The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-04-30
THURSDAY, APRIL %.

In the Senate, the Indian appropriation bill,
carrying 100000. was passed, after long
discussion about the lawless condition of affairs
| in tho Indian Territory. The Sundry civil
appropriation bill was taken up aud it went
over until tomorrow. There are five other
general appropriation bills to be acted on by
the Senate-the Naval, the River and Harbor,
the District of Columbia, the Notifications and
the Deficiency. In the closing half hour of to-
days session several public building bills were
passed-S500,0 900 for Salt Lake City, SlSS.OOO
| for Ogden, Utah $685. 900 for Portsmouth, Va,
and 100000 for Nashua, n. III.
In the House, the General Pension bill was
discussed.
Mr. Smith (Mich.) said he bad sat while the
committee were formulating this bill, feeling
every confidence and expectation that they
would report measure that wonld be entirely
satisfactory to the loyal veterans of the civil
war; and to those in this Chamber who wished
fifty TO recognize their honorable service, but
81 am obliged to dissent from portion OF this
bill, and my reasons for so doing these:
Many of the abuses that have crept into the
| administration of the Pension Department, and
that He have sought to remedy, have arisen
from leaving too much discretion to tho PEN
sion Department, and find that this bill fails
| to remedy that evil. Indeed, in tho second
section of the bill, in line 4, find a startling
concession to the practice that has prevailed
for several years in the management of the
| Pension Department" He gave notice that
| when the bill was considered under the five
minute rue for amendment " | shall move to
strike ont the words : mistake of fact and
| the recovery from disability / believe that
those six words will have a iar-reaching effect,
and that they will be nterpretated by the
present officers of the Pension Department IN
! a way calculated to react upon the pensoner,
and TO prevent him from obtaining and enj joy
ing that which is his right at the hands of this
Government.
Mistake of fact! Why, Mr. Chairman, what
| mistake OF fact can creep into a pension that
has been granted to an old soldier Of the civil
war? Any man who runs the gantlet of GOV
ernment scrutiny aud tho judgment OF the
officers of that Department is certainly entitled
to have the facts of his case foreclosed against
reopeniDg by any later officers of the Depart
mcnt In court of INV such proceeding is
deemed to be res adjndicdsh and it should be
so regarded in the Pension Department of this
Government. i know of no reason why there
should be always dangling over the head Of the
pcnsoner tho possibility that some new fact
will develop which will set aside the honorable
pension that he has received, and object TO
tho matter being left open so that any future
administration of the Office can cause the PEN
sioner trouble and annoyance.
" | want to discourage the tattle-tale spy sys-
tenn in this country, Mr. Chairman. Applause.
! want 10 brand as unworthy the dignity of
this Government the spy system that now
exists. If you strike them out you will find
that the Department will be mora vigorous in
the prosecution and closing up of pending
claims, and less vigorous in pursuing tho
pensiUner after his case has been adjudcated.
Applause. For one, / object to any such open
ing being left III this law 1t has no place or
business here What soldier can recover from
an iuiu vpI in hat nrt ha bar dslI ina
endured for months and years Of service in tho
field? Hundreds and thousands of men arc
obliged TO crawl through life, bearing the eff
fects of their service as cripples and invaid5,
and | want the law so framed that they shall
not live in fear that any cOwardIy informant
spy or detective is DIGGING their footsteps,
watching for some pretcxt upon which to take
away tho small compensation which the Govern
ment allows them. watching every word that
falls from the pensioners lips, every expression
of his countcnance, TO find out something that
may be reported to the Department which will
enable them TO humihate the pensioner and
make the remaining years of his life more dis
tressing than the past. l believe it TO be the
duty of the House TO prevent the possibility of
SUCH proceedings in the future. | take this
ground for two reasons first, because / want
the pensioner to enjoy the bounty of his Gov
eminent; and second, because | want to re-
licye and force into more honorable employ
have gone about this country during the last
iii rec and half years OF Democratic Admins
tration trying to find some pretext upon which
10 drop pensioners from the rolls"
Mr. Morse. Does not the gentleman think
that the defects of which lie complains in connec-
ton with the adm istration OF the pension laws
would wholly disappear under Republican
Administration with its just and liberal CON
struction aud execution of the pension laws?
Under such an Administration would there be
any danger to the pensioners
Mr. Smith (Mich.). The gentleman is I'M
doubtedy correct in his suggestion, but we
never can account for some of the changes of
heart of tho American voter. They are some
times led off to do strange things which they
afterwards regret; aud in order that there may
be no opening left for possible reversal of
their good judgment again, l would fOreclose
the question by an act of Congress and let the
pension be guaranteed to the pensioner for life.
Mr. Picker. The gentleman is borrowing a
great deal of trouble about those words % mis-
take Of fact" Tho words mistake of fact"
have technical meaning IN the Pension Office.
They do not refer to anything which the gen.
tleman has in mind. : gis
Mr.. Smith (Alich.). / understand there has
been an adjudication on that language, and |
understand it is held to apply in this one case
that il would be n mistake OF fact if pension |
was granted at $40 a month and actually put
in the certificate at SIG a month.
Mr. Pickler. That is clerical error.
Mr.. Smith (Mich.). 1t is a clerical error and
a mistake.
Mr. Picker. Does not the gentleman think |
that is right? s4e
Mr. Smith (Mich.). tthipk it is right to cor
rect it.
Mr.. Pickler. I agrqer with the gentleman |
from Michigan to this extemt-that there will |
be very few pensioners IN, tho United States |
who Will recover; but VIC have had such inc |
stances brought to the attention of our COM
mittee. For instance, where man had been |
pensioncd at the ratio of ST2 for blindness, and |
he seemed to be totally Blind for a time, but |
afterwards recovered his sight altogether. Now. |
do not think the gentleman can say that it |
is fair to ybody that that man after recovery |
should continue to draw S12 month for his |
whole life. The burden of proof, of course, is |
on the Government to show that tho soldier |
RECEIVERS, aud have no idea that any body will |
suffer injustice from this provision.
Mr.. Picker insisted that his bill covered !
every point.
Mr.. Wood. The pension laws now in force
are not generally unfair or unjust to the PEN
sioner. III the gentlemen will recall discussions |