Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1897-12-11


made. 1t will. under agreement, how
ever, be considered on Monday.
AT the opening of the session of the
House, today. it was agreed that when
the House adjourned, today, it be to
Monday.
On motion of Goss, Saturday, Dec. IS,
was set apart for paying tribute to the
memory CT the late Representative +.
d. Cooke of Illinois. The House then
resumed the consideration of the pen
sion appropriation bill, which was de-
bated, yesterday.
Brown, Rep. Ohio. attacked the civil
service law because it protected some
of the pension examining boards ap-
proved under the last administration
He styled it an "abomination" and was
Justify applauded by many of his col
leagues.
He said the soldiers of his district
regarded this law as inimical to their
interests and he favored its repeal or
radical modification The President
was mistaken when he affirmed that
the civil service law had the approval
of the people.
His district had denounced it, The
last Republican state convention #
Ohio had declared against the law. ami
on that platform he stood.
If disloyalty to the law was disloyal-
ty to the Republican party. then it was
dsloyalty. Applause in the CALLER
ies.)
the House. by unanimous consent
agreed to close general debates on the
bill at 3.15
Bromweil. Rep, Ohio. said he con-
Cured with much said by his col
league, Brown. but he insisted that
true civil service reform was a car
dinal principle of Republicanism. He
believed, he said. that Grover Cleve-
land had done more to discredit the
true spirit of civil reform than all the
agencies combined and he thought Nc
Kinley could be relied upon to bring it
back into its proper channel.
Maxwell. Pop, Nebraska, submit
ted some remarks in favor of liberal
pensions and was followed by Grosve-
nor. Rep. Ohio. who said that while
his colleagues from Ohio seemed to
differ on the civil service question, he
thought they were practically of one
mind. So far as he was concerned, he
had enlisted for the war against the
law.
In discussion the pension question.
Grosvenor said if he could he would
abolish the pension examining boards
and much of the expense of admins
tration in the pension office and sub
stitute a general service of pension
system carefully safeguarded.
Sullivan, DEM, Miss, in support of an
argument against the payment of pen
siOns to those who were wealthy and did
not need them. quoted at length
from an article recently written by Gen.
H. V. BOyntOn, whose testimony against
the abuses in the present system. he said.
was entitled to respectful consideration
by the other side.
Johnson, Rep, Ind, in defence of civil
service reform. which he said was be-
ng attacked on this floor by members
rom the Presidents own state. reiterated
lis own statement of the other day that
he civil service was an essential prin-
.ipal of Republicanism. II believe any
bright boy, no matter how humble in ORR
gin, who does not happen to have a
political pull should be allowed to demon
should not be served to the son of some
nan who happens to control a few votes
which can be used to shape the destiny
# some candidate for Office" Great APP
,lauSe).
Carmane Gaines and Sims, Democrats
# Tennessee, spoke briefly in favor of |
in pension expenditures.
The latter expressed the opinion that |
he Dingley law would not supply suffi- |
lent revenue for the increasing pension |
These remarks drew out |
n important statement from Dingley re- |
arding the prospective revenues and ex-
enditures for the coming fiscal year.
Preliminary to the statement. Dingley |
ave a new Interpretation of the esti-
mated increase In pension expenditures,
offending that the maximum was
cached in 1893 when the pension pay
1ents reached $159. 600 900. In 1894 they
ell to SAL 800, 900; in 1895. $141 900 0OO 1896.
~ 900 600 and in 1897. Sal 100000,
If the expenditures for pensions during
he next fiscal year should be $4,000 900
S had been estimated. the increase,
,ingley said. would not be due to legis-
,tion, but to more rapid administration
{ the present laws. 1t would therefore
,yolve no additional expense in the end.
The question as to the revenues and ex-
enditures for the next fiscal year. pro-
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