The National tribune., 1893-02-23

parties who love justice and honor patriotism.
Gentlemen. the country will not be deceived
| by your talk of making the pension roll roll
of honor. You do not need to shrink 1t to in-
| significant proportions to make it honorable.
| It is to. day roll of honor-honor to the Gov
eminent in the splendid volume OF recognition,
| and honor to the men receiving it as just recog-
| milton of heroic services.
| THURSDAY, FEB. 49,
THE CHAIRMAN RULES ON THE POINTS OF
| oRDER-FIGHT BETWEEN TWO REP REsENTA-
| TIvEs-DEFEAT OF THE AMENDMENTS.
| The House resumed in Committee of the
| Whole the consideration of the pension appro-
priation bill.
| not germane to the SUBJ ect-matter of the bill
! that the second amendment did not retrench
expenditures in any of the modes required by
| Rule XXI; the same in regard to the third
| amendment; the same in regard to amend
| ments six and seven.
The Chairman, Mr.. Wilson d., w. Va, de-
livered his decision on the points of order
raised against the various amendments recon-
| mended by the Committee on Appropriations
| changing the pension laws. Those relative to
the transfer of the Pension Bureau to the War
| Department., to the re.rating upon the basis OF
ability to earn a living, to the limitation to
persons receiving an income of less than $500.
and to soldiers widows, were overruled. The
point made against the amendment authoriz.
ing the detail of Medical Examiners as Elk
| aiming Surgeons WAS sustained.
Mr.. Burrows tR., Mich. appealed from the
| decision, SO far as it referred to the amendment
for the transfer of the Pension Bureau. The
decision of the Chair was sustained, lob to 63.
After adesutory debate the amendment for tho
| transfer was rejected-53 to 95.
The other amendments, relative to requiring
| nk IF IN c,nu that
| they are disabled for manual labor and have
not an annual income of $780, and providing
that no pension shall be granted a widow if she
was not married within five years after the
close of the war in which her husband served,
were also defeated without division.
Mr.. Andrew 3D., Mass.) offered an amend
ment providing that in every competitive and
non competitive examination nnder the civil
service law bonorably discharged Union SOL
diers shall be preferred. This was defeated,
| 81 TO 108.
Mr.. Tarsney d. Mo-, in speaking to an
amendment, referred to speech made few
days ago by Morse (R, Mass.), in which that
| gentleman, in his open remarks or in his
copy sent in to the official reporters said that
| he (Tarsneyl had referred to the pensioners
on the roll as "ruffians, thieves and scoun-
drels." He had never used such language nor
would he ever do SO. He was not in the habit
of using harsh language toward anyone; but
if he were compelled to do so, it would not
be against the men who had fought for the
Union but against the men who occupied seats
on this floor and wilfully and maliciously
fasiaed the words of their colleagues. APP
plnuse He stood here, and everywhere,
ready to respond to any individual for his
utterances; and therefore, he would not sneak
into the House of Representatives, and. under
the liberty granted by its rules, throw into the
official reports of the House words of vilifca
ton, SANDER, and falsehood against his fellow
members. Applause.
Mr. Morse replied that he did not attribute
to the gentleman any words that were not ut
tered by him. as far as he (Morse) understood
them.
The committee by this time was expecting a
sensation. The area in front of the Speakers
desk was thronged with members who were
awaiting further developments between the
gentleman from Missouri and the gentleman
from Massachusetts.
The situation, however took a new and more
serious turn.
Mr. Morse, having yielded to Mr.. Turpin
ID. Ala.,) to ask question, the latter brought
about a scene which has not beer enacted on
the floor of the House since Mr.. Sparks, Of Illi-
nois, and Gen. Weaver. of Iowa, took off their
coats aud proceeded to settle their differences
by fisticufs. Mr.. Turpin inquired of the gen.
tleman from Massachusetts, whether he was
aware of the fact that there stood to-day upon
the pension rolls an exsoldicr who was draw
ing pension of $40 month for total deafness,
who was receiving salary OF 81 800 a year.
and who was employed at the telephone.
| Laughter. If any gentleman wanted to know
| the name of this gentleman he could tell it.
Name him Name him !" came in chorus.
| Mr.. Turpin-I do not know whether the SOL
der is Democrat Republican, but in the
light of the present surroundings / suppose
that he is Democrat, because he comes from
the doubtful State of Indiana.
" / do not believe your statement unless you
prove it," shouted Mr. Waugh (R.. Ind. J, adj
vancing into the area in front Of the Speakers
desk, and then the interest became intense.
THE gentlenan's name is William 2. Davis"
said Mr. Turpin, leaving his position in the
main aisle and advancing toward Mr. Waugh.
81 do not believe the statement is true,
whether you have the gentleman's name or
not" retorted Mr.. Waugh
1.-The gentleman can doubt the statement,
| but he cannot say that ! am false"
| With these words Mr.. Turpin came down the
aisle and made manifestation of attack upon
| Mr.. Waugh, who was prepared to receive him.
The two men were not separated by foot of
space, and had it not been for the intervention
| of Mr.. Hooper. of Indiana, and other gentle
men, there would have been an actual pugilistic
encounter in front of the Speakers desk.
Speaker Crisp seized the gavel from the hand
of Chairman Wilson As quickly as his prede-
cessor Speaker Randall) had takon it from the
hand of Chairman Springer during the Sparks
| Weaver controversy. A touch of the author
itative hand of the Speaker procured compar-
| alive order, but the excitement was intense.
The Speaker appealed to the members to put
| an end TO this most unseemly scene aud take
their Seats but it was several minutes before
his appeal proved Of any avail. When order
was finally restored the House, finding that it
was in no temper to proceed with the consider
alton of the bill, adjourned until tomorrow.
FRIDAY. FEB. II.
MORSE GOES FOR TARsNEY-DEBATE ON
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF THE BILL.
When the bill came up in the House there
was prolonged debate upon the various new
| amendments offered.
| Mr.. Morse Mass, r. rose to a question of
personal privilege, stating that Mr. Tarsncy
| MO-, d. had attacked him for misquotng his
| tTarsneys) remarks where he (Morse) had
stated that Tarsney had said that the old SOL
diers were williams and scoundrels." Mr..
Morse sent to the clerks desk and had read
Mr.. Tarsney's speech as reported in the Record
| in which he says that the tens Of thous-
ands of undeservng then Cd the rolls by fraud
and perjury have been supplemented by other
| tens of thousands by the same methods, and
still increased by hundreds of thousands
through vicious legislation and still more
vicious Administration action" Mr.. Morse
thought that if the thousands of veterans Mr..
Tarsney here charges with fraud and perjury
| are not villains and rascals he wOuld be much