Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-03-03
SCENE In THE HOUSE.

In the House OF Representatives yes
terday evening during the debate Oh
the pension appropriation bill Mr..
O'Neil took occasion to defend the
course of Commissioner Lochren. In
reply to inquiries he said that he be-
lieved the amount carried by the bill
would meet the demands for all just
pensions.
"Did | understand you to say there
were many fraudulent pensioners on
the rolls ?" asked Mr.. Picker.
you did not understand me 10 say
anything of the kind,' replied Mr..
O'Neill, sharply.
"Well, l say it," interposed Mr.. Mer-
edith democrat of Virginia., 'and l
will give you proof in the morning"
Mr.. Grout, ofVermont, followed with
an assault on Commissioner Lochren's
action in his wholesale suspension OF
pensioners.
Mr.. Meredith made rather a sensa-
tional speech. He said that he protest
ed against making the pension rolls a
roll of dishonor in the name of a State
that had paid three times as much for
pensions as Vermont.
"That's because there are more of
YOU" suggested Mr.. Grout.
"But we get no benefit" returned
Mr.. Meredith.
"That's because you were on the
wrong side," suggested Mr.. Johnson
republican of Indiana).
'fWhether a man is a patriot or a
REBEL" retorted Mr.. Meredith, "de-
ponds upon the result. Success makes
a patriot of him whom defeat makes a
rebel of. That was the case in 1776."
Mr.. Meredith went on to cite cases,
which, he said, made him believe that
there were hundreds and thousands of
fraudulent pensioners on the rolls.
During the progress of his speech he
denounced the republicans for refusing
to vote when the seigniorage bill was
up.
"Why didn't you count us?" asked
Mr.. Reed.
"If they had put me in the chair"
replied Mr.. Meredith, 81 would have
administered to you our own medicine.
1 would have counted you" [Republi-
can applause.
II am glad to find there is one man of
some sense on that SIDE" retorted Mr..
Reed. Laughter.
Later, in referring to some cases in
his State of negro pensioners, Mr.. Mer-
edith said that only negroes got pen
sions in his country.
"That is because they are the only
people who were loyal" said Mr.. Bak-
er (republican), of New Hampshire.
according to your idea of loyalty"
replied Mr.. Meredith, "there were no
loyal men in my country, and | am
proud of it,"
Toward the end of Mr.. Meredith's
speech a most exciting scene occurred
which almost eventuated in a personal
collision between him and Mr.. Funk
republican,, of Illinois. Mr.. Meredith
was still talking about fraudulent pen
sions and was having an animated al
.tercation with Mr.. Baker, of New
Hampshire, over a a 81 which had come
under his (Meredith's) personal obser-
walton, where a Union soldier was OBJ
tanning a pension for disability which
he Meredith) claimed he did not have.
of can Judge from the fact that a
man seems healthy and strong" said
he, land yet gets a pension by reason of
a disability, then l see him day by day
and week by week and year by year
in my plan home-spun country way of
speaking. I say that l believe that
that man lied when he went before the
officials and swore that he had been
crippled in the army
ii want to say if the gentleman is
honest" interrupted Mr.. Funk, rising
in his place, land is stating what he be-
lieyes to be true, that if he does not
make that case known to the proper
authorities he is not a good citizen"
II want to say to this" returned MIR.
Meredith, holly, THAT if the gentleman
undertakes to ~insinuate that I am dis
honest; if the gentleman undertakes
to''- Without completing his SEN
tence Mr.. Meredith left his place to the
right of the Speakers chair and hurried
over to where Mr.. Funk was standing
in a side aisle to the left.
~ did not say so,o protested Mr..
Funk, as Mr.. Meredith advanced to.