The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-03-07
TIE DEBATE IN THE HOUSE
Secretary Herbert Hauled Over
the Goals by Democrats.
A Silver Storm Cloud Breaks in the
Senate-Attempt to Bring BANDS
Measure TO the Front.


the day being General sickles's speech
criticising the action of Commissioner Loch-
rem. An agreement was reached whereby
the debate on the bill will close at oc clock
tomorrow afternoon. Before the debate
began to-day the resolution for the investi-
cation OF Judge Jenkinss writ Of injunc-
ton against the Northern Pacific railroad
employees was taken up and passed. Quite a
heated discussion was precipitated at the
beginning OF the session over 4 resolution
instructing the Secretary of the Navy to
appoint naval cadet from the Fifth South
Carolina district. 1t seemed that Mr.. Strait.
the Representative from Maryland, failed
to appoint cadet and the Secretary OF
the Navy appointed and charged TO that
district a young man from Alabama IL
developed that in several other cases the
Secretary of the Navy had filled vacancies
from districts with residents of other dis
tricts, and there was manifest disposition
on the part of the members OF the House
to resent what they considered an infringe
ment of their rights. The Speaker ruled the
discussion out of order, and Mr.. Hopkins
demanded the regular order.
Mr.. Boatener from the committee on judi
ciary, asked unanimous consent for consid-
Grafton OF the resolution directing the in
vestigation by the committee OF the injunc-
ton issued by United States Judge jenkins
on behalf Of the Farmers Lean and Trust
Company against the Northern Pacific
Railroad Company. There was no objec-
ton, and the resolution was adopted.
Mr.. Linton secured unanimous consent for
| the consideration of resolution authorizing
the Secretary of the Treasury to tranfer a
certain piece of property in the city of Sagi-
| nav. Mich, to that city, and II was passed.
| privilege, on the ground that his rights
| had been invaded by the Secretary of the
| Navy in appointing and charging TO his
| district naval cadet from another State.
| He detailed the circumstances under which
| the appointment had been made.
Mr.. Cummings, chairman OF the naval
| committee. stated that the committee
| agreed with Mr.. Strait, and had reported a
| bill to prevent such mistakes in the future.
| But that does not go 1, far enough," in
| rect the wrongs already done members"
Mr.. Strait asked the adoption of a reso--
luton to the effect that the appointment
| by, the Secretary Of the Navy of a naval
lima from the Sixth Alabama district was
| without authority OF law and is void" The
resolution was adopted.
The House then went into committee OF
the whole for further consideration Of the
| pension appropriation bin, an agreement
| having been reached by unanimous consent
| to close general debate at o'clock to-
morrow.
| GEN S1ChLESS
| Mr. Sickles took the floor and had read
an extract from Mr.. Clevelands letter OF
| acceptance of the presidential nomination,
saying that the debt due the defenders OF
| the Union should be ungrudgingly dis
| discharged. Upon that pledge the SOL
diers the Democratic party stood and won
| the political victory. The pension system
| commanded the approval of all parties and
| all sections. Justice TO the Union soldiers
| was the one thing upon which all were
united: He was not able to agree with the
| Commissioner of Pensions, either in his In
| depreciation of the law or his manner or
treating the legislation OF Congress. The
| Commissioner had characterized the act or
| Dec. g. 1893, IN which Congress declared a
| pension to be vested right as 'inac-
curate and inappropriate" That was not a
| gress, and his superior officer should have
| returned it 70 him with the admonition TO
| treat Congress with more respect. (Repub-
| lican applause) Besides, he continued,
| Commissioner Lochren was as defective in
| his law as in his manner Genewed Repub-
4 lican applause); he had only TO go TO his
| law dictionary to find what was right
| and what was a vested right A right was
| a well-founded claim. A vested right was
| a right to present enjoyment. The pension
was a vested right conferred by them. Yet
| an army of twelve thousand men had been
| deprived of that enjoyment by official
| of the Government.
Mr. Milliken made vigorous speech, in
| which hberality in pensions was dwelt
| upon, and was followed by MIR. GroSvenor.
The charge that there was wholesale fraud
| in the pension rolls General GroSvenor
| stamped as false and malicious. II the
| President had gone to Illinois and had Sc
| lected the hero of Fort Henry. a Democrat
| Of education and training before Mr.. Clevc-
| land knew the difference between Democ-
| racy and humbug, as Secretary or the ln-
| terror, no such trouble as now confronted
| the Democracy would have occurred There
| was more fraud in the custom house in
| New York in a single year than in all the
| pension cases that have ever come before
| the Pension Bureau: there were more He
gal moonshine stills, ten TO one, IN the
| United States than dishonest soldiers on
Mr.. Coombs took the Republicans TO task
| capital out of the pension business and the
| unjust charges OF hostility TO the system
upon the Southern Representatives. The
| Southern members. he said. had quietly ac-
quiesced in the demands for pensions They
did not even reply to the taunts OF the
Mr.. Blair said that the cry that the pen
sion roll a roll OF dishonor. tainted
with fraud. had long been heard in the
land AS far back 1881 in order 20 get
at the fraudulent pensioners. the entire
roll was published. Ii was examined in
every community. and, as far as he knew,
| not one single, solitary case OF fraud was
Mr.. Mahon. who concluded the debate for
| the day, declared that he did not believe
| the Commissioner Of Pensions (Mr Ioch-
| REM, who was a brave soldier, would nave
| had he not been forced to do at the die
tation Of the President. At the end OF ms
| remarks the committee rose
| Mr.. Dockery presented bin from the
! Joint committee on expenditures IN the de-
| partments TO improve the methods or au-
! ,nting accounts IN the Treasury Depart
| ment and then, at $40 p. M, the House
| adjourned
No Quorum ut the Caucus.
| WASHINGTON, March 6.-The Demo-
cratic House caucus called for O'Clock to-
night to consider the advisability CT
STRENGTHENING the rules, failed 10 secure 4
quorum. and the hfty-eight Democrats pres
ent adjourned without reaching any conclu-
sion. The hours were spent in general dis
| cussion. Speaker Crisp left early in the
| evening and was followed by others who
recognized that nothing would be accom-
| plished II felt that the time for
| 3 strong rule past. now that the trou-
bic and the bin were out Of the way.
Messrs Springer. Paynter and BOatner pre-
scented drafts of rules which they advo-
Gated, and Messrs. McCreaTy. Kigore and
Williams. OF Illinois urged that the rules
should be let alone. When the meeting
broke up IL was the general understanding
that the effort 10 strengthen the rules and
compel the attendance OF 4 quorum bad
come to an end for the present