The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-10-29


THE HARRISON CONTRAST.
In 1889 President Harrison came in with
a Republican Congress. One of the first
acts which that Congress undertook to
pass was the disability bill. Twice the
Democrats defeated its passage in the
House under a suspension OF the rules. On
tte final passage of the bill the vote stood
as follows:
Senate
Republicans for the bill. ........... 81
Democrats for the bill..::""-..-....
Republicans against the bill........ 0
Democrats against the bill. .....-........ So
House
Republicans for the bill.
Democrats for the bill Is
Republicans against the bin..........-...
Democrats against the bill................ u
Carefully sean the foregoing votes on the
bill which has been a blessing. to thousands
or WORKOUT and poverty-stricken veterans.
The administration of the pension laws
during the Harrison administration was car
ried out In the spirit OF fairness and con-
sideration inspired by Lincoln's words, ito
tle."
as an aspirant for reorganization in 1892
Democratic soldiers throughout the coun-
try protested. Most Indiana Democratic
soldiers will recall the righteous indig-
in a. protest printed and circulated by him
in May. 1892. Here Is a sample sentences:
DOcS uOl III IdCl IIdl HIS liz W
insinuation and contempt for 100000 Demo-
cratic soldiers as expressed in many differ
ent forms in his veto messages furnish
In September, 1892, when the National
Encampment of the Grand Army was held
in Washington, 1T was SO apparent that
Democratic soldiers would vote for Har-
rison that the Cleveland leaders saw that
something must be done in Indiana and
other States to coax them back to CIever
county in Indiana every Democratic sol
der Should be seen by leaders VINO were
soldiers and assured that Mr.. Cleveland and
his friends had promised TO pursue a lib
eral policy toward pensioners; that those
who had claims pending should have them
satisfactorily adjusted at once. The jour
nal could give the names of several OF the
men who did this work. 1t was faithfully
done in Indiana, and not less tnan S,Wu
veterans who would have voted for .Har-
rison in September were won back to
Cleveland in November.
The election over. the A~nglomaniac and
free-trade Cleveland organs in the East,
and Union pensioner-haters in the South
set up a cry against the existing pension
system. Thousands of pensioners were
frauds they shouted; millions or money
were wasted upon camp-followers and de-
Serters-"
sion expenditure so that duties on Foreign
goods could be reduced, to the end that
they might again possess" the American
markets.
THE ADVENT OF HOKE' SMITH.
When Mr.. Cleveland announced that Hoke
Smith, a descendant Of Georgia confeder-
ates. was to have the secretaryship OF the
Interior, which office includes the Pension
Bureau, many clearly foresaw what was
coming. In due time it came. The atmos-
phere of the Pension Bureau was changed.
Confederates and the MISUNDERSTANDING
sons of confederates were put in response
BILE places. General Lochren. an ex-Union
.oII;.r mas BALLAD 70 he fO1Irahaa6 of the
Pension Bureau. With flourish of trumpets
Hoke Smith and his free-trade newspapers
announced that the expenditures Tor pen
sions would be reduced $500 900 In W
wears. A board of examiners was set to
looking over the cases OF those who had
pensions granted them, with a view OF
dropping as many names from the rolls as
possible. Early in May, after Cleveland
came in, pensioners began to receive notice
that their names had been dropped from
the rolls. In the four months that fol.
lowed 1880 pensioners were cut off. 1000
Of whom were in Indiana. A shout OF pro-
test went up from all parts OF the North,
ing beggared. Just before the Ohio cleo
ton, in 1893, Hoke Smith was induced to
let up. Since that time $500 of the names
3,O14 at reduced rate-proving the outrageous
nature of the Cleveland-Hoke Smith raid
upon defenseless pensioners.
So great was the pressure upon Hoke
Smith by Northern Democratic Congress-
men desiring reelection. backed by the ava
ldnCne o. pressure LII hlluS vi JUN
organizations In the North. that he changed
his tactics. One of the most singing re-
Dukes was embraced in the resolutions
adopted by the indianapolis Camp or the
Union Veteran Legion. BY unanimous vote
the National Encampment of the Grand
Army denounced the war on defenseless
pensioners. When Congress assembled, in
Decembe,, a clause was attached ito an APP
preparation bill making the pension a vest
ed right, but a majority of the Democrats
In the House were opposed to It,.
@ But President Cleveland and Hoke Smith
were determined in their course. The for
mer, who has brutality insulted Union vet
Grams so many times, went out OF his way
I'm his message TO declare dec. 6, 1889 that
Thousands Of neighborhoods AVE their
weii-known f~ranaui EN- pc pensioners Snrs and Re,
appalling conspiracies to accomplish pension
frauds" That Islander stands as the last
expression of Grover Cleveland regarding
the men who periled life to save the Union,
and William r. Myers. whose name heads
the Democratic State ticket, Endorsed it.
pensioners, the Hoke Smith policy now is
to give sixty days notice in which the
pensioner may make a new. case to save
a pension already granted him. Having
found that it will not do TO drop pension
ers without notice, they ask as many as
Alter tns Pu tbe ELECTION ncT aaf fse H ao msk SMITH nsw b eases;
will issue many more sixty-day notices than
1T is now doing.
THE FOOTPAD POLICY.
Last December Hoke Smith asked Con-
gress TO appropriate 5000, 900 to be used for
special examiners and other spies to hunt
down pensioners. 1t came out in the dis
cussion that secret agents were to be en-
ployed to spy out and report men who, in
their opinion, should not have pensions. Of
course. all such spies knew that the more
victims they reported the better they would
stand with Hoke Smith and Lochren. Only
100000 of this money for the Hoke Smith
footpads and sandbaggers was voted. In
the course of the discussion the spy sys-
tenn was vigorously denounced by Repub-
lcans, and Representative Waugh, of In
diana, offered the following resolution:
That in cases where written charges or
information have been, or may hereafter
be, made by letters or otherwise, tending
10 defeat the granting OF a pension, or to
the continuation OF a pension already grant
ed. upon any ground whatever. which are
deemed sufhcient by the Pension Bureau to
warrant an investigation, the Commissions
OF Pensions shall in all such cases. before
an investigation is made OF such charges
or Information, furnish TO the applicant or
pensioner, as the case may be, q copy of
the name of the person or persons making
the same. and such applicant or pensioner
shall be given an opportunity TO be heard
respecting such charges or information. and
that no charges or information tending TO
defeat the granting. of or to the continue
considered unless in writing and signed by
the person or persons making them"
The foregoing was prOmptl referred TO
the committee on pensions. of which Mr..
Martin, OF this State, Is chairman, but has
never since been heard of. Hoke Smith
such a resolution adopted. because il would
put an end 70 their fODfnad tactics Howo