The Washington weekly post., 1899-12-12

a wholesale fraud upon the poor negroes
OF the South was given thorough yentila-
ton in the Senate yesterday.
Senator pettus set the ball rolling b.
introducing bill to give all ex-slaves a
pension and a bounty. IL IS not a new
idea, and Mr.. Pettus expressly stated thai
he did not assume any responsibility for
the measure. Ii proposes to give all cx-
slaves who are seventy years OF age and
over a bounty Of 500 and monthly pen
sion OF Sl5 a month during their lives; be
tween sixty and seventy the sum of $500
and monthly pension OF SI2, while lower
sums are provided for ex-slayes of young
er age.
''The bill ought not TO be even presented
10 Congress" was the public declaration
of Senator Gallinger, who produced a re-
markable certificate. It was signed by an
aged colored woman I'm Nashville, where
the Ex-Slave Bounty and Pension Associa-
tiOn has its headquarters. who promised
10 pay p cents for the privilege of be-
coming a member and 10 cents month for
dues. Il hereby certify that l was born
a slave" wrote the old negro woman.
"and am entitled to all the benefits in
cluded in said bill"
"a good many persons in the South are
making good deal of money out of this
scheme" said Senator Gallinger. They
are deluding these poor people into the
belief that a bill of this character can
pass Congress. and that they will receive
the amounts named. I can say now that
the bill will never pass"
Senatorial Explanations.
Senator Mason was thereupon led to con-
fess that he had introduced a similar bill
in the last Congress. but" he added, Il
believe it was useG for bad purpose. An
immense correspondence came TO me from
all over the South, showing that the ignor-
ant people there were being solicited TO
pay % and so cents to join this associa-
ton"
Senator Thurston, who presented the
bill in the Fifty-fourth Congress, gave a
brief history of il. He said that it was
drafted and submitted 10 him by an ex-
Confederate soldier, Col w. r. Boyd.
formerly of Virginia. Unfortunately"
he said, ''the bill was afterward used for
improper purposes. Its introduction
caused me no end OF annoyance. / think
have written and sent out answers 10
more than 2,O90 inquiries. but | have al
ways said that the bill had not the
slightest chance of becoming law, and
the purpose of collecting money was nec-
essarily engaged in a fraudulent purpose"
Senator HOnr's Statement.
When Senator Cockrell suggested that
the bill ought not 10 be even dgnifitd
with a reference to the Committee on
Pensions, or, If referred, ought to be re-
turned Immediately with an adverse re
port, Senator Hoar made unique speech.
He agreed that the bill ought not to pass,
but he wanted it given a respectful treat
ment. and he assigned an odd reason.
1.-The English people," said he. "are dis
cUssing with great gravity this year the
question of old-age pensions for all per-
sons who are unable to support them
selves. | know a good many very wise.
thoughtful. and intelligent people who
are dealing with this question in this
country. If this policy deserves respect
ful consideration in regard to all classes
of persons, il certainly deserves that con-
sideratiOn in regard 10 those whose life
was spent in slavery and whose earnings
and lab0rs were given for the benefit of
others"
After Senator Gallinger had read let
ters from Commissioner Evans and from
pension examiners, 10 show that the as
sOciatiOn was a fraud. the bill was Ie-
ferred to the committee on pensions. 1t
will be promptly negatived in that COM
mittee.