The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1893-07-22
WASHINGTON LETTER
(from our regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, July 14th, 1898.

Facts are stubborn things, and now
that the democrats have an opportu-
nifty to examine the pension roll, they
are turning up every day to prove
that the claim made by democrats for
years., that millions of dollars were
being paid out Illegally for pensions,
was correct. Cases are numerous
where men are drawing $72 a month
for total disability and are in addi-
ton following ordinary %avocations and
drawing the same salaries of uninjured
men. Two cases of this sort turned
up this week right here in Washing
ton, One a musician regularly employ
ed and the other a government clerk,
and there are many more here.
These two men were ~re-examined and
their pensions reduced to SIT and 1923
a month respectively. and SO apparent
was The justice of the reduction that
neither of them availed themselves of
the right to appeal from the decision
of the board of examiners.
A little incident occurred this week
at the Pension Office which shows
that politics do not enter into the
present conduct of that office. A dem
Ocratic Congressman called to protest
against the reduction of the pension
of a prominent democratic worker in
his district, and said that the man had
influence enough to throw his district,
which is close, to the republicans.
The papers in the case were produced
ard it was conclusively shown that
the man was drawing a larger pension
than he was entitled to, and the Con-
gresham had to acknowledge it, al
though he still asked that this partic-
ular pension be not reduced. He was
informed, DIS. other democratic Con-
gressmen have been WHO called upon
similar errands, that the policy of this
administration was to administer the
law as it exists without regard to the
politics of the pensioners.
Secretary Morton thinks the work
of the Weather Bureau should be con-
fined to the purpose for which it was
established and that the employment
of high-salaried scientific experts to
experiment along lines which nobody
really know anything about, is all
wrong, and in consequence OF those
thoughts he has notified several pro-
fessors who have been engaged upon
work that was of no immediate prac-
teal use either to the Bureau or to
the public that their services will be
dispensed with. The Secretary in
tends that the entire talent of the Bu-
reau shall be devoted to improving
the daily forecasts of the weather,
which he believes to be the work
which is the most beneficial to the
public. allow the fur would fy," re-
marked a man WHO knows considera-
BILE about the inside workings of some
eff the other so-called scientific bu-
reaux of the government, sit a man
like Morton was put in charge of the
Geological and Coast Survey office.
He knows enough about science not to
allow himself to be bamboozled by
the fake scientists whose sole object
in life is to hold on to the soft snaps
they now have"
Senator Voorhees,, whose long Con-
%gressional experience makes his opin-
ion valuable, takes no stock in the
talk about the extra session being a
short me-. Speaking of it he said :
Congress will probably be in coEtin-
uous session until August Is, 1894, If
not longer" Representative Wilson,
OF West Virginia, the gentleman who
is thought to stand the best chance of
being the chairman of the Ways and
Means committee of the House, should
MIR. Springer not get it again, also
thinks the extra session will run into
the regular session and that the lat
ter will be an unusually long one.
Mr.. Wilson thinks the tariff will be
taken up just as soon as the Ways and
Means committee is announced by
Speaker Crisp, and it is expected that
will be Immediately after the House
goes through the formality ofre-elect-
ing Mr.. Crisp Speaker.
Many misstatements have been
made concerning the alleged antago-
nlsm between the administration and
the silver democrats in Congress.
Representa- We Wheeler, of Alabama,
is and has been for years a silver dem
ocrat and this is the way he express
ed his antagonism 81 have unbound
ed confidence in President Cleveland,
Secretary Carlisle and the democratic
party. Mr.. Cleveland struch the key
note in his letter of acceptance when
he demanded legislation which would
give adequate money for our BUSINESS
needs, and also legislation that would
insure the proper distribution of this
money throughout the country. I'm
der his wise leadership we will be able
to frame a measure which will be sat
= Isfactory to all the interests of our
land.
Some newspaper men are terrible