The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-03-06
AN ATTACK ON HOKE SMITH
Hepburn Goes for Him During the
Pension Debate.

Government's Expenses-Enloe De-
fends the Administration.
Washington, March 5.-The House of
Representatives began the second year of
the tffty-third congress at noon to-day,
with prayer by Dwight L. Moody, the
evangelist. There was good attendance
of members, and the prayer was listened.
to attentively.
On motion of Mr. Richardson, dem, of
! Tennessee, a resolution was passed ap-
propriating S5,7O5 for publishing the cor
respondence submitted to congress since
Jan. l, on Hawaiian affairs, with an
amendment placing the publication in
charge Of the Secretary of State instead
Of the committee on foreign relations.
The bill to enable New Mexico to be-
| come state, which was called up by Mr.
Joseph, dem, of New Mexico, immedi-
| ately developed opposition. Mr.. Cannon,
rep, Of Illinois, demanded a second, and
| tellers were ordered The republicans
refrained from voting and the result was
announced as 1876 yeas and / nay. No
quorum having appeared, Mr. Joseph
withdrew his motion, aud Mr. O'Neill,
dem, of Massachusetts, called up the reg
ular order-the pension appropriation bill
and Mr. DOlliver, rep, of Iowa, ad-
dressed the House on its provisions, critl-
cising the present administration Of the
pension Office.
Mr.. Hepburn, rep, of Iowa, scored the
action of ''the representatives of the late
confederate states" for their opposition
TO liberal pensions. Not one of these
states, " he said, contributed a dollar
not even a nickel--to the pension roll
The late confederate states contribute
but small proportion to the expenses of
the government. In all the ports Of the
United States $l77 100000 was collected,
and of this sum the confederate states
contributed but $4000,00 000."
HIS REMARKS OBJECTED TO.
Messrs. Livingston, of Georgia, and
Enloe, of Tennessee, objected to some of
Mr. Hepburn's statements on the south's
proportion of the contribution to the gov
ernment's expenses, and Mr.. Hepburn
admitted that there was justice in the
objection. A large proportion of the south
ern people, he said, wore cheap cottons, a
large proportion went barefoOted and did
not have to wear shoes. This was on ac-
count Of the climate, and they were not
obliged to pay duty on imported goods But
the people of the states in favor Of grant
ing pensions contributed nearly all the
expenses of the government, and now the
people of the late confederate states
wanted to order what the people of the
other states should do with their own
money. The confederate states did not
contribute to the pension roll. Ap-
plause. Mr.. Hepburn said he could
show that the present administration
was opposed to liberal pension policy,
and the first proof of that was that
Grover Cleveland was President of the
United States. He had vetoed bill
granting pensions to deserving men and
had coupled his veto with many insulting
expressions to old soldiers.
AN ATTACK ON HoKE SMITH.
The selection of Hoke Smith to admin
lister the pensions was another evidence
of hostility. Secretary Smith was re-
ferred to in sarcastic Jermc, and the read
ing OF his biography from the congress
sional directory, which Mr.. Hepburn
limited was prepared by the subject him
self, created much laughter among the
republicans, particularly the detailed ac-
count of Mr.. Smiths law studies. Hoke
Smith, he held, was unfit to administer
the great Office he held He had
been brought up under influences opposed
to the old soldiers, AMI those first domi-
mated him in his pension policy Another
evidence of the hostility to the pensions
was the change in the examining boards.
Now men many thousands of miles away
examined the cases of pensioners, and
the board of physicians who had made
personal examinations of applications had
been done away with 1t was the inten-
tion of this administration not to allow
any pensions during this first year.
TILT WITH TALBE2T.
A controversy took place between
Messrs. Hepburn and Talbert over
statement OF Mr. Hepburns that if the
democrats believed their charges that the
pension roll was running over with fraud
were true, they would be only too glad
to investigate Mr.. Talbert objected TO
this statement and he and Mr. Hepburn
played "giye and take" for several
minutes, during which there was much
confusion. Order was finally restored
and Mr.. Hepburn concluded.
Mr. Enloe, Of Tennessee, took the oppo-
site view from the preceding speaker.
He said that there was q large amount of
money and large number Of votes in
volved in the pension question, and 1t
opened up a chance for demagogues TO
exercise their vocation He defended the
Secretary Of the Interior and his pension
policy. He cOntended that justice had
actuated every suspens ion Of pensions !
OlUte tQe beginning OF BtlG OlcNGidDQ aQ- !
ministration until Feb. O. last, "03 cases
of fraud in pensions had been discovered |
by the pension Office, and 147 convictions
had been obtained. A large part of Mr. |
Enioe's argument was devoted to COM
pany ! Of the 1s4th Ohio regiment. The |
members Of this company, he said |
who had not participated in any Of the !
bottles Of the war, had alleged more disa- !
bility in their applications for pensions
than did the members of the Seventeenth |
Kentucky regiment, which had served |
between three and four years and par
ticipated in fifteen battles. This regi- |
ment was being investigated by the pen
sion office, said Mr.. Enloe, and with this /
statement as a basis, he proceeded TO de- |
fend the methods Of the present commits |
sioner of pensions in prosecuting fraudu- |
lent applicants.
THE RAUM ADMINISTRATION.
When Mr.. Enloe, said that the Raum nd !
ministration had changed the political |
character Of the pension examining |
boards he was met with storm of pro
tests from the republicans. Mr.. Mill |
ken, rep, Of Maine said the policy Of |
changing the political complexion Of the |
medical boards began under the first |
Cleveland administration and was con- |
tinued by Gen. Raum.
Mr.. Euloe, also made the accusation that |
persons employed in the pension Office |
who were in sympathy with the last ad- |