Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1894-08-01
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
1t Is Said to Be an III Wind That
Blows Nobody Good.
0ne Result Of the Quarrel in congress-A
Queer Pension Case.

tGnsfOlc resolution Tor q 1ti1l ana Tree con-
ference with the house than the absentee
Democrats who had been hastily called
in, began to string out for home again.
They consist chiefly Of such western and
southern Democrats as have not yet been
rcnominatcd and are not quite sure of it.
"We can do moro good in our districts
than here, Z they all said. 1--WE can gain
more votes By staying hero and seeing it
through titan by going home, said those
already renOminated. And both are right
from their respective standpoints. It's an
i'll wind that blows good to nobody, and
two classes Of people have great cause to
DC thankful for tho quarrel between the
houses and the lcngthening Of the session
namely, persons who had private bills
pending and stalwarts who were in doubt
about their denomination. 1t Is admitted
that several members have been greatly
helped ut home by the recent turn of af-
fairs. How did you come to nominate b.
when the delegates seemed to BIC against
him awhile backP' was asked Of western
wircpullcr who had just arrived. Sim
pcst thing in the world" he replied
Had we nominated any one else we
should have had to indorse all this con
gress and the administration and run on
TINT record, but Il. can run on his own
record, and SO we don't have to mention
anything else,
Why They Hurried Away.
Tho southern abscntccs have good reason
to hurry away, for there arc squally times
all tho way down tho coast. Mr.. Wise of
the Richmond district, who Ind been tax
ing things easy in the belief that his call
ing and election were sure, was suddenly
called home the other day to find that
vigorous and dangerous opposition had
sprung up almost as suddenly as Jonah's
gourtl. Mr. Marshall Of the extreme south
western ViYginin district Cyclone Jim")
has had something of n tusslo from the
start, and Il reached tho Gcutc stage Just
when thctGriff trouble was ut the worst.
Mr.. Bum of the Raleigh district will
have to retro at tho end of six years scrv-
ice for tho Primaries bavo gone against
him, and No has announced his with
drawnl. Mi. Alexander of the Charlotte
On. O. district ii also likely to go out.
Farther south and west denominations arc
the rule, ana il the Republicans and Pop
ulsts do not upset present calculations
nearly alltho present representatives from
tho gulf states will return to us Mr..
Mallory Of Florida and Mr.. Abbott of
Texas arG still in some danger
Tho Other class who have found this i'll
wind Of tariff quarrclng greatly to their
ADVANTAGE huro been tho men with claims
and tho applicants for special relief undor
tho pension laws. Tho house, having
nothing to do but visit on the senate,
amused itself By passing 30 or 80 little bills
per day aud incidentally ovcrhauling once
moro thcInpch bcdcyiled question OF how
far the military record of u soldier ought
to b. intorferad with. House bill 233, to
correct tho inequalities arising under the
act of july 81, 1890, Is a matter of general
concern, and tho discussion upon its pas
sage brought out agrcat number Of very
curious cascs. General Grosvonor said Of
tho bill lie had introduced:
1T was u case wherc % soldier had over
staid his furlough because Of tho extreme
illness Of his wife. He staid some months
beyond the limitation of his furlough and
was marked MS u dc$ertcr. AS soon ms it
was possible for him to return he started
back to Ills command. On the way down
to tho Ohio river, Mt a point where the
stage stopped for dinner, no went into II
stream 90 buthc and was drowned. Under
tho existing laws his vito cannot have n
pension, although tho soldier was on his
way back to his regiment"
Pensions For Children.
To this it was replied that hard cases
mako bad law, and that a sweeping act
like that proposed would open the door to
fraud. Nevertheless, with an amendment
that it should not apply in cases where
actual desertion was proved the bill was
passed. Another bill making things easier
for claimants is that which allows fourth
class postmasters TO administer the oath
To pensioners and their witnesses and
make certificates thereof to the pension
Office, Several other bills were reported
from tho committee on invalid pensions,
and most of them passed with little fric-
ton till &c camo to the bill for continuing
the pension of the children of deceased
soldiers when such children are imbcciles.
1t was shown in the course of the debate
that very many private bills had been
passed 70 pension such children, and it
was claimed that tho thing might as well
ho done by general act This, however,
was an Obvious case of ponsioning chill
dren for life in order to relieve counties of
their poor charges TO that extent, and II
brought out some extremely flaming re-
marks from Mr.. Hutchinson of Texas. This
in turn aroused Mr.. Blair of New Hamp-
shire from the lethargy which seems to
have possessed him since he left the senate
for the house, and the two gentlemen, OK
tremes in everything, amused their col
leagues ut great length The bill passed.
sharp Practice.
Taking italtogcther, applicants for pom
sions have sfared remarkably well during
these DAYS of rushing things. Another
bill of great Importance was slipped
through the house by shrowd management
N,spplI call n a trick