The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-14
Republicans Propose a Large
Increase of the List.
PROTEST BY A DEMOCRAT.
He Looks Upon Payments to Veterans
as 'Looting the Treasury"
senator Morgan Attacks the Financial
Policy and Laws for Which sher-
man Is Responsible Popnlfst SEN
ators Criticise Hill for Inconsis-
tency.

"aoAA+alS tVu lily 4S.-iH me mousse
today. beng the second Monday OF the
month. vas under the rules set aside for
the consideration Of business relating to
the District OF Columbia. Before Chair
man baocock claimed the day. Morse, Rep.
Mass, presented the following resolution
Tor reference 70 the committee on foreign
affairs.
Whereas, The most mournful tragedy Of
the nineteenth century has been and IS nov
being enacted under the apparent sanction
OF the sultan of Turkey. by which hun
oreds or thousands OF Armen.ans are being
ruth4essly slaughtered in cold blood. women
being driven into captivity worse than
death. and the inhabitants who have ned
10 thtnountains are dying Of cold and star
walton.
Whereas, The blood Of these martyred
dead crys to heaven for justice.
Resolved, That the committee on for
eign affairs consider the expediency OF re-
porting forthwith some expression by this
government In denunciat!on or these afro
cites, and II they find that We, as Ia
tton, are powerless TO act. that We invoke
the cooperation OF the allied powers 10
wipe the Turkish government off the face
OF the earth and secure the freedom and in
dependence Of Armenia"
The resolution was referred. The house
then entered upon consideration OF District
business. Two unimportant bills were re-
ported. after which the house went into
committee Of the whole for consideration CT
the pension appropriation blll.
W. A Stone, Rep, Pa, in charge OF he
o.u, explained its provisions. 1t carried
Sl3l, $3.50, a reduction of SIS, 80 from the
estimates. The amendments 10 the exist
Ing law attached 10 the bill provided that
pensions granted under the act of lSs0
should date from the first application, no
matter how many times they had been e
Tod 4 z.e4fr
in application. and repealed the provision
Of the act Of 1890 requiring a widow 10 prove
that she was dependent for her support on
her daily labor. Instead. by the terms tf
the amendment, she must prove that her
net income does not exceed 500 per year
In answer to question Stone said he did
not know how many widows would receive
ps nsions under the amendment, but il mat
tered not whether it would result n giving
pensions to one or 10000 widows. The gov
ernment was not so poor that it could not
afford 10 pension the widows OF the defend
ers OF the Union. CAppiause.)
Graff. Rep. H., gave notice of an amend
ment he proposed to offer, inhibiting the
reduction or suspension of a pension on
allegation of fraud until such fraud had
first been proved in a United States court
The amendment was practically the same
as that originally drafted by the sub-com-
mlttee on pensions, which was abandoned
because it was thought that IL trenched
upon the territory of the committee on in
valid pensions, which proposes bringing
forward a general bill 10 cover this ground
Graf oontended that pension was not a
gratuity. and that congress should quiet
by makin g pensions ] y 'S vested i0rlis rIsht
Bartlett, Dem, n. Y, gave notice that
he would raise point OF order against
Crafts amendment and also the
l,srssav vrsf.s sr, -,
provision OF the act Of 1850. relating to
widows pensions. With reference to the
Graff amendment. he believed IL would be
unwise 10 strip the pension commissioner
OF legislative power and clothe the machin-
cry Of the United States courts with mat
ters that properly should be left TO the
commissioners discretion. Bartlett an
nounced himself a supporter of pensions
for deserving soldiers who were wounded
or contracted disease in the line Of duty
but without questioning the justice OF the
dependent act OF 1880 he declared his unal-
terable opposition 10 a further extension
OF that act. such as was proposed in the
pending bin.
In reply 10 a question from Johnson.
Rep, Ind he expressed the opinion that
the sentiment in New York among the
Democrats and the better class OF Repub-
Leans was opposed 70 an extension Of the
pension roll. and the further looting OF
tie treasury. Bartlett called attention TO
the fact that the debate on the dependent
act In both houses showed that IL was spe-
ciacally stated that the test OF the widows
right 70 obtain a pension under the act
should be her dependency on her labor for
support lie predicted THAI the adoption
q the amendment would add the names
OF al least 5000 widows TO the rolls.
Bingham. Rep. Pa. challenged Bart
lett's estimate of the number OF widows
who would be benefited by the amendment
IN the rlH. The testimony Of Commission
er JochraD. ne said. showed that but 6.eo
widows claims had been abandoned.
Bartlett admitted that the number OF
henedciarics was coujectural. but said his
estimate came from those best Informed
on pension statistics
WTus Rep. Del. in an eloquent speech
OF five minutes. declared that IL was right
that every safeguard should he thrown
shout the soldiers pensions. Al 4.55 the
committee rose. aud the house adjourned.