The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-05-01
ON PENSIONS.
Congressman Curtis Makes His
First Speech
This Session, I'm Puncturing
False Pretenses of
DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
General Wheeler and Mr.. Bart
lett Scored.
Says Justice fs Not Done the
Old Soldiers.
DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

on the general pension law, which has
Just passed the house
Though there were few members on
the floor when Mr.. Curtis began to talk
before he had proceeded far those who
were in cloak rooms or lobby came In
rapidly to hear the false pretenses OF
the Democratic party punctured and
see the chronic directors to pension
legislation, Gen. Wheeler Of Alabama
and Mr.. Bartlett Of New Yark excor-
iate5 in a lively and effective man
ner by the representative from the
Fourth Kansas district.
Mr.. Curtis speech was punctuated with
many rounds of applause from the Re
pubhcans, the end of almost every par
agraph being the occasion for hand
cIapping 1t was declared by many to
be one OF the best of hand replies Of the
kind they had heard delivered III the
mr.. Curtis said:
Mr.. Speaker--I have listened with q
great deal of interest to the remarks Of
the gentleman from Alabama INT.
Wheeler When he speaks about the
friendship of the Democratic party for
the old soldiers and of the large appro-
pIIatCnS made by that party or which
he is a member. to pay pensions,
would like to ask him what party wrote
the laws upon the statute books which
called for those appropriations Every
one of them was written there by the
Republican party and not by the Dem
ocratic party, and he knows it. There
has never been but one Republican vote
cast against a general pension law since
1891. and that was cast by a representa-
tive from Florida
The gentleman talks about the large
appropriations made by the Democratic
party for pensions for the old soldiers.
If the Democratic party did make those
appropriations. I ask the gentleman
whether the appropriations they made
were not made to carry out the act Of
1890 which was passed by the Republi-
canst And remind him that after hav-
4ng appropriated ten millions less than
the last Republican congress his party,
by failing TO properly carry out this
act, covered back into the treasury Sl1
ugoO0O OF that pension appropriation
Wnlcn should have been paid to the old
soldiers LII your party is the friend of
the old soldier, 4 ask you, General
Wheeler, why it is that they have re-
duced the pension expenditure so that
eighteen millions less was dispersed for
the last year than for the year ending
June 80. 1898, and why they paid out
rWenry-one millions less than the Re
publicans estimated would be REQUIRED
EApplase.l
In reply to a question by the gentle
man from South Dakota. you challen-
geo MIN TO name q case where this adj
lninistration had done injustice to an
Ola solQler- i give you the name Of q
man. IS. H YOnker. late Cornpanv ID
Ihlrd Indiana infantry, 229. 749 who ac-
cord1ng to reports Of the medical exam
1ners appointed by this administration
~ Aa-E4 EGenL1E. vet thew de-
cine 20 give him pension under the
new law. He draws 50 g. month under
Sne OLD laW-He applied under the new
law and was rated at fifty ighteenths
ana they refused the pension, which he
IS entitled to under the new law
BUT that IS not all You say that
mere are no other cases, and that this
administration does justice to the old
soldier can give the name Of another
man, j. D. Muller. late COMPANY I,
15lllleenth Missouri certificate 553 S95,
VINO was drawing q pension Of So
A-l9ALn Dy virtue OF q bill passed by a
Republican congress and signed bv
republican president. The medical
examiners rated him at twelve-eight-
eenths for one disability, tWelve-efeht-
eenths for another and -efghteenths
1oF anorhers and yet your administra-
tlon. which you say is friendly to the
soAllers, reduced his pension from S12
70 S. a month Notwithstanding the
1aet that two reputable physicians tes-
tlned that he was totally unable to
tSLLOlin manual labor And yet you
cam that Justice is done to the old
But more than that. Mr. Chairman.
Ale report OF the commissioner Of pen
slons within period Of one year and
Two months, that is to say from March
1879 70 May, 1894, and you viii find that
tney cropped suspended or reduced.
over -2fvOv pensioners in that period
ana yet of their own accord cOuDalIaI
pg public sentiment they were forced
20 restore over $500 Of these men to the
Another thing: Your president nro-
CANNED IN message to the Fifty-tbfrd
~9-A @s7 tnaL thousands of neigh Dor
moods nave their wei known fraudu-
that in the report of 1895, your commits
eloner of pensions say that there
nave oeen only little over 500 cases
-s-9tilLfletlaed Tor prosecution and only
@5A convictions out of a total roll Or
at4vgyf prolonged applause Think
g tnar condition Of affairs. General.
1ienrs that this adminfstrat ton is friend
~ 70 the old soldiers You cannot. 40 II
Anat demonstrated what the Pep47b-
means nave always claimed that the
pension roll Of this country ia 4 III
- AoAoh- but when read that fnfa-
nous statement of the president az fha
-Aitso states, and then when looked
~ tnar record, conclude that The
Atatelnent was not only untrue and mn
d-sst 1AL that ~ was unmanly, and came
In 1au grace from man who was
rot brave enough TO shoulder his mus
kel IN the defense of his country bl1t
90 ms Hghtlng by a substitute Cen
--st-I' &c you want any more Of the
record or your party2 TLaughfer
1f you do can name for you case after
case. --l
But, Mr. Chairman. I did not intend
e ralk upon this measure tonfaht
oll nor intend to say anything until
a1ter had heard the speeches made
THIS afternoon, especially that bv- fbe
gentleman from New York CNTr. Bart-
&9ty ana am sorry he is not here this
evening He criticised the bill and
sac that there was not q provision Of
= tAat was good- BE objected to that
section Of the bill particularly which
PROVIDES that the widows Of soldiers \
SHAH come under the new law who're
ner income is less than $500 a year ne
says, JUST think OF giving woman a
pension OF S. month who has already
81 income Of $500 a yeari Then I