The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-17
THE DEFICIENCY BILL.
ATTACKS ON THE ADMTSTsTRATI0S
PENSION P0LIcY.
Mr.. Cannon's Charges Against the secrs-
tsry and CommissIoner--spi Spirited Dia-
logue on the Floor OF the House.

bill. and asked that the first reading q
the bill be dispensed with. 10 which ther
was no objection The House then wen
into committee Of the whole upon tn
bill. with Mr.. Hatch (Mo.) in the chail
and Mr. Cannon took the floor and al
tackled the administration policy OF Hus
pending pensions pending examination
for fraud.
Mr. Cannon stated that the Commits
sioner OF Pensions and various chief
OF division pension Offices had been calle'
before the Committee on Appropriation
and asked many questions in regard q
the conduct OF business. The Committee
on Pensions stated that the actual raw
ing resulting from the Investigations loi
fraud since May LIST. when that ruling
OF Commissioner LOckren went into effect
was something over Sl.0oO.OC on cross
examination II appeared that nuosian-
TALLY all Of this million was counted
as a saving because certain claims when
had never been allowed and never wouIo
have beer allowed because they would not
have been granted a special examination
were specially examined and disallowed
on CROSSE examination II appeared that
the exact amount which was saved our
3ng this period was only S31 900.
Mr.. Dingley asked whether this s3l 900
included the reductions as well as the dis
allowance for fraud.
certainly" replied Mr.. Cannon.
Continuing. ne said that the Commits
xioner OF Pensions had stated that IN
the conduct of the business OF mis- Of
fee. which disburses from SiJO,OOO,OOO 10
S1O,OO0OO0 TO over one million persons,
there was no more fraud than in the
ordinary conduct of business in the courts
Mr.. Enloe (Tenn) asked Mr.. Cannon
who had changed the construction OF
order 164.
Secretary and Commissiouer.
Mr. Cannon replied that II was done
by the present Commissioner Of Pensions
and the present Secretary Of the Interior.
The Fifty. first Congress made two APP
proprlatons, certainly one, 10 meet the
requirements of this law, and appro
priated $50. 100000 for pensions. large
portion Of which was adJudicated unuer
that law. When the Fifty-second Con-
gress came in with its li0 Democratic
majority, in the House Of Representa-
tives. that Congress appropriated the
money to meet the requirements of this
law. and did il with the approval Of the
Democratic House. But the appropria-
stion bin Of the Fifty-second Congress was
an amendment which revoked rule 164.
promulgated during the administration of
President Harrison, which affected 100000
pensioners.
The Democratic House had refused TO |
accept the amendment and it was strick- |
en- out Of the bill. But in May, 1885, with |
William Lockren. Commissioners of Pen |
eions. Hoke Smith, Secretary of the |
Interior and Grover Cleveland. President |
of the United States. the Pension Office |
made haste 10 revoke this order, No.
1si. thus cutting off about 100000 pen |
eioners. and had thus committed an act |
which was akin to a crime.
Defending re Adm .Disiration.
Eir Livingston CGaD defended the policy |
OF the administration i'm regard TO pen |
sion matters. He defended In particular |
the Secretary Of the Interior, Mr.. Smith, |
end his Commissioner of Pensions, Mr.. |
Lochren. He spoke OF the numerous cases
of fraud against the pension laws. and
instanced cases In the Arizona. New Mex
leo. and Albany districts. He said that
~ a southern man opposed the indis-
criminate granting Of pensions he was
accused OF acting with sinister motives,
bur as a matter of fact. the southern
soldier had no objection to the granting
OF pensions 10 a northern soldier who
really deserved IL. II had been stated
by the gentleman from Illinois. Mr. Can |
non. that pensioners were being dropped |
from the list by Cleveland Smith and |
Hardly by collision Smith was a south |
ern man, IT is true. but he was not |
southern soldier; ne was too young. The
Commissioner OF Pensions was a northern
colder, ana a brave soldier, while CleVe-
land was a northern Democrat.
Mr. Livingston was frequently interro-
gated by Van Noorhis Rep., n ",
Baker Rep., n. H., Picker (Rep., $. d.,
and pingley CRep. Mel The latter was
SO persistent in his Interruptions that the
debate seemed likely TO degenerate into
a personal and acrimonious dispute The
Chairman (Air. HatcD end favored 20 quell
the disturbance and clear the aisles and
he was forced TO remind Mr.. Dingley and
Mr.. Livingston that they were not in the
committee-rOom, and that
the Chair would not allow any such per-
sonal dialogue on the floor as the gentle
men were INDUCING I'm.
MIR. Lacey Rep.. Iowa. made an earn
est speech in favor of the soldiers and i'm
criticism OF the administration. He chal-
IL lged any gentleman on the floor to in
stance, II he could. any cases occurring
in his district. After few minutes de-
lay, Mr.. Livingston stated that he knew
OF case OF fraud In his district.
Good" said Mr.. Lacey I'VE have one
case in Georgia--one case out of many
thousands. But what is fraud in Georgia
may wear a different aspect in Illinois or
Iowa. and II was just possible that the
gentleman from Georgia might regard any
man who helped TO put down the rebellion
as having been guilty of fraud. In 1868"
he said 1.-THE boys went marching through
Georgia: in 1898. Georgia goes marching
through the boys" daughter and APP
plause),
He thought smile drawn by the gen
dleman from Illinois (Mr Cannon) was
most applicable To the case, and he en-
dorsed the statement that the tempera-
ture OF the pension Offices was % degrees
below normal. 1T IS chilly day when
q congressman goes into the Pension Of
fee nowadays 10 look after the interests
of constituent" said Mr.. Lacey HE
would see a big stack of papers, and If
ne asked what they We're, he would learn
that they were applications of men which
were being held up while they were try
Ing TO find out whether these men crawled
I'm under the tent instead OF paying ad-
mission and coming in through the gate"
Mr.. Baldwin dem. Mimi appealed TO
Mr.. Lacey 10 eliminate sentiment from the
discussion. Put aside sentiment" Said
Mr.. Lacey dramatically. "as well as put
aside patriotism. The Pension Office was
built on foundation of justice on the
)ne hand and on patriotic sentiment on
he other" (Applause)
Charges of Fraud.
MIR. Enloe addressed the committee. lie |
stated that he had not witnessed any more
,itia5le spectacle on this floor than the
inc OF defence OF the ex-Union soldier
admitted by Mr.. Lacey. He did not sup
,ose there was an honest ex-Jnion sol
no. "A !