Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-07-07
NATIONAL CAPITAL.
PREPARING FOR THE SPECIAL
SESSION OF CONGRESS.

The SILVER Issue TO Be Squarely
entcd-fraudulent PensiOns-
Another Centennial Anniversary
Financial Outlook of the Cow
dent Very busy.
WASHIHGToN, June 30, 1893.
Both ends OF the capitol building
are i'll the hands of a small army of
workmen who are putting everything |
in ship-shape for the extra session OF
Congress. Everything is being over
hauled and freshened up or renewed
az the exigencies of the case may de-
mand.
Speaking Of calling the extra session
OF Congress earlier than September, a
gentleman who had a long conversa-
on with the President on the subject
says: The President thinks, and |
agree with him, that instead OF being
reason for an earlier extra session,
the action of the Government of Great
Britain in stopping the coinage of
silver on private account in India, |
furnishes one of the strongest against |
an earlier session. Every one has
some sort Of an idea of what will I've |
the result of cutting off with stroke |
OF the pen the market for about one
third of the worlds silver, but only
time can show precisely what that
result will be. If Congress were to be |
called to meet within three or four
weeks it would necessarily lack much |
information upon this subject which |
by the middle of September can easily |
be obtained, information, too, that il,
in my opinion, absolutely essential to
intelligent and beneficial financial
legislation, and any other sort OF legis-
lation would be much worse than
none."
Investigation has brought out the
fact that many men who are drawing
disability pensions are living in
Soldiers Homes without cost to Them
selves and are earning regular wages
for the performance of manual labor.
Further investigation shows that. ex-
cept in the cases of those who draw
pensions under the act of 1890, moth
ing can be done to prevent contiuu-
ance of this practice without new
legislation. alt is evident that the
whole system OF pension laws" re-
marked Congressman who was HIM
sell Union soldier" are faulty and in
need of a thorough revision, but l
have serious doubts as to the courage
of Congress to make that revision.
Pensions have been used AS capital so
long by demagogues that the people
at large will have TO be educated on
the subject before the pressure upon
Congress becomes strong enough to
compel action. The preliminary
steps in this educational work are
being taken by the administration in
its endeavOrs to clear the roll OF illegal
pensioners. Later, the revision of the
laws will come in answer to a public
in which thousands of old
soldiers will join; indeed, many of
them have already done so. AS soon
as pensions are entirely divorced from
partisan politics, justice will be done,
alike to the taxpayer and the old
soldier"
Among the fraudulent pensioners
whose dropping from the roll was Of
ficially approved this week were eleven
men shown by the records OF the War
to have been deserters
and who are still deserters at large,
one man who never was in the army
at all. several women who continued
to draw widows pensions after they
had married again, and one notorious
prostitute. Surely such as Theses have
no business on I" a roll of honor"
President Cleveland was asked by
the committee in charge of the prepa-
ratiOns for the celebration of the CEN
tennial of the laying of the corner
stone of the U. S. Capitol building to
deliver the principal Grafton upon
that occasion, but as the President
expects to have his hands full about
the date of the elebration-Septem.
Der lS-he told the committee that he
could not comply with their request,
but would gladly make short speech
introducing the man they selected to
deliver the Grafton.
To-day closes the fiscal year, and
while the financial condition of the
Government is not all that could he
asked for it is very much better than
there WAS anygood reason six months
age, for expecting that it would be at
this time. In fact there were abund-
ant reason six months ago for the fear
that, instead of the comfortable cash
balance on hand, the administration
would have to begin the new year
with deficit.
The date OF President Cleveland's
departure is still doubtful. owing to
pressure OF important public business.
Senator Camden wants him to join
in fishing excursion in West Vir-
ginia before he goes to Gray Gables,
but it is not certain that he will be
able to do go. Dem.