The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1893-09-28
washington, Letter.

100000 less than Tor the same period
last September. An encouraging feature
However, is that Of this amount 60 per
cent. OF about $3.400, 600. was paia IN
gold, while last September not so much
as per cent. was paid in gold. II is
hrough this channel that the gold re-
serve, which has been raid out freely
has been kept up even to its present
figure. which today stands at S94,9S9,
Top. This shows a decline since Sept. 1
of 81, 250, 900. With the gold reserve
and working balance today foots up
$1O7, 500, 900. about the same as on the
first ofthc month.
Secretary Smith has made statement
regarding his position upon the pension
question. He says he has oftenly been
grossly misrepresented in this matter,
and held responsible for acts about which
he knew nothing until they had been
done. The secretary takes as his text
the decision rendered in the pension case
of Charles 7, Bennett, private IN Com
pany F. 18th Indiana Volunteers, winch
was the basis upon which an important
order was issued. Mr.. Smith says that
1t is wrong to suppose he IS common
enemy to pensions. He actually and
conscientiously believes that there have
crept upon the pension rolls an enormous
number Of persons who are not entitled
to pensions. "These are the ones l am
after" declared the secretary. land they
are the ones intend to weed out OF the
pension list If they reduce the total num-
Der OF pensioners one-half."
Referring to the order Of Commissioner
Lochren, that pensioners whose claims
were not good upon the presentation
made should be dropped from the rolls
for sixty days, when they must make
their claims good or suffer permanent
suspension. Secretary Smith says that
this action was taken while he was alb
sent from Washington, and that i'd did
not meet his approval. He believed that
whether there was authority or not. a
pensioner after being once placed upon
the roll should have notice before being
dropped. His original idea of having
the list of suspects" prepared was to
have stricken from the rolls those who
had failed to present prima facie evidence
that they were entitled to pensions. He
believes that investigation into all of
these cases will lead to the discovery OF
much fraud, and that fully half OF those
who have not made prima tacie cases
will fail in their efforts to show that they
have been entitled to pensions. Many
of those who were notified that they
must furnish new evidence had SO little
to stand upon that they would make no
effort whatever The secretary says 1t
is great mistake to suppose that he
i ltended to decrease pension expendi-
lures by depriving those who were en-
titled to pensions under the law OF their
lust rewards. He SAYS that he is not
opposed to pensions. Referring to the
fact that quite number of pensioners
who were dropped from the rolls were
being reinstated, the secretary states
that all of them furnished the required
evidence
Senator Washburn Is getting very tired
md FESTIVE under the oppressive wind OF
The silver senators. He spends much
.ime on the democratic side of the senate
apparently reasoning with the senator's
who are opposing the repeal bills.
rhc other day he talked very severely to
Senator Villas as to what several repub
Iican senators contemplated doing in
Ease Mr.. VOORHEES, did not make haste
more rapidly in forcing a note. He de-
clared that many OF the republicans con-
templated going home TO attend to tilei,
private matters, and certainly would do
so, unless the administration democrats
gave some signs OF renewed activity.
Then Villas walked over and talked
earnestly for lew moments with Voor-
hees, and the latter assumed deprecat-
ing attitude. while apparently trying to
explain his utter helplessness under pre-
vailing conditions.
Iftfere IS a mau who deserves the SYM
patty of the public it is Senator Voor-
hees. He is struggling to carry out the
wishes OF the majority, but finds himself
hampered and handicapped with a cent
ury of traditions. He also fluids himself
antagonized by large number OF his
warm political and personal friends. He
dislikes to offend them on both accounts
and so the delay continues, and the Indi-
ana senator grows daily more and more
ner fous.
He is not patient man, and the sup
pressed volcano is liable to burst forth
one oil these days and carry dire disaster
into the silver camp. When VOORHEES,
once gets into passion he is utterly
reckless as to personal consequences.
AhS ShhSi SicW oohs
aggressive. Viewing them to the midst
OF the battle no one can doubt of their
entire honesty in their convictions.
Said Mr.. Fletcher, member from Min
neapolis: st beats all, why congress
mans constituents always want the
book or the document that is hardest to
get. Now, here have been securing all
the departments for three days to get a
volume printed by the agricultural de-
partment about diseases OF horses. 1t
was hard to ind, but resurrected one,
and will make at least one OF my con-
stituents happy. But here come, all in
perspiration, after corraliing the book
in whole forenoon's chase, and l find
three more letters, all begging meto send
them certain volume on the diseases OF
horses. suppose must send my corps
of clerks out and hunt up some more OF
'em. Do you suppose there is an epidemic