The herald., 1893-12-17
PENSION APPROPRIATIONS
The Urgent Deficiency Bill
Before the House.
One Item Gives Rise to q Hot
Partisan Debate.
The Administrations Pension Policy
Vigorously Assailed.
Cannon of Illinois Leads tho Assault.
The Defense Ably Conducted by
Enloo and Livingston-An
InterestiDg Discussion.
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
WAsHINaToN, Dec. 16. The debate over
the pension policy of the administra-
tion, growing out OF the item in the
urgent deficiency appropriation bill ap-
propriating 100000 for special examin-
ers, consumed the entire day in the
house. Under the lead of Cannon Of
Illinois an assault was made against
Cleveland's pension policy, especially
that portion which resulted in the re-
vocation of order 1874 and the subsequent
suspension OF thousands of pensioners.
Livingston of Georgia and Enloe of Ten
nessee defended the administration, and
Lacey of Iowa and Morse of Massachu-
setts opposed it.
Breckinridge of Kentucky took the
floor and explained that the bill con-
tanned appropriations amounting to
$l,65l 1859, the only item antagonized
being the appropriation of 100000 for
special pension examiners.
CANNoN's HOT SHOT.
Touching this item, Cannon thought
it was time for congress to examine the
manner in which the pension Office was
being conducted. He referred to the
clauee in the presidents message de-
claring every neighborhood had it's
fraudulent pensioners, and reviewed the
action of the department in cutting off
thousands of pensioners. There had
been much allegation of fraud, but lit
tie had materislized on cross- examina-
tion. OF 335 special examiners in the
department, dozen were employed to
run down these alleged fraudulent PEN
sioners. All pensions cut off were
claHsed by the commissioner to the
credit OF the amount saved by the Office.
One million dollars of rejected pensions
had been classified as 81 900, ,0000 saved
vet, after rough examination it had
been found that but $31, 900 had been
actually paid out to pensioners who had
procured pensions by forgery. perjury
or false personation. He undertook to
say there was no more fraud inathe ad-s
ministration of the affairs Of the PEN
sion Office, which disbursed annually
$l80,000, 900. than in the adjudication of
cases in the courts of the country. The
Fifty-first congress appropriated $780,
600, 900 for pensions; the Fifty-second,
with l40 Democratic majority, appro-
priated $l66.000 900 to meet payments
on account of pensions. Order l64 was
responsible for much OF this magma
nimity. Yet, the present head of the
pension department and the secretary
of the interior now undertook, after this
construction had stood four years and
been acquiesced in by Democratic
house of representatives, to reverse
that construction.
AN ACT AKIN TO CRIME.
'It WAS an act." said Cannon. shak-
ing his fist ominously, akin to crime.
The Infamous ruling of the administra-
tion was that men receiving pensions
whose cases had been proved, were
stricken from the rolls. Look at the
Bennett case, which is known from one
end of the country to the other. II such
q ruling had been made by republican
administration, by Raum or BusseH,
after the construction of the law had
stood three years and had been ratified
by congress, he would attack it as he
attscked it now,."
That's right" shouted Enloe, give
it to Raum."
ooh. no." replied Cannon, II will not
60 for Raum, because in Gods chancery
he 10 not guilty and your commissioner
ie."
RAUM AND LoCHREN.
Comparing the work of Raum and
Lochren for seven months of the admin
istration of each, he showed that Raum
iseued 144 900 certificates; Lochren a.,
900. In the same period Raum had re-
jected $4,000 claims; Lochren 81, 900.
Lochren had kept up with Raum on re-
iections but Raum had beaten him two
to one on issues.
"That's greatly to his credit" shouted
some one the Democratic side.
II do not think so," replied Cannon,
"and think my judgment will be the
judgment Of history"
Cannon said he did not desire to
attack the pension Office, but did attack
the atmosphere of that Office, which, for
an honest claimant, was 20 degrees be-
low zero. [Laughter.] 1t makes it look
gloomy for the 100000 claimants under
the act of 1890, whose claims were not
sdjudicsted, and the 100000 pensioners
under that law whose pensions are in
jeopardy. [Applause on the Republican
side.
LIVINGSTON DEFENDS THE ADMINISTRATION.
Livingston replied to Cannon that the
appropriation under discussion was to
provide for field examiners of the PEN
sion Office. Cannon had not challenged
the propriety or justice of the appropri-
alton; he had occupied his time by cast
ing a shadow over the administration OF
the pension Office, and In attacking Sec
retary Smith and Commissioner
Lochren for .revoking the order of last
April. A Democrat OF the north or
south was always under suspi-
cion when he criticised pensions.
Smith was southern man, but
be had not been in the confederate
army. Lochren had been a soldier in
the Union army and a gallant one.
Cleveland had not been in the army,
but could assure the house and the
country that justice was and would be
done by these distinguished men. Ap-
plications were scrutinized with care, as
they should he M self-rasnactinu m an