The San Francisco call., 1896-04-18
WORSE THAN 4 BARON 4oBBER
Members of the House Make Bitter Re.
marks About Uncle Sam.

Members of the House Make Bitter Re
marks about Uncle Sam.
WASHINGTON, D. c., April 17.-This
was an old-fashioned field day in the
House with radical variations. 1t was
private bill day, under the rules, when
bills to pay claims arising out of the war,
which in the past afforded opportunity
ana excuse for fighting the battles of the
Rebellion over again, were under consid-
Grafton.
To-day, however, the contest was waged
largely by Republican members, who ad-
vocsted the payment of the bills reported
by the Committee on War Claims and
those who favored postponing action, and
some of the statements were startling in
their bitterness. Mahon of Pennsylvania,
chairman of the committee, was asked by
Dingley of Maine if the committee was
satisfied of the justice and correctness of
claim for the payment of which bill had
been reported. Replying, Mahon re-
viewed the action of Congress on these
claims, their reference to the Court of
Claims for examination and finding of
facts, and passionateIy declared that Con-
gress either ought to pay the claims
| recommended by the court or abolish the
court, SO that people might know what TO
expect.
He declared that the Government was
great robber of its private citizens, and he
asserted that he would rather have a
pauper owe him $1,000 than to be creditor
of the United States for that amount.
Walker (R.) of Massachusetts was al
most as violent In his denunciation of the
policy which prescribed the payment of
these claims. Dramatically he declared
that no robber baron has ever equaled the
Government of the United States in its
robbery of honest creditors. He attacked
the leaders of the House, charging them
with purposely preventing the considera-
ton of bills for the payment of just claims,
ald asserting that extraordinary rulings
of the chair Tin committee of the whole)
were resorted to to aid in carrying out that
policy.
Mccall (R.) } of Tennessee and Evans (R.)
of Kentucky appealed to the House to pay
the claims of loyal men from the South,
and Ray (R.) of New York charged that to
enter upon the payment of them would
compel the next administration to issue
bonds from beginning to close.
Dockery CD of Missouri and Grosvenor
(R.) of Ohio made political speeches in
connection with their common opposition
to the payment of the claims the former
asserting that Republican legislation in
the past and the latter that the present
administration was responsible for the
present condition of the treasury. The
net result of the days discussion was the
rejection of one bill and the passage of
another.
The bill passed granting pension of $50
month to Josephine 'Foote Fairfax,
widow of Admiral Fairfax, and on this
measure Loud (R.) of California, who is
opposed to granting large pensions to the
widows of officers, demanded the ayes and
noes. On vote by tellers the ayes and
noes were refused and the bill passed.
Picker (R.) of South Dakota reported
the general pension bill prepared by the
Committee on Invalid Pensions, and it was
recommitted.
At 4:50 o'clock the House took recess
until P. M, the evening session to be for
the consideration of private pension
bills.