since you called my sttentio
s''to IL and as | see by the Tribune articl
U and from various other repu blican ps
,r,,pers tnat The number is given al th
" way from 254. ale. 66s 10 8OO. hav
q eslaken the trouble 10 make = critical e,
" Examination OF the official record aud fin
the number TO be as follows:
~ vetoc
" . Forty-ninth congress, first session IL
!" Forty-ninth cong rcss, second session
n Fiftieth congress. first session II
" Fiftieth congress, second session
m Total 2'
nd You can say. therefore. without Il
ar fear OF successful contradiction, that Il
number OF special pension bills vctos
'by Mr.. Cleveland during his term
~ President i exactly two hundred ~
Of tifty- one. The errors in the increas'
re-. number given you was on account Of b
~ IinK incorporated In the total. such a. h
w vetoes Of trumped up war and 9th
'"' claims against the government. bills I