St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-03-08

the Central Figure in the Pen
by Gen. Henderson, OF Iowa;
MIR. O'Neill and ex-Speaker
Grow PickIer's Amendment
WASHINGTON, March 7.-After five
days of debate the pension appropria-
ton bill, carrying Sl51.O0O.OOO, was
passed this afternoon without division.
Throughout the debate there had been
no criticism of the amount carried by
the bill, debate being on the one hand
confined to aD assault on the manner in
which the present commissioner of pen
siOnS had administered the Office and
his alleged unauthorized suspension OF
pensions, and on the other to defense
of the statement of the commissioner to
purge the rolls of those who are not
entitled to place upon them. Today
there were several very spirited
speeches. those by Gen. Henderson, of
Iowa: Mr.. O'Neill. in closing the de-
bate, and eX,Speaker Grow. All the
amendments to the bill save one, that
of Mr.. Piclller, to make the re-
ports of the examining surgeons
open TO the inspection of the ap-
plicant or his attorneys. were
defeated. They all fell under points of
order that they were not germane. The
one which attracted most attention was
that of Mr.. Enloe to repeal portion of
the provision included in the act of last
December to prevent the suspension of
any pension excerpt on thirty days no
tice; as TO permit the suspension in case
Of plain prima facie evidence that the
pensioner had procured his pension by
forgery, perjury or other
PALPABLE FRAUD.
This amendment was offered at the
JuggestiOn of Commissioner Lochren
himself, who, under the opinion of the
attorney general, declared that if the
act of last December stood, over 500, 900
would have to be paid out to suspended
pensioners who were proven beyond all
question not TO be longer entitled to the
pensions they had been drawing. Mr..
Cultivate. the chairman of the commit
tee of the whole, however. rdled the
amendment out on Mr.. Martins point
of order that 1T was not gernane.
After brief speeches by Mr.. Thomas,
Mr.. Morse, Mr.. Stockdale and others,
Mr.. Springer Otm.. H. took the floor
IN defense of the policy of the pension
office. He wanted to know why Hill
nois. having more population than Ohio,
had but 6S,000 pensioners, receiving
S11,0l9,000, while Ohio had 1O2, 951 pen
sioners, receiving ST, ,32j OO1. In Indiana
100000 was distributed to the congress
sional district; i'll ONO, $3.50, 900. while
in Illinois but $780, was distributed
to the district. He attributed this state
of affairs to the fact that the pension
office had been made political machine
by the Republican party. Illinois was
certain for the Republican party, while
Indiana and Ohio were doubtful. The
pension cases were settled In the doubt
full states, while those from one solid
state were pigeon-holed. Mr.. Marsh,
of Illinois, explained this discrimination
by pointing out that in Kansas, which
sent but fifteen regiments into the field,
there were $4,000 pensioners.
TIE OLD SOLDIERS
from Illinois had moved west to Kansas
and other states. Mr.. O'Neil, Dem,
Mas S., who was in charge of the bill,
closed the debate. In concluding, Mr..
ONeil warned the Republicans that
they were in poor business when they
saw fit to discredit Gen. Black and
Commissioner Lochren in the eyes OF
the old soldiers. Neither could they
discredit the president with the Amer
lean people. They had absolute faith
in his hOnpStu hic rlnoIy oDd Ii oo,,
age. AT 8 O'Clock general debate closed
under the agreement reached yester-
Gay, and the bill was read for amend
ment and debate under the five minute
rule.
MIR. Bingham, of Penns ylvania, and
Mr.. Hopkins, of Illinois. offered
amendments, which were declared
out of order as not being ger
name, and MI. Enloe Dem, Tenn.) Of
fered his amendment to amend the act
approved Dec. 81, 1898, SO that it should
not DE constructed to prevent the tenn
porary withholding payments to pen
sioners upon clear evidence that their
pensions were obtained by forgery, per-
Jury or other actual fraud upon the
United States, with a proviso that no
pensions should be su spended until the
thirty days notice prescribed in said act
have been given, and that the cases of
suspended pensioners should be given
priority upon the request of the pen
sloner. Mr.. Martin Oem., Ind J made the
point OF order against the amendment
That 1t was not germane, and the point
was sustained. Mr.. Grosvenor (Rep..
o. offered an amendment to increase
the appropriation for pensions carried
by the bill from S15o.OOO. 600 to sl65, ,uoO.-
600, which was defeated without diyis-
Ion. Gen. Henderson (Rep., Io), who
has been i'll for some time, next got the
floor. Several weeks ago he submitted
to another
AMPUTATION OF HIS LIMB.
He had been panied beyond measure,
ne said, to find that upon theme which
ought to inspire every patriotic heart,
this house was as divided as if it were
war measure. Gen. Black, who de-
served every generous word that had
been spoken concerning him, had stood
here with bouquet of rhetoric for the
soldier in one hand and a dagger to
strike him to the soul in the other.
"Oh, my country" said Gen. Henderson
to the Democrats, she who wore stars
upon his shoulders in the cause of the
Union can do more harm to his old
comrades than all those who fought
under the Confederate flag. Mark the
contrast presented by that other dis
tinguished soldier, Gen. Sickles IRE
publican applause], who fearing not
thunder of the executive or the cruel
heel of the patronage, stands for
the soldiers with whom he fought
Sears are honorable, but they must not
be used as cloak from behind which
to strike equally honorable men.
This debate shall not close without nv
crying Shame. shamer' at the soldier
who sought to dlscredit his comrades in
arms. MIR. Enloe replied to Gen. Hen
derson, especially as to his