Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1894-10-12
From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON LETTER.

The u. 5. pension bureau, branch
Of the government in which political
partisanship should never be intro
duced, is now being used To coerce APP
cratic candidates for congress. Ger
tainly more shameful abuse of au-
thority has never been known in Wash
ington. 1t is stated that no applica-
tions will be acted upon between now
and the date of the congressional cleo
ton, except those endorsed by the dem
ocratlc candidate for congress in the
district in which the applicant has Il
vote, and in order that democratic
candidates may have "a chance to try to
influence the vote of every applicant
for pension in their districts they are
furnished with lists, giving names and
addresses, by the pension bureau
The number of names on these lists
furnished 10 democrats in single state
-lndiana-eXcccds 10000. There is
double ignominy in this sort of thing
for the administration. First, i'm trad
ing upon the neceSsaries of old soldiers,
many of whom are known to be sadly
in need of the pittance for which they
have applied. Second, in taking up
the time OF clerks in the pension bureau
to prepare lists of applicants to be used
by democratic candidates, thus lessen
ins the number of applications granted
and robbng the old soldiers out of just
that much assistance. Ard all for the
purpose Of making votes for the demo
cratic party, which has during the short
time it has been in power managed to
do the country more harm, aside from
actual loss of life, than did four years
of war. AS a rule. the old soldiers are
thoroughly patriotic, and for that rea-
son it is doubtful whether these tactics
will influence many of them to vote to
send democrat 10 congress, thus help
ing to continue the democratic times of
the last year and half.
The roorback season began a little
earlier in this campaign than it usually
does, but there is reason for the belief
that the publication of the first one,
that charging the chairman of the re-
publican congressional campaign COM
mittee with being mixed up with the
distribution of A. p A. literature, was
premature. The democrats were quiet
~ nursing it with the intention of us
ing it in all districts where the Catho-
lie vote is heavy, day or two before
election, when it would have been too
late for its correction. but a newspaper
man got hold of it and having more
desire to furnish his paper with a sense
ton than TO serve the democratic patty
he sent it out and it was printed. OF
course the story is too silly to be ac-
cepted by any but the most credulous.
1t carries It's own contradiction on its
face. No man not an idiot in char
man Babcock's position would hold any
relations with the A. +. A. or any other
organization with similar objects in
view, and Chairman Babcock is so far
removed from being an idiot that he is
regarded as one Of the best campaign
managers the congressional committee
has ever had. Nh Babcock will this
week 90 to his own district, TO look
after his reelection, leaving Represent
ative Apsley of Mass. vice-chairman,
in charge of the congressional commit
tee.
The result of the Georgia legislative
election has put the democratic cam
paign committee into what closely re-
sembles panic. It's members now
cOncede the loss of one Georgia con-
gressional district 10 the populists and
other democrats say they will be lucky
if they do not lose at least three. There
is disposition among democrats to
make Senator Faulkner, who is chair
man Of their campaign committee, the
scape-goat for the unpromising outlook
of their congressional campaign, They
say that he either Intentionally misrep-
resents the situation or is such con-
tirmed rainbow-chaser that he is unable
to see things as they are. They do not
object to his making his talks for pub
LEGATION rainbow-hued, but they say
that he talks the same way to them
when they know better, and they think
if he doesn't know any better that he
isn't fit to be at the head of the COM
mittee. Hoke Smith comes in for most
of the blame for the result in Georgia.
He is charged with having unnecessar-