Omaha daily bee., 1894-03-07
IN THE HOUSE.
Pension Appropriations Agatn>Tah Up the
Time of the Representatives.

Pension Appropriations Again Take Up the
Time of the Representatives.
WASHINGTON, March 6.-Some routine
business preceded the debate on the pension
appropriation bill in the house today. Quite
heated discussion was precipitated at the
beginning of the session over a resolution in
structing the secretary of the navy to ap-
point a naval cadet from the Fifth South
Carolina district. 1t seemed that Mr.. Strait,
the republican from South Carolina,
failed to appoint cadet and the
secretary of the navy appointed and
charged to that district a young
man from Alabama. 1t developed that
in several other cases the secretary of the
navy had filled vacancies from districts with
residents of other districts, and there was a
manifest disposition on the part of members
of the house to resent what they considered
an infringement of their rights.
The speaker ruled the discussion out of
order and Mr.. Hopkins, republican, of Illi-
nois demanded the regular order.
Mr.. Boatner, democrat of Louisiana from
the committee on judiciary, asked unanimous
consent for the consideration of the resolu-
tion directing the investigation by tnat COM
mittee of the injunction issued by Judge
jenkins on behalf of the Farmers Loan and
Trust company against the Northern Pacific
railroad. There was no objection and the
resolution was adopted.
Mr.. Linton of Michigan secured unanimous
consent for the consideration of a resolution
authorizing the secretary of the treasury to
transfer a certain piece of property in the
city OF Saginaw, Mich, to that CITY, and 1t
passed.
Mr. Strait of South Carolina rose to a.
question of privilege ON the ground that his
rights had been invaded by the secretary of
the navy in appointing and charging to his
district naval cadet from another state
lie detailed the circumstances under which
the appointment had been made.
Mr. Cummings, chairman of the naval COM
mittee, said the committee agreed with Mr.
Strait and had reported a bill to prevent
such mistakes in the future.
But that does not go far enough" inter
rupted Mr.. Hatch. 1--WE want to correct this
wrong already done the member"
Mr. Strait asked the adoption of the fol-
lowing:
sResolved, That tho appointment by the
secretary of the navy of a naval cadet for
the Fifth district Of South Carolina from the
Sixth Alabama district was without author
ity of law and is vod''
The resolution was adopted.
The house then went into committee of
the whole for the further consideration of
the pension appropriation bill, an agreement
having been reached to close debate at 8
o'clock.
DAN SICKLES' SPEECH.
Mr., Sickles of New York took the floor
and read an extract from Mr.. Cleveland's
letter of acceptance of the presidential nomi-
nation, saying the debt due the defenders
of the union should be ungrudglngly dis
charged Upon that pledge to the soldiers
the democratic party stood and won a polti-
cal victory. The pension system commanded
the approval of all parties and all sections
Justice to the union soldiers was the one
thing upon which all were united. He was
not able to agree with the commissioner of
pensions either in his Interpretation of the
law or the manner of treating the legisla>
ton OF congress. The commissioner had
characterized the act of December 49, 1898
In which congress declared a pension to be
a vested right" as inaccurate and imam
proprate," That was not decorous way of
treating an act of congress, and his superior
officer should have returned 1t to him with
the admonltion to treat congress with more
respect Republican applause) Com
| missioner Lochren was as defective in
his law as in his manner. Gre
newed republican applause) He had only
to go to his law dictionary to
find what was right and what a
vested right, A right was a well-founded
claim. vested right a right to present
enjoyment. The pension was vested right
conferred by law. Yet an army of 1900
men had been deprived Of that enjoyment
by an official of the government.
Mr.. Milliken of Maine made brief speech
in favor of liberality in pensions and was
followed by Mr.. Grosvenor of Ohio. The
charge that there was wholesale fraud in
the pension rolls Mr., Grosvenor stamped as
false If the president had gone to Illinois
and had selected the hero of Fort Henry
a democrat of education and training before
Mr.. Cleveland knew the difference between
democracy and humbug as secretary of the
Interior no such trouble as confronted the
democracy would have occurred. There was
| more fraud In the custom house in New
York In a single year than in all the pension
cases that have ever come before the PEN
sion bureau, There were more illegal moon
shine stills, ten to one, than dishonest
soldiers on the pension roll.
| publicans to task for attempting to make
presidential capital out OF the pension busl-
| ness by making unjust charges of hostility
| sentatives The southern representatives he
said, had quietly acquiesced in the demand
| for pensions. They did not even reply to the
| taunts of the other side.
Mr., Blair of New Hampshire said the cry
| that the pension roll was roll of dishonor
| and tainted with fraud had been long heard
| I'm the land. AS far back as 1881 in order
| to get at the fraudulent pensions, the entire
| roll was published. 1t was examined in
| every community, and, as far as he knew,
| not single case Of fraud was discovered
MIR. Mahon of Pennsylvania, who con-
cluded the debate for the day, declared he
| did not believe the commissioner of pensions
! who was a brave soldier, would have pur-
sued his policy toward the veterans had he
| not been forced to do so at the dictation of
| the president At the end OF his remarks
| the committee rose
Mr.. Doekery presented a bill from ths
| Continual on Ssaond pagaA