Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-18

to consider the urgent deficiency bill. Mr.
Baldwin CMinn) then took the floor He did
not enjoy any special social or political re-
lationship with the President he said but
he believed him to be an earnest, capable
man and true friend of the soldier He
defended the action of the President and the
Secretary of the Interior on the pension
question. but. more than all, he eulogized
Commissioner Lochren. a fellow-citizen of
Minnesota.
At 1920 pm. Mr.. Pruden, the Presidents
assistant private secretary, appeared at the
door Of the House and presented the Presi-
dents message.
The near approach Of the Christmas holi-
days was made manifest during the early
hours of the session by the slim attendance
of members on the floor, and the lack of in
terest shown in the proceedings. which even
the expectation Of the Hawaiian message
failed to arouse.
When Mr.. Baldwin's time had expired,
unanimous consent was asked that his time
be extended five minutes, but objection was
offered. Mr.. Reed (Maine) said he supposed
Mr.. Baldwins remaining remarks would not
escape II they were not to be spoken, and
acting on this hint Mr.. Baldwin asked that
he be allowed to extend his remarks in the
Record, and the request was granted.
Mr. DinEley or Pension Investfga-
tiOns.
The chairman CMr. HATCH recognized
Mr.. Cannon Qll). who gave thirty minutes
of his time to Mr.. Dingley (Me). Mr.. Ding
ley said he did not see the necessity for
this augmented examining force in the
field. for 1t did not expedite settlement of
cases, but he would not interpose any OBJ
lection to the appropriation asked for by
the majority. The friends OF the ex-soldier
would hold the administration to a strict
account for its use of this money. He
denied the insinuation Of Mr.. Enloe CTenn),
who had stated on Saturday that the re-
publicans desired the retention on the rolls
Of fraudulent pensioners. They Uhe repub-
licanS objected, however, to the studied
attempts of the democrats to bring the
pension bureau into disrepute, when they
| conveyed the impression that frauds were
the rule and the honest pensioner the ex-
ception. From March 4 to November l.
1893. only 1850 cases of suspected fraud
had been reported by the examiners in the
| field, and Of these only 3SS were found to
be actually fraudulent. In the correspond
ing period Of the preceding year 345 cases
of fraud were discovered, with only the
regular force at work-a difference Of only
forty-three.
OF the 1882 cases suspended on suspicion
between May "a and November /, 9,12S
were restored to the rolls without a line
of new evidence. and only in difference to
the popular outcry. And of the 3, $50 cases
still under suspension, but few of them
were suspended for fraud, but because of
the changed construction OF the act of
$780,
There was not the slightest evidence of
wholesale frauds said Mr.. Dingley in con-
clusion, and when it is remembered that
there are $4,000 names on the rolls II will
be seen what a small proportion Of fraudu-
lent cases there really are.
Mr.. Cooper QndD defended Mr.. Lochren's
administration, giving official figures to sup
port his argument.
Mr.. Bingham (Pa.) seized the opportunity
afforded by general debate to touch upon
the recent removals of federal officers in
Philadelphia, asserting that Mr. Harrity
would fill the vacancies in a manner that
would punish the democrats who resisted
his authority.
In conclusion, Mr.. Bingham severely
criticised the Presidents reference to pen
sion frauds in his annual message He
read a statement Of arrests and convictions