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


curtis at this session Of congress. was
ou 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 ne 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
ana AIr. Bartlett Of New Xark excor-
lated ia lively and efective man
ner by the representative from the
Fourth Kansas district
Mr. curtis speech was punctusted with
many rounds OF applause from the Ike
publicans the end Of almost every par
agraph being the occasion for hand
eiappine It was declared by many to
be one Of the best OF hand replies OF the
kind they had heard delivered ia the
house
mr. Speaker--I have listened with
great deal Of interest to the remarks OF
The gentleman from Alabama Mr..
WheeIer.1 When ne speaks about the
friendship of the Democratic party Tor
the old soldiers and of the large appro-
priations made by that party Of which
he is q 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 EneEe DS L--G
Republican party and not by the DEM
ocratic parry. and he knows it, There
has never been but one Republican vote
cast against a general pension law since
1881. and that was cast by g 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
urcpriations, 7 ask the gentleman
whether the appropriations they made
were not made to carry out the act of
1890. fFhich was passed by the Republi-
cans2 And remind him that after hav-
ing appropriated ten millions less than
the last Republican congress his party.
by failing to properly carry out this
act. covered back into the treasury Sill
090Q00 OF that pension appropriation
which should have been paid to the old
soldiers If your party is the friend Of
the old soldier. I 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 so. 1898, and why they paid out
twenty--one millions less than the Re
pubicans estimated would be required
Ia reply to a question by the gentle
man from South Dakota. you challen-
Eed him 70 name a case where this adj
rnlnlstration had done injustice to an
old soldier i give you the name Of
man. b H. IOnker. late Company D.
Third Indiana infantry. 229. 749. who ac-
cording to reports of the medical exam
liners appointed by this administration
ls rated hfty-ei ghteenths, yet they de-
cline to give him a pension under the
new Jaw He draws 3 a month under
the old lavV.He applied under the new
law and was rated at hfty-eig hteenths
and they refused the pension, which he
IS entitled to under the new law
But that is not all. You say that
there are no other cases, and that this
standardization does justice to the old
soldier I can give the name Of another
r hirteenth Missouri certificate 553 g95
VINO was drawing a pension of So
month by virtue Of bin passed by a
Eepupllcan congress and signed by a
Republican president The medical
examiners rated him at tuelve-efpht-
eenths for one disability. twelve-eieht-
eenths for another and -efphteenths
Tor another and vet your adnfnistra-
Ions which you say is friendly to the
soldiers, reduced his pension frora s12
TO SIS month. Notwithstanding The
Iact that two reputable physicians tes-
titled that ne was totally una BILE to
perform manual labor And vet Won
elsln that justice is done to the old
But more than that. Mr.. Chairman.
-ia@ report OF the commissioner OF pen
slons within a. period of one year and
Two months, that is to say from March
Aesei 10 May, 1894 and you Will find that
tAey cropped, suspended or reduced
over 5000 pensioners in that period
ana yet Of their own accord compelled
rolls ~ the
Another thing: Your president nro-
canned In message to the F'ifty-ehfrd
congress that thousands of r7afo11 F7-,,.
moods have their wen known fraueu-
tent pensioners and vet do Won know
tnal IN the report Of 1885. your commits
Eioner of pensions say that there
nave been only "a little over 500 -nea-
recommended for prosecution and only
-es eonNlctlons out Of total ron Of
stO0o02 prolonged applause.1 mink
OF rhat condition Of affairs. General
enc then If YOU can repeat the state
enenes thar this administration is friend
~ 70 ttie OLD soldiers You cannot do it,
Lnat uemonstrated what the Repub-
4lcans have always claimed. that the
pension roll Of this country is q re1I
OF honor. But when I read thai i, e.
nous statement Of the president Of fl7a
1nlteQ states, and then when looked
@l hnat record, conclude that the
Ntatt@lnenr was not only untrue and un-
JusL pur that il was un1uan1y. and came
WIN bad grace from a man who was
-iot 91aye enough to shoulder his mus
Clio his lighting Gy d substitute Cen
Yemen 90 you Hsnr any more of the
record OF your party2 rLauehter
y YOU 40 4 can name for you case after
But. Mr. Chairman L did not intend
to talk upon this measure tonfehe
sid not intend to say anything until
after had heard the sneeci5ss ,91.5e
this afternoon, especially that nv 4hs
gentleman from New York CnTr. Barf-
lett) and am sorry he is not here this
evening he criticised the bill and
said that there was not a provision ~
at that was good. He objected Is fnaf
section OF the bill particularly which
provides thar the widows of soldiers
shall come under the new law whore
her income is less than $500 a year. He
says, just think of giving woman
pension of s. month who has already
p income Of $500 year, Then I