The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-01-23
WEDNESDAY. JAN. Is.

Il tluueu dutAkOuI5m 10 SiiEeI anu the present.
| lockiRg up of the accumulation of silver in the
Treasury vaults. due, he said, TO the powerful
| influence in this country claiming that the
prerogative OF Issuing money should be given
| to corporations, to expand and contract as they
pleased. The National Bank idea was not 4
| Democratic idea. Mr.. Mills cited Jefferson to
show that the Democratic policy favored the
! retention of the prerogatiyo of making money
by the Government and the people. IL was an
| incident of sovereignty to issue money. Mr..
| Mills followed the course Of the National and
| State Banks. showing their contractions and
| expansions of the circulation. And now, be
| said this system was to be perpetuated by fur
Their issues of bonds.
Mr. Mills rejected the idea that legal-tsnder
notes were fiat, and explained the theory Of
money. Why did not eur distinguished See
| rotary of the Treasury, asked Mr. Mills, when
this bank conspiracy began, say to these gentle
mon: " Now show your cards and / will pay
you in silver" IL the Secretary had coined
the silver in the Treasury and paid it for cur
rent expenses. there would have been no de-
| felt. But the Secretary kept the silver locked
In the vaults. The Presidents bond issues
were futile. 1t was like pouring water through
sieve. The characterization issue few days
! hence would be followed by another hund red
| millions in few months. This would go on
until the debt burdens Of posterity would reach
| fifteen hundred millions of dollars.
The silver bond bill was taken up and Mr..
PETER Kan, P) addressed the Senate. He
said that the speech of Mr. Mills had at last
justified the Populist party. We have the
remarkable spectacle" said Mr.. PETER, Of
Democratic Senator holding a distinguished
place in his party, srraigning and denouncing
the policy of the President whom this party
brought into power" Mr. PETER urged in par.
ticular the repeal of all laws authorizing the
issue of bonds.
In the House, the Pension appropriation bill
was further discussed. The speeches made
were all along ono line, the alleged great mis-
management Of the Pension Bureau by Demo
cratic officials. The debate this bill is likely
to continue for some time, as none of the other
appropriation bills are ready to be reported.
Mr. Morse spoke first. He said: IL desire
most heartily to indorse the amendment offered
by the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Graft on
Monday, and supported by that gentleman with
an eloquent defense
There are not far from 900, 900 soldiers
and soldiers widows on the pension roll Of the
country. That security in possession of this
bounty OF the Government, granted them by
generous Nation. whose life they helped to
save, which is necessary to peace Of mind,
security, and comfort in its possession, is de-
MED them by the present Commissioner Of
Pensions
Il think it is safe to say that scarcely one of
the 100000 soldiers and soldiers widows whose
names are borne upon the pension roll of the
country but what is in constant fear that their
pension will be reduced or stopped altogether.
And they have good ground for such solicitude
and fear. because hundreds and thousands of
such worthy pensioners have either had their
pension reduced or taken away altogether by
the unwarranted, and i believe illegal and
UNJUST conduct of the Pension Bureau as
now administered.
81 think. in view of all that has been said upon
this floor during this debate, am justified in
saying that the Secretary of the Interior and
the Commissioner of Pensions have overridden
the acts of Congress and assumed legislative
as well as judicial functions.
There are a number of instances of men so
years OF age who have had their pensions re-
dnced or discontinued on the ground that they
were not incapactated from manual labor in
pensionable degree.
1T has been held by the present Commits
sioner that man who lost an eye or was deaf
In one ear was not pensionable under the act
OF June 81, 1890, such soldiers not being inca
pacitated from manual labor under that law.
Could there be anything moro foreign to
the spirit and letter of the law or the inten-
ton OF the 5lst Congress. which passed this
act, than these illustrations which / have |
mentioned.
why, the thermometer is 200 below zero
over at the Pension Bureau for Union soldiers |
and loyal men,
Z" denounce the use of Postoffice officials as |
spies upon pensioners. Applause / go fur |
Their than that, and / denounce the present |
general spy system as a whole, under the 1
name of Pension Examiners as conducted i
at present by the Pension Bureau. I have /
got the notion that these Examiners |
believe that their continuance in their position |
is dependent upon their ability to find pretexts
to take away the little stipend the soldiers are /
from the Government.
In some instances that have come under
my knowledge, the pensioner is approached by
these Examiners in the guise of a friend. The
old soldier puts his best foot forward, he makes
the best possible showing of his circumstances
and his worldly condition to his rew-found
friend, and this information obtained in this
way is used against him to reduce his pension
Or to take it away altogether.
1t was never the intention of Congress- and
Is not the wish of the people of our country,
that the pension laws should be administered
in such narrow, niggardly, contemplate man.
ner but it was the intention of Congress and
the people who sent US here to legisate that
these laws should have liberal construction.
and that the defender of his country and his
flag, in his declining years, should be
given the benefit of liberal construction and
D generous application of these laws.
Gas justification of the conduct of the PEN
dishonesty have been made against the Union
soldiers by the highest officers of this Govern
nent including the President of the United
States, and when we demand specifications.
Ind that they should tell us when and where
hese frauds have been committed, they are not
and at any rate the number is
Insignificant and unimportant as compared to
he whole number of pensioners borne upon
he rolls.
81 throw these charges back to the men who
make them, and / say that the Union soldiers
Who periled their all that the country might
i've, and who took their lives in their hands to
ave us,a Nation among the nations of the earth,
ire honorable, honest, and truthful men, and
hat these charges of fraud and dishonesty are
Unjust and untrue, and are vile SANDER upon
he brave defenders of the Union.
"The motto of the Pension Bureau seems to
'e how not to do it, Every possible pretexs
8 used to delay action. The applicant is sent
Jack again and again for more evidence and
lot infrequently the poor fellow gives up in
Despair and says, 1t is no use; can't get
ensiOn.'
Not infrequently during this Administra-
ion has the poor soldier been driven to suicide :
y the obstacles thrown in his way. by the I.
educti0n of his pension, or by the taking is :
way altogether. | know of case of a man
yer 80 years old, who had his pension stopped .
y the present Commissioner of Pensions, who . /.
led within 30 days of a broken heart. Do
ou suppose, Mr.. Chairman and gentlemen of
he House of Representatives, that Congress :
YER contemplated any such administration
/ come now, say, to speak of my amend
lent In the line of the general policy of the
L.. II