The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-10
HUM0R AMUSES THE HOUSE.
PRIVATE JOHN ALLEN BOMBARDs
THE PENSION BILL.

wonders If the Recent Increase
VIII Be Attributed to the Exigen-
cies of the Recent Campaign in
OhiO-DingIey Bill Also BOmbarded
as Revenue Producer.
Washington, Dec. 9-The House to-day
entered upon the consideration of the pen
sion appropriations bill and stirred up
debate that promises to continue for sew
eral days. Several of the southern dem
ocrats offered criticisms on various classes
of pensioners and Private John Allen of
Mississippi, who led the assault in
speech replete with his characteristic hu-
NOR, presented a series of amendments,
designated. as he said, to correct some of
the most glaring evils. They prohibit the
granting of pensions to widows whose ap-
plications were not filed during their wild
owhood and the granting of pensions to
widows whose applications were based on
marriages contracted after the passage of
this act, and to permanently insane or idi-
otto minors who had reached their major
tiles.
The northern democrats, however, WED
with the republicans in their professions of
friendship for the soldiers, and one of
them, Mr.. Norton of Ohio declared that
the republicans could not make the bill too
large for him.
1t was admitted on both sides of the
House during the discussion that the SAL.
141,SSO carried by the ! bill for pensions
would not cover the expenditures, but, as
congress would be in session, Mr. Can
non said it would be easy to make good
Mr.. Stone, in charge of the bill Welded
to Mr. Cannon, chairman of the committee
on appropriations, who took occasion to
make a general statement of the esti-
mates submitted by the Secretary of the
Treasury for the public service of 1899,
for the purpose he said, of disabusing the
minds of members and the country of the
false impression made by comparison of
these estimates with those of preceding
years.
The estimated revenues for 1899 were
$4S2OO0,OOO, the expenditures $5O4 100000,
showing an estimated deficit of $50, 100000
Under the last sundry civil act the Sec
rotary of the Treasury, he pointed out, was
compelled to estimate this year for S4S-
100000 of river and harbor work, $50. 100000
of which had not been authorized by law
estimates, were deducted there would be
an estimated surplus of $S,OOO0O0 instead
of a deficit
Last year the estimated deficit under the
last tariff act was $46,0O00 900. If the ST.
900, 900 for river and harbor work for
which the government then stood bound
had been included, the estimated deficit
would have been $63, 100000.
Mr.. Cannon said it might be that the
expenditures for pensions for 1899 would
exceed the estimates. The commissioners
of pensions estimated the expenditures at
$14S 100000. If he should prove to be right,
Mr.. Cannon pointed out that the $40 OO0-
coo appropriated by this bill would pay all
pensions for the first eleven months of the
fiscal year, and deficiency appropriation
could be easily made. Mr.. Cannon warned
the House that the large anticpatory i'm
portations would keep the revenue under
the present law down to the minimum, and
he appealed to his colleagues to see to it
that while the public service was suffi-
GENTLY supplied with money, not one dol
lar is appropriated which is not absolute
ly necessary to the best interests of the
public service"
This statement of Mr.. Cannon was
warmly applauded on the republican side.
Mr.. Allen, dem, of Mississippi attacked
Mr. Cannon's statement in a speech, in
which there were flashes of his inimitable
humor that set the House into roar of
laughter. He gravely commended Mr.
Cannons appeal for economy, but avowed
that the figures of the chairman of the
appropriations committee did not do the
situation justice. He produced figures
that showed in all an estimated deficit for
the next year of $72,0O0O00
He referred to the increase in the pen
sion roll under the present administration
and ridiculed the idea of a decrease unless
the late increase was to be attributed to
the "exigencies of the recent campaign in
Ohio" he read from Commissioner EV-
ans testimony before the appropriations
committee, predicting a deficit of from
100000 to $10OOO,0OO in pension expendi-
lures during the next fiscal year. The |
maximum had not yet been reached
This question of the maximum of pen
sion roll" observed Mr.. Allen, lis cue of the |
things that has protracted my stay in con- |
gress. When l first came here they were |
talking of the maximum. 1 stayed ten or |
fifteen years to see it, but it has not yet |
come and l guess 1 will have to come back |
again" Naughter).
Mr. Allen directed the batteries of his
humor at the Dingley bill as a revenue |
producer, picturing the intense anxiety of |
the chairman of the ways and means |
committee al the extra session to get a |
bill on the statute books that would strike |
a balance between the receipts and ex- |
penditures, and predicting the anxiety on |
the part of Mr.. Dingley next spring at |
another extra session called for the same |
purpose.
Mr. Allen seriously criticised some of |
the classes of pensions granted. In con- |
clusion he spoke of the hardships this
great tax burden placed on the people of |
the south, who were, he said being re- |
lentlessly burdened by the gold standard |
and 415c cotton.
Mr. Allen again got the floor and dis |
claimed any intention of attacking the |
federal soldiers or the pension roll, but |
he could not but marvel at the fact that |
xxypra ba lie
that there were 100000 applications in
the pension house. There had been but |
10000 men in the federal army and he |
was reminded of a meeting between an ex-
confederate and ex-federal at a blue and |
gray union. They were felicitating them
selves on the disappearance of all hosti-
ity.
IF there should be another war" said |
the ex-federal I'VE will be standing |
shoulder to shoulder under one flag
But you won't" retorted the ex-con-
federate.
oHMhat an .ron, rnaa, p, asa.ed the ax-