The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-03-08
1t Was a Lively Session.

Washington, March TN the House,
the Senate joint resolution was passed
for the appointment of a commission to
the Antwerp international exhibition.
The House then went into committee
of the whole on the pension appropria-
ton bill.
After a brief-speech by Thomas Gre
of Michigan, Springer Dem
ocraD, of Illinois, took the floor in de-
Tense of the policy of the pension Office.
He wanted to know why in Illinois,
having more population than Ohio, but
6S, 600 pensioners received 81, 900,
while Ohio had 1O2,9S1 pensioners re-
ceiving SIT, 1926, 600. In Indiana, 100000
was distributed to a congressional dis
trict; in Ohio $855,000 while in Illinois
but 100000 was distributed to a dis
trict He attributed this state of af-
fairs to the fact that the pension Office
had been made a political machine by
the Republican party. Illinois was GER
tain for the Republican party, while
Indiana and Ohio were doubtful. Pen
sion cases were settled in doubtful
states, while those from solid states
were pigeOn-hOled.
March, of Illinois, explained the dis
termination by pointing out that in Kan
sas, which sent but fifteen regiments
into the field, there were $4,000 pen
sioners. Old soldiers from Illinois
moved west to Kansas and other
states.
O'Neil DemocraD, of Massachusetts,
who is in charge of the bill, closed the
debate He said the debate was large
" for political effect. The Republicans
as they saw the limit to the pensions
was soon to be reached, realized that
their stock-in-trade would cease when
they could no longer go before the
country crying out that they had in
creased the number of pensions. In
concluding, O'Neil warned the Republi-
cans that they were in poor business
when they saw fit to discredit General
Black and Commissioner Lochren in
the eyes of the old soldiers. Neither
could they discredit the president with
the American people.\ They had abso-
lutte faith in his honesty, ms pluck ana
courage. CApplause)-
closed under agreement reached yes-
terday, and the bill was read for
amendments and debate under the hve
minute rule.
Bingham, of Pennsylvania, Enloe
Oemocrat. of Tennessee, and Hopkins,
of Illinois. offered amendments which
were declared out of order as not be-
~" Gr esS eli of Ohio, offered an
amendment to increase the appropria-
ton for pensions carried by the bill
from $150,000,000 TO $l65,OOo,0O0, which
was defeated without division
General Henderson Republican,, OF
Iowa, then got the floor. He was
panied beyond measure, he said, to
find upon that which ought to in
spire every patriotic heart, this house
as divided as if it were war measure.
General Black, who deserved every
generous word that had been spoken
concerning him, stood there with a
bouquet of rhetoric for the soldier in
one hand, and a dagger TO strike him
to the soul in the other OH my
lcountryr' said Henderson, addressing
| the Democratic side, "He who wore
the stars upon his shoulders in the
cause of union, can do more harm 10
his old comrades than all those who
! fought under the conIeoerdLe nas =;
There is a marked contrast presented
| by that other distinguished soldier,
General Siekles, Republican applause),
| who. fearing not the thunder Of the
executive or the cruel heel of patrons
age, stands for the soldiers with whom
! he fought. Scars are honorable, but
l'they must not be used as a cloak from
able men. This debate shall not close
without my crying Shame. shame! at
soldier who has sought to discredit
his comrades-in-arms.
Enloe replied to Henderson, espec-
| tally as to his structures on General
Black, who was absent, and then after
some further debate by Springer,
Lacey and others, Mahon, of Pennsyl-
vania, presented an amendment de-
claring pension a vested right.
| ONeil made the point that the
amendment was not gernane, and the
point was sustained.
Picker, of South Dakota, offered an
amendment to make the reports of the
examining surgeons open to the in
spection Of attorneys and applicants.
| Agreed to.
Grow, of Pennsylvania, offered the
last amendment. providing that no
pension ON account of disability in the