The National tribune., 1897-12-16
DoInGS OF CONGRESS
Pensions and Civil Service
Warmly Debated.

| The principal matters which occupied
| the attention OF Congress for the first week
| of the present session were the Civil SeTv-
| ice and the Pension appropriation bill,
which was passed by the House.
The pension debate began on Dec. 8, the
bill carrying Sal t2i ,S30-Sl t21 $50 of which
are for fees OF Examining Surgeons, salaries
| of agents, clerk hire and other items in the
| execution of the pension law-havng been
| reported the day before.
Representative W. A. Stone, OF Pennsyl-
vania, in charge OF the bill, explained the
different items. Representative Cannon,
Chairman Of the Committee on ApprOpria-
tons, took Occa sion to make a general
statement OF the estimates submitted by
the Secretary OF the Treasury for the public
service of 1899 for the purpose, he said, of
d1SabuSing the minds OF members and the
country of false impression made by Il
| comparison OF these estimates with those
OF preceding years.
Under the last Sundry civil act the SeCre
tary Of the Treasury, he pointed out, was
compelled To estimate this year for $A8,ft9,
900 OF river ana bdrDOr work. S33 600 600 OF
which had not been authorized by law. If
this sum, not heretofore included in the
estimates, were deducted, there would be
an estimated surplus OF $780, 900 instead
OF deficit.
Mr. Cannon said it might be that the ex-
pcnfiturcs for pensions for 500 would ex-
coed the estimates. The Commissioned of
Pensions estimated the expenditures ut
Sl4S 600, GOO. If he should prove to- be right,
Mr.. Cannon pointed out that the 81 10 600 coo
appropriated by this bill would pay all pen
SlonS for The first j months of the fiscal
year and a deficiency appropriation could
be easily made. Mr.. Cannon warned the
House that the large anticipatory i'm
portations would keep the revenues under
the present law down TO the minimum and
- lft4 cd tn In IN ia, 4
=" that while the public service was suffi.
clentiy supplied with money, not one dollar
is appropriated which is not absolutely
necessary to the best interests of the public
service
Representative Allen referred to the in
crease in the pension 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 re-
cent campai ign in Ohio"
This question of the maximum of the
pension roll" observed Mr.. Allen. " is one
OF the things that has protracted my stay
in Congress When first came here they
were talking of the maximum. ! stayed 10
or - years TO sec it, but it has not yet
come and guess III have to come back
again.
MIR. Allen discIaimed any intentions of
attacking the Federal soldiers the pen
sion-roIls. But he said he could not but
marvel at the fact that 97G,e00 names were
now on the rolls, and that there were GEO.
900 applications in the Pension Office.
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 widow hood to prohibit
the pension OF widows who had not married
prior to the passage OF this act, and to-
strike from the rolls the names OF all per
manentlT insane and helpless children who
had reached their majority.
I'D. 4 4 RI \ tod IL,
first step the transfer OF the Pension Office
10 the War Department, where it would be
out OF politics.
Mr.. ". A. Smith Mich. R.) said he would
make the pension a vested right if he had
the power.
Representative De Almond (Io, d. fol-
lowed with some additional criticism of
certain classes on the pension rolls, and
Representative Lacey 0owa} made vigor
Gus speech defending the pensioning of
men who hazarded everything for the
Union
Mr.. Norton (OhiO. d. declared that it
was not the Democratic side Of the House
which was assaulting the pension-roll. He
charged that COmmi sSioner Evans, both on
the streets and before the Pension Commit
tee, had advocated a law that would here
after cut of the widow and the orphan
He protested his friendship for the old sol
der Bring on your pension BILL he
cried, addressing the Republican side,
. raise it as high as YOU dare, and il viii
have the vote OF every Northern Democrat
on this side"
Mr.. Hepburn iowa, R.) replied TO some
OF the criticisms OF the pension roll which |
came from the other side. He was severe |
IN his condemnation Of a remark made by |
Mr.. NOrtcn, which he characterized as |
. monStrOuS.' The statement was to the |
effect that the regulations OF the Pension
Office compelled most soldiers to stand on
the rejected list, " or commit moral and
legal perjury to reach these rolls
Mr. Norton disclaimed having used the
wcrd most" With change of that word
TO many, he said, he stood by that state |
ment. The Pension Office required testi-
mOny which was not in existence. He
stood ready, he said, To aid in sweeping
away these senseless regua tons.
While your party had the presidency
and the Senate. and House." asked Mr.. |
Stone, pa, r.. why did you not remedy
some Of the evils?"
. When God or the country had the mis-
fortune 10 give the only Democratic Presi-
dent we have had since the civil war"
replied Mr.. Norton, we found il too late |
He belonged To you and you owned him
. Remedies don't begin with the Presi |
dent, " said Mr.. Stone, but with Congress- |
Why did a Democratic Congress donOthing |
o. reduce the pension-roll. 1t does not |
lie in your mouths to complain"
The Committee of the Whole arose AT this |
point.
The Senate also took up the matter OF |
pensions on Dec. 9, and on the following
lay passed a large number of private pen
IL <F.I 4.