The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-15
HOT IN THE HOUSE.
Picker Makes Rash Statements ana
In Called Down.


Washington, Dec. 1.-THE House
went into committee of the whole with
out preliminary business today and re-
suned consideration Of the pension
appropriation bill.
Mr.. Grosvenor, Of Ohio, delivered a
speech of an hour in which he criti-
cised the attitude of the pension office
toward pensioners and pension ciilin-
ants. He reviewed the policy Of the
office, detailing the evidence Of alleged
hostility toward the soldier, and cit
ing many instances, of injustice.
Mr.. Morse, of Massachusetts, ana Mr..
Lacey. OF Iowa, followed in the same
strain.
Mr.. sickles, of New York. expressed
disgust with the recurrence n the
presidents 8. message and I'M the reports
of the secretary of the interior and the
commissioner of pensions, of charges, OF
fraud in the pension roll. For the last
time, probably, before his retire
ment from Congress. he said,
he desired to defend his
old comrades from this Islander. With
almost a million names on roll and
$50. 900, 600 disbursed in pensions an
nually, ne declared the fraud discover
ed was utterly Insignificant, and it
should be a subject of self-congratula-
ton to every soldier in the land.
ct want TO reply once for ali 10 the
charges from the other side" said Mr..
Picker, Republican, of North Dakota,
that the pension roll is not a roll of
dishonor."
"Who on this side has ever made
such a statement?" asked Mr.. Dunn,
Democrat, of New Jersey.
"a great many"
Picker Pinned Down.
"Who? Name one" came in a CHOIR
us from the Democratic side.
'I refer you to the Record" replied
Mr.. Picker.
ST have no time to look through the
Record" persisted Mr.. Dunn. Name
one"
az don't care to drag names in here
replied Mr.. Picker. Mr.. Picker went
on to detail the result Of pension Of
flee purging, which. he declared, had
resulted in but twenty-nine convic-
tions.
You would not deprive the govern
ment of the means to discover even
twenty-nine frauds, would you?"
asked Mr.. Dunn, returning to the at
tack.
Certainly not said Mr.. Picker.
Then what are you talking about?"
RI urn d Mr.. Dunn. sarcaStically.
The report OF the commissioner OF
pensions and the message Of the pres
ident show they are demagogues, re-
turned Mr.. Picker, hotly.
The general debate proceeded without
marked incident, Messrs. Baker, OF New
Hampshire; Encloe. Of Tennessee; Ma
hon, Of Pennsylvania; Hulick, of Ohio;
Combs, of New York; Bynum, of Indi-
ana; Cannon, OF Illinois. and Milliken,
of Maine, participated and it was con-
cluded by a brief speech from Mr.
O'Neill Of Massachusetts, in charge OF
the bill. He explained that $139, 900, 900
had been expended for pensions during
the last fiscal year, and the commits
sioner had estimated that the same sum
would be expended during the present
year. The commissioner believed that
the limit Of pension expenditures had
been reached, and that after Wavering
about the present figure for three years,
it would begin to decrease. The bill
was then passed without division.
Other Bills.
Mr.. Cultivate reported the army ap-
preparation bill.
On motion of Mr.. McCreary, the Hit
resolution calling on the secretary OF
state for all correspondence and reports
relating to the shipment Of $425.000 to
Great Britain, growing out of the con-
troversy over the Alaskan fur seals,
was adopted.
A motion to adjourn until Monday
was carried and then at p. N. the
House took a recess until o'clock
The evening session is to be devoted
to private pension bills.