The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1893-07-05
Washington Letter.
From Opr Regular Correspondent.
Washington, D. c..
I,,o 90 1000

Washington, D. c..
June 80. 1898.
Both ends Of the capitol building
are in the hands of a small army OF
workmen who are putting everything
in ship shape for the extra session of
Congress. Everything is beingover-
hauled and freshened up or renewed
as the ~exigencies of the case may de
mand. Although the probability of
President Cleveland making an
earlier date for the extra session than
September is regarded the exceed
ingly slim it was thought best to
rush the work at the capitol so that
everything would be ready for Con-
gress to assemble as early as the
latter part of July in case the Presi-
dent should change his mind.
Investigation has brought out the
fact that many men who are drawing
disability pensions are living in Sol
diers Homes without cost to them
selves and are earning regular wages
for the performance of manual labor.
Further investigation shows that.
except in the cases of those who.
draw pensions under the act of 1890,
nothing can be done to prevent a con
tinuance of this practice without new
legislation. 1T is evident that the
whole system of pension laws re
marked, q Congressman who was
hiWself'a Union soldier, "are faulty
and in need of q thorough revision.
. p "a t. that hat
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 II this educational
work are being taken by the admins
tration in its endeavors to clear the
roll of illegal pensioners. Later, the
revision of the laws will come in an
swcr to g public demand in which
thousands of old soldiers will join,
indeed. many Of them have already
done so. As soon az pensions are
entirely divorced from partisan poll
tics justice will be Gone, alike to the
taxpayer and the old soldier"
Among the fraudulent pensioners
whose dropping from the roll was
officially approved this week were
eleven men men shown by the records
of the War Department to have been
deserters and who are still deserters
at LARGE, one nan who never was in
the army at all, several women who
continued to draw widows pensions
after they had married again, and
n notorious prostitute. Surely
such as these have no business on "a
roll of honor"
President Cleveland was asked by
the committee in charge Of the pre-
parations for the celebration OF the
centennial Of the laying Of the corner
stone of the United States Capitol
building to DELIVER the principal ora
ton upon that occasion, but as the
President expects to have his hands
! full about the date ii the celebration.
September 18-he told the committed
that he could not comply with their
request, bat would gladly make a
short speech Introducing the mar
tllay selected to deliver the GRAFTON.
Today closes the fiscal year, and
while the financial condition of the
Government is not all that could be
asked for it is very much better than
there was any good reason six month:
ago, for expecting that it would bt
at this time. In fact there were
abundant reasons six months ago TO,
the fear that, instead of the comfor
table cash balance one hand, the ad
ministration would have to begin tn
new year with a deficit.
The date of President Cleveland
departure is still doubtful, owing t
the pressure Of important publ
business. Senator Camden want
him to join him in a fishing excul
sion in West Virginia he goes t.
GRAY Gables, but it is not certul
that he will be able to do so.