Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1894-03-10
The PENSION BILL.
Discussion Over the Appropriation Meas
nre In the Honaa.

Discussion Over the Appropriation Meas
ure in the House.
On the I'd the house took up the pension
bill The aggregate OF this bill is nearly s152,-
900, ooo which is over siiOOO,OOO below the esti-
mates and sl5,000,000 less than the amount ap-
proprated for the current year
Meredith dem, Va) charged that thousands
of men are on the pension rolls who have no
claim to be there, and when this statement was
challenged he described o case that came under
his personal knowledge, without mentioning
any names.
on the Sd Mr. Piclter (rep., s. d. made q
vigorous speech In behalf of liberal pension
policy. The old soldier, his widow, his chill
dren and his grandchildren should have justice
he said.
Gen. Black dem, Ill) ex.commissioner of
pensions, followed Mr.. Picltler, whose kindly
speech, he said, might almost be adopted
as declaration OF principles by the
house. While 1t was true that there
was no praise OF the union soldier that would
not find on echo on the democratic side
the assault OF Mr.. Grout rep, Vt) speak
ing for the republican minority, could
not be overlooked Mr.. Grout Mr. Black
said, had laid down three propositions-W
that the pension ONCE was unfriendly to the
soldiers; (2) that 1t inimical to their rights,
and (S) that the democratic party was hostile
to the union soldier In 1S91-'9a 81 900 claims
were allowed, an average OF 100 pension certih-
Gates issued day In the final adjudication one
clerk passed on 2,400 cases in month, or one
every four minutes After he had made this
record he was promoted Thousands of cases
were adjudicated on three papers: ul The
pensioners application: ~ the date OF enter
Ing and leaving the army, without stating
whether he was honorably or dishonora-
bly, discharged: t3) the medical exam
ination. There was an entire neglect of the
great requisite of the law-that the condition
| 4 the applicant should be shown not to
We been the result of his own vicious habits.
r. Black went on to cite the case of north
| western regiment which went south for 100
! battle nor heard musket crack Six
hundred and fourteen men in that regiment
! were the pension roll under the act
! OF 1890, with two companies unaccounted for
/ Was that making the pension roll roll of
! honorY With reference to the charge that the
! democratic party was hostile to the soldiers he
pointed out that since 1851 the house, which
originated all pension appropriation bills had
| been eighteen years under the control of the
republican party, ana during that time il had
! appropriated S6T6, 900 900: while during the sig
| teen years of democratic rule the house had
sent to the senate bills appropriating 1851 ,0OO,
! 900.
| Mr.. Waugh (rep., Ind. declared that no PEN
sion bill, general or private, had ever been re-.
| 1ected by republican vote.
| On the 5th Mr.. Hepburn (rep, la in his
| argument declared that the late confedsra
| states contributed not one dollar to the pay
ment OF pensions. OF the S150, 900 000 internal
revenue taxes the south pays less thanS 8, 9,00O,- :
! 600; Of the Sl77, 900 900 customs receipts the
south pays A,OOo,OoO; of the miscellaneous re-
ceipts less than S200O,00O $50 that" said he,
addressing the southern members, you con-
tribute less than al5 00O,000 to the revenue of
the government Hsw do you get that back?
Nine millions return as sugar bounty, s., ,000000
in pensions and s. 100000 as deficit
of postal receipts. You, therefore, receive
back $4,000, 900 more than you contribute. You
contribute not u cent to northern pensions.
What difference does 1t make to you what we
do with our own money!" He denied that there
was any great number of fraudulent pen
sions.
Mr.. Enloe dem, Tenn) said there is always
one great difficulty in discussing the pension
question A large amount of money is in
volved, large number of votes are involved,
consequently there is strong temptation for The
demagogue to exercise his calling Because the
democratic admins tration sought 10 strike
from the pension rolls those who are en-
titled neither TO the governments gratitude
nor its bounty tho republicans assail the
president secretary OF the interior and Com
missioner Lochren. AS an evidence OF the ex
istence OF fraud Mr.. Enloe said there have beer
ITO convictions OF pension claim agents fol
manufacturing testimony in pension cases
Mr. Enloe had read q letter from COMMISSIONS
Loohren under date of March s. 1894, saying
that there were between 5000 and 1000 pom
sion cases at present under inves tigatiou wher,
there was q strong presumptive evidence o
fraud.