, 1900-06-11
OUTGENERALED LENTZ,

Colonel Jay l.. Torrey of ~roughrlder
and bankruptcy fame is also a tower
of strength when 1t comes to pushing
legislation through congress-. After
Lentz of Ohio had held up his bill TO
give sick soldiers their travel pay, the
colonel took him in hand and the story
Is told by the Washington correspond
ent of the Globe-Democrat as follows:
This morning Colonel Torrey, who
tried until midnight to remove the OBJ
stacle, was at the house early. He
made an appeal to the stubborn Ohioap.
Lentz told h colonel to go to the re-
publicans and induce them to let the
Occur d'Alene testimony be printed.
The colonel replied that he had moth
ing to do with the Occur d'Alene affair.
and was no responsible for what the
republicans in the house refused to do.
Then he said, as he arose to go with his
appeal rejected:
Il thanh you, Mr.. Lent. for your
courtesy in hearing me. 1t will be vour
distinction to have been the only man
in this congress to stand in the way Of
our sick soldiers getting their justly
due travel pay"
Il will not be held responsible in
that way" exclaimed Lentz.
This bill" continued the leader of
The rough riders, has passed the SEN
ate unanimously. 1t would pass the
house in the same way but for your re-
fusal to permit a vote on it."
Lentz arose. His boast is thai he in
troduoed the first bill in this congress.
n that it was a pension bill. He look
cd hard at the colonel. and the colonel
returned the gaze with interest.
Il don't say l will object if this bill is
brought up again." he said. And.
mind you, I don't don't say I won't OBJ
iect."
Colonel Torrey went to the speaker
and asked for one more chance.
The bill is on my desk" said Gen
eral Henderson. ut is labeled Tor
rey's boys Go ahead"
Then the colonel went to Bell Of Col
crado, to King of Utah, to Wilson OF
Idaho and to Mondell of Wyoming. He
laid out the program. Soon after the
house entered upon the afternoon SEES
sion Mr.. Bell Of Colorado arose and
asked unanimous consent for the con-
sideration of the travel pay bill.
Mr.. Lentz shifted in his seat and got
up.
81 withhold objection he said, "un-
til I ask if any of the men who will re-
ceive this travel pay were used against
miners in the Occur d'Alene?"
None Of them" said Mr.. Bell, with
a little smile.
81 will not object" said Dentz.
Five minutes later the bill had pass
cd and was on its way to the presidents
room. When the bill was ready for
signature, Colonel Torrey was present.
The president held IL his hand and
greeted the rough riders commander
pleasantly. He showed the bill to Sec
rotary Root. The latter glanced over
The text and returned the bill to the
president. AS the pen completed the
bold tracing Of William Mckinley"
the president lifted it and handed 1t to
Colonel Torrey as a souvenir, at the
same time extending his congratula-
tons. The blotter, with the presidents
name signed backwards, also passed In
10 Colonel Torrey's possession as a me-
mento. The travel pay bill was a law
A letter from Colonel Torrey to Sen
ator Warren, printed in the report OF
the military committee, puts into these
plain words the meaning of the bill:
Travel pay, as you know, Is an al
lowance Of a days pay and a days ra-