The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-08
PENSIONS ASAPARTY PULL
The House Democrats Show Up the
Republican HypOcraCy.


nerable Republican Ranks-Springer
Tells of the Use of the Pension Blu
reau to Influence observation-disclosures
son Attacks Blacks Speech But Gets
Badly Worsted Before he Sits Down.
Washington, March I'm the House
to-day, Mr.. O'Neil, dem, of Massachu-
setts, reported from the committee on APP
preparations MIR. Bingham's resolution
asking the Secretary of the Treasury to
inform the House under what authority
the bureau of engraving and printing sub.
mitted bid for printing postage stamps
with favorable recommendation, and it
was passed.
Mr.. Henderson, dem. of North Caro-
lima, reported from the committee on
postofices and post roads, Mr.. Bingham's
resolution asking the postmaster general
to give the House all the information in
his department respecting the bids for
printing postage stamps and the award of
the contract, and it was also passed.
AT the beginning of the discussion of
the pension bill, Mr. Waugh, dem, of In
diana, stated that Deputy Commissioner
the truthfulness of the inter
view printed IN the indianapolis
Sentinel and quoted by him (Waugh) in
his speech, in which Mr.. Bell was made
to say that the expenditures for pensions
in the year 1894 would be S25, O00,0 600 less
than for the curreut year, and that be-
fore the Cleveland administration closed
the annual expenditures on account of
the pensions would be reduced to $780,
100000 year.
HUDSON HITS THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.
MIR. Hudson, pop, of Kansas, said the
real reason why the House INDUCED in
this annual debate was that the old sol
dier had vote. The pension question,
he said, should be taken out of politics.
MIR. Russell, dem, of Georgia, said he
had received notice that the colored
brother was to be relegated to the rear,
and that the Republican party would fire
the northern heart with their appeals on
this pension question. Referring to the
statements that the southern states did
not pay anything for pensions, Mr. Rus
sell said the states should take the pen
sion in their own hands. The answer the
country made TO the charges MADE
against President Cleyeland's pension
vetoes was to give him the largest major
ity in 1892 ever given to any candidate for
the presidency in the history of the coun-
try. All that the Democratic party do
sired, he said, was that the pension laws
be equitably administered
HoKE SMITH IN WAR TIMES
In the further course of his remarks,
Mr. Russell was interrupted by Mr.. Will
son, rep, of Ohio, as to whether or not
Secretary Smiths father served in the
confederate army.
II believe not, said Mr.. Russell.
"Well, did he have any relatives in the
army" asked Mr.. Wilson.
lone relative he had" answered Mr..
Russell, "whose name stands as high prob
ably, as that of any man who gave his
energy and his fortune to the confederacy
Gen. Hoke, of North Carolina, whose
illustriOus name the secretary bears
Mr.. Wilson-Was he secretary in sym
pathy with the confederacy2
Mr.. Russell-Well, the secretary was 7
years old at the time the war broke out,
and in common with every 7-year-old
child in the aouth, was in entire sympathy
with the confederacy.
USED FOR PARTY PURPOSES.
Mr.. Springer charged that the pension
bureau had been used by the Republican
party to affect the vote in Ohio and In
diana, which were doubtful states Prob
ably lllsois averaged neither so many
pensioners, nor so much paid per pen
sioner per district, as did both the states
named.
Mr. O'Neil, dem, of Massachusetts,, In
charge OF the bill, closed the general de-
bate. He reviewed the various speeches
by the republican members and replied to
their several criticisms of and charges
against the bureau. The cause of the
great sudden decrease in the issue of pen
sion certificates, he said, was a decision
made by Assistant Secretary of the In
terror Bussey in the late administration
which reduced the allowance of q certain
class of certificates per cent. On the ques-
tion of the value of the allowance made
by the bureau, Mr.. O'Neil said that the
average monthly payment of certificates
issued in the last year of Commissioner
Raum's administration was S9.9l. while Of
those issued in the first ten months of
Commissioner Lochren's administration
it was S100S. The close of Mr.. O'Neil's
speech was an eloquent eulogy upon the
character of the services of Gen. Black,
the ex-commissioner Commissioner och
ren, Secretary Smith and President
Cleveland, and presentation of the bill
as a generous expression OF the Demo
cratic party on the subject of pensions.
The bill came up for consideration un-
der the five minute rule and for amend
mcnt. Three amendments were ruled out
on points OF order The fourth gave rise
to debate 1t was offered by Mr. Gros-
yenor, rep. of Ohio, 10 increase the
amount Of the bill from Sl5O,000, 600 TO
:165, 600 900.
HENDERSON ATTACKS BLACK.
Mr. Henderson, rep, of Iowa, caused
something of a sensation by referring 10
the speech Of Mr.. Black, dem, of Illinois
He said that gentleman had stood up here
with Il boquct of rhetoric in one hand, to
attack the votes of the soldiers while in
his other, his withered one, he held a
dagger to drive at their hearts. What q
contrast he bore, said Mr. Henderson. to
that other distinguished veteran, Gen
| Sickles, Of New York. who spoke for the
old soldiers, and who, he doubted not,
stood discrcdited with the Democratic
party for that speech. Scars are honor
able; but they should not be used, said
Mr. Henderson, as i cover under which to
attack men as honorable as he who bears
tom. Il was determined" said Mr.
Henderson, that this debate should not
close without at least one voice 10 cry
shane upon him who led a column in at
tack upon the soldiers on the pension roll.
| MIR. Henderson said not scintilla Of evil
dence had been produced to prove the
charge of fraud against the pension list I:
ami yet IL had been so often and loudly
made by the democrats that many people
really believed il to be a rotten roll Mr..
Henderson appealed to the democrats to
unite with the republicans in support Of