St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-15
IN THE HOUSE.
Republicans Call for More Liberal
Appropriat TONS


Appropriations,
WASHINGTON. Jan. 14.-The house
spent today in further debate on the
pension appropriation bill. The speak
ers, with a single exception were all
Republicans, and all favored a liberal
administration of the pension laws and
the adoption of the changes to existing
laws proposed by the bill. 1t seems
probable now that the general debate
on the pension bill will continue for
several days.
The house took up the pension appro-
priation bill Immediately on converting.
and Mr.. Northway Rep., o. replied to
the criticisms offered by Mr.. Bartlett
Oem.. N. Y) yesterday 1t mattered
not to him whether pensions were legal
ly gratuitieS or constituted vested
rights. Morally, they were higher than
vested rights couldFbe. Pensions should
be given in a broad, catholic and hui
name spirit. The old veteran Should
not be placed in the position of a mendi-
cant. The spirit In which the pension
laws We're now being administered was
manifestly unfriendly to the soldier. In
proof of this, he cited the case of A
soldier who had lost one arm and one
leg, who was deprived of his nension
under the total disability act of 1890. be-
cause he was able to earn S25 per month
as guard at a railroad crossing. The
pension bureau had ruled that under
the act of 1890, if Widows income. ex-
ceeded so much year, she was not en-
titled to pension. A soldiers widow
should not be obliged to stand SILVER
ing and starving at the door of the pen
sion Office in order to obtain a pension
ana the pensions committee therefore
had reported an amendment to the pros
eht law requiring that, as a condition
precedent to receiving a pension. she
should prove that her net income did
not exceed $780,
Mr.. Hemenway Rep., Ind) favored
the adoption OF the Graft amendment
prohibiting the suspension of nensions
until fraud had been proven in a limited
states court. He predicted that in No
Vember next the people would elect a
Republican president, who would an
point a loyal man from the North SOC
rotary of the interior, to administer the
pension laws with justice and fairness
to the old soldier.
Mr.. Arnold (Rep.,: Pa, in criticising
.ne pension oftice, denounced particu-
iariy the practice of calling on Dem
oerat1c postmasters to furnish Informal
ton as to alleged fraudulent pen-
sions.
Mr.. Gibson Rep., Tenn). who was
pension agent at Nashville in 1881. de-
voted much time to the exploitation of
particular cases which he claimed prov
Gu the hoStiilty OF the pension Of
flee.
speech by Mr.. Walker (Rep.. VA
attracted more than usual attention
lie was a general in the confederate
army, on the staff of Gen. JubaI Ear
ly. He replied particularly to the re-
mark Of Mr.. HemenWay, to the effect
that when Republican again took his
place in the White house no man from
the South should preside over the pen
sion office. Gen. Walker declared there
was misapprehensiorf of the feeling
and the sentiment of the Southern peo-
PIE and the Southern soldier toward
pensions for the men who fought for
the Union. There was no sentiment
against the pension policy Of the gov
eminent in the South, and he assured
his friends in the North that the for
tunes and pensions of the Union SOL
diers would be safe in the hands of
the soldiers of the South His remarks
ELECTED applause from both sides of
the house
Mr.. Wood Rep.. ILL, Mr. Fitzpatrick
Rep., Kan.) and Mr.. Poole Rep., N.
Y) followed, and then Mr.. CUMMINGS
Oem.. N. " created the sensation of
the day by short but bitter arraign-
ment Of the pension office and an elo-
quent Reputation of the sentiments
expressed by his colleague Mr.. Bart
lett, yesterday. He declared that it
was time some radical action was TAX
en- to call a halt on the pension
At the conclusion of Mr. Cummings
speech the committee rose, and the
speaker announced the appointment of
the Chickamauga park commission as
follows: Messrs. Grosvenor (O.) Kei-
fer (Minn), Strong (O.), Avery mich J.,
Bowers (CaD. Republican; Wheeler
(Ala.), Cox (Tenn), Maddox and Crisp,
(Ga-), Democrats. He also announced
the appointment of Delegates Flynn,
of Oklahoma, to the committee on ag-
ricuiture, and Murphy, of Arizona, on
coinage, weights, and mines and min
ing.
The house at 4:25 adjourned until to-
morrow.