New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-03-05
CHEAP PARTISAN DEMAGoGY.
DEMOCRATIC ATTEMPTS TO MAKE roA'
CAL CAPITAL OUT OF THE PEN
srON SYSTEM

u..,,cs,on March (SpeciaD-Democrauc ue
ar,eues both In ana out of Congress: arc uv 49,,
their utmost, as usual, TO make Poh''.
out Of the pension system and the pensio"
applicants for pension. On the one manu- Wv,
,is,r about the magnitude OF the pension roii' anu
-. 49,, Z, 20 boneycombed with fraud to such
.a .xteat tat II has become "a roll OF oishono'
En- assertion which has been shown over ana 0Vo'
asain TO be false. This is not saying tha' '"eio "
not many names the pension roll whicn "o"N
not be found there II pension legislation hao a.
WAYS been more wise intelligent and just anu ies
,r,nroy,dent and II strained construction had not
been given TO come OF the provisions enacted oS
Congress On the other hand Democratic oe"ia
gogues In Congress and pension claim ageh'S ou'
of II are busy night and day trying 10 SOW tho soeo
Of discomfort among pensioners ana pension o''''i'
ants.
In the first place they assert-what Is false-that
the Commissioner Of Pensions is derect in the per-
Torrance OF his duty and inmical 10 inc SURVIVORS
and widows OF soldiers OF the war More new names
were added to the pension roll and more cases ao-
Indicated by the Pension Bureau during the nine
months ended December 81. 1897. than during the
corresponding period Of either Of the four previous
years. They also falsely assert that the commit
tees Of Congress are trying TO smother Legislation
for the benefit Of claimants whose cases cannot be
fairly dealt with by the Pension Bureau under tho
general law and that this 1, being done at the In
stance OF the Administration. the head OF which
was himself a brave and faithful Union soldier
TO claimants Of this description. falsely alleging
that this state OF facts exists and hypocritically
come or remove the obstacles placed In the way by
the Rspubiisan Administra "a, on, ,... ..,ro,.r+
e believe that the political party which stood by
Rsbeilion. and has stood by him ever since has
suddenly changed front and become his enemy.
Dental to Republican Congressman whom they
happen to know and in whom they have confidence,
A Tribune correspondent has been permitted to
make : copy Of letter written by Democratic
bill has been introduced and referred to the Com
mttse on Inyalid Pensions Of the House OF Repre-
February il. 1895 and addressed to Charles Farmer.
Ovid. Mich. reads as follows:
Dear Sir: I have yours Of tho 18th inst. this
evening. and will endeavor to do all in my power
to have your matter come before the sub-eom-
the ADMINISTRATION to smother the bulk of these
private bills in the committee for the purpose Of
appropriations during this session. that they may
enue caused 10 such an extent under the work
ing Of the Dingley bill, at least until after this
90 situated as to express this fact but it is we'll
known here and not made secret by any means
committee and not five hundred win get to the
House this session But assure you I
49, w " FERDINAND BRUCKFR
Mr.. Brucker is a free-s.lver Democrat who repre-
sents tho With Michigan District and is serving
bis first term in Congress He has introduced
ecVen private pension Dllls TWO OF winch were "
pension Charles Farmer-one Of them having been
introduced late In July and the other late in De
cernber 1897. Two Of the other bills introduced by
him have been favorably considered by the com.
mittse and ono of them has passed the House Of
Representatives.all this despite the pressure from
the Administration to smother the bulk of these
private bills" The Mr. Smith" to whom Mr..
Brucker refers IN his letter is probably s. W.
Smith. Of Michigan, Republican member of the
Committee Invalid Pensions.
over i've thousand" pension bills, Mr.. Brucker
says, are before the committee. and mot Ave
hundred Of them will get before the House" AS
matter OF fact. 1851 private bills have been
ferred TO the Invalid Pensions Committee since the
beginning OF this Congress. and lS3 Of them
Senate bills. Mr.. Bruckers assertion that mot
five hundred OF the bills will be reported to the
House at this session invites comparison with
the work of the Invalid Pensions Committee in the
LID Congress. the last in which the Demo-
Gratis controlled the House of Representatives In
that Congress the committee In two years reported
Ill House bills and 80 Senate bills: in this Con-
gross. in space OF three months the committee
has reported 100 bills.
Mr.. Bruckers assertions In regard to the Admin
istration even further from the truth than his
statement Of the number of bills pending in the
Committee Invalid Pensions. fIe has simply
been feeding Mr.. Farmer with fables. hoping
thereby to secure some benefit for himself and his
party.