The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-14

lures, during the next fiscal year. The
maximum had not yet been reached
This question CT the maximum OF the
pensoin roll" observed Mr.. Allen, lis
one Of the things that has p~rotracted
my stay in congress. h l first
came here they were talking or the
maximum. l stayed ten or fifteen
years to see it, but it a not yet come
and / guess III have to come back
again." Laughter.)
Mr.. Allen directed n batteries of
his humor at the Dingley law as a
revenue producer, picturing the intense
anxiety of the chairman Of the ways
and means committee at the extra ses-
sion to get a bill on the statute books
that would strike at a balance be-
tween the receipts and expenditures
and predicting another season Of
anxiety on Mr.. Dingley's part next
spring, at another extra session called
for the same purpose He seriously
criticised some Of the classes Of pen
soins granted. In conclusion he spoke
of the hardships this great tax burden
placed on the people of the south who
were, he said, being relentlesssly bur-
dened by the gold standard and AZ
cent cotton.
Later Mr.. Allen again got the floor
and disclaimed any intention Of at
lacking the federal soldiers or the pen
soin rolls: but he said he could not
but marvel at the fact that $4,000
names were now on the rolls and that
there were 600, 900 applications in the
pension office. There had been but
2, 200, 900 men in the FEDERAL army and
he was reminded OF a meeting between
an ex-confederate and an ex-federal
at a blue and grey union They were
felicitating themselves on the dlsap-
pearance Of all hostility.
IF there should be another war"
said the ex-federal, I'VE will be stand
ing shoulder-to-shoulder under one
flag"
We will. but you won't retorted
the ex-cOnfederate.
"What do you mean?" asked the ex-
federal.
Legally, you are disabled
Mr.. Allen gave notice that he would
offer amendments to prohibit the
granting Of a pension to a widow whose
application was not filed during her
widowthood, to prohibit the pension of
widows who had married prior to the
passage of this act and to strike from
the rolls the names of all permanently
insane or helpless children who had
reached their majority.
Mr.. Norton, democrat, of Ohio, de-
clared hat it was not the dem
ocratic side Of the house which
was assaulting the pension roll. He
charged that Commissioner Evans.
both on the streets and before the
pension committee, had advocated a
law that would hereafter cut off the
widow and the orphan. He protested
his friendship for the old soldier.
Bring on your pension bill" he cried,
addressing the republican side. Raise
it as high as you dare, n 1t will
have the vote of every northern dem
ocrat Oh this side"
Mr.. Hepburn, republican, of Iowa, re-
piled to some of the criticisms of the
pension roll which came from the other
side. He was especially severe in his
condemnation Of a remark by Mr.. Nor
ton which he characterized as mons
trous." The statement was to the eff
feet that the regulations Of the pension
office compelled most soldiers to stand
on the rejected list "or commit moral
and legal perjury to reach those rolls"
Mr.. Norton disclaimed having used
the word most" With q change of
that word to man. he said he stood
by tina statement. THE pension Of
flee required testimony which vas not
in existence. He stood ready he said,
to aid in sweeping away these ense-
less regulations.
while your party had the presiden-
cy and the senate and house." asked
Mr.. Stone, republican, of Pennsylvania,
why did you not remedy some of the
evilS?"
when God or the country had the
misfortune to give the only democratic
president we have had since the civil
war;" replied Mr.. Norton, we found
it too late. He belonged to you and
| you owned him." Democratic ap-
plause.)
Mr.. Hepburn denied that he had put
any words in Mr.. Norton'S mouth. On
the contrary he insisted that he a
heard the words most that he was
corroborated by all members about
him and by the official reporters
notes. The gentleman from Ohio, with
all his boosted courage, was trying to
run awav from the foul SANDER he
had uttered.
At this point the committee rose and
the house adjourned.