Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-07-19
DEMOCRATS AND PENSIONS.

Last March, when the pension bill
was under discussion in the house of
representatives, Mr. Grout, of Yer
mont made a speech in which he
sharply reviewed the policy of the ad
miniStration in the allowance of pen
sions. That portion Of the speech
dealing with pensions and tariff re
form, is given below:
The other day the speaker of the
house. in closing the tariff debate, felt
the necessity of pointing out the way
the democratic party would get along
with the manifest deficiency of about
$72 100000 caused by the Wilson bill.
1t will be remembered that 5000
900 or $46,00O,000 was to be supplied
by internal taxes, including a tax on
incomes; and the balance, said the
speaker, will be provided for by re-
ducing expenditures" That balance
would be just about $4,000 900
strange enough, the exact sum to be
withheld from the soldiers in this very
first year of this democratic admins
tratiOn; and that, too, without the
cumbrOuS forms and Intervening fric-
ton Of an apprOpria ton bill, but by
certain original methods of admins
tration, which will illustrate the great
aim of all democratic craftsmanship,
viz: How not to do it." And in this
case how not to give the old soldier
what belongs to him under the law;
how, in short, not to grant him his
pension, and thus make up the de-
ticiency to be created by the Wilson
bill
Mr., Chairman, the old soldiers, with
every other class Of American citizens,
realize that the evil days" are upon
us; and they do not expect to escape
the common suffering incident to a
short period OF tariff REFORM" they
are, i'll fact, willing to contribute their
share toward making good this de-
ticiency. But l expect it will puzzle
them little to understand why they
should be called upon to contribute
the whole $26,0O0000, the whole de-
ticiency, which the pension bureau
is so deftly Withholding from them.
l expect, also, when they recall how
the first congress put on the page of
the statute book liberal pension act,
and at the same session, on another
page of the very same book a prOtec-
tive tariff act, declared in the act it
self to be protective, under which pen
sions were paid to the men who on
the field Of battle Won independence
when they recall this and recall, also,
how for the last thirty years under a
protective tariff and the friendly leg
islation Of the republican party thou
sands of millions of dollars have been
paid them in pensions; and never until
the gaunt specter of free trade in
the guise of tariff reform" stalked
in the white house, senate chamber
I and representative hall has there been
such a thing heard of, or thought of
/ even as a deficiency in the United
i States treasury; I say I expect when
| they recall all this they will tell you
| that they have had enough of tariff
| REFORM" that as for them they are
| satisfied with the platform on which
/ Tie 1dGueIS SlOOu wien IQeN Dla0teC
! the republic, and on which the men
stood who saved it from dissolution
when treason was clutching at its
throat; and on which the men of like
political faith stand today, viz: pro
|! tective tariff with liberal pensions fol
J the defenders of the flag and plenty
| of money with which to pay them
! applause ON the republican side)
! You have seen how, from the seyera
comparative statements submitted, thu
allowance of claims has dWindleC
away under this administration; bu
! here is still another. During the tiSca
year 1892 the net increase Of the pen
sion roll under Gen. Raum, was TIT
enormous number of 200,009 names
Now, how much do you suppose tn
net increase was the the first si1
months of the fiscal year 1898, unde
Judge Lochren? Can you make your
selves believe that it was only 100
Think of it! The sick1y but economi
number Of 100; at the same rate 70
the whole year, go names. And d,
not forget that in the files of the pen
sion bureau are more than half
million claims that have never We