The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-17
Vigorous Defense Of the Courage and
Patriotism of Massachusetts Vol
unteers by Mr.. Fitzgerald
TWO SPEECHES IN SENATE
M'ENERY AND STEWART ON THE
PHILIPPINES QUESTION.
Former Opposes Retention Of the
Islands and the Latter Discusses
What should BE Done with Them.

H-
WASHINGTON, Feb. l6.-The House to-
day INDUCED I'm its annual joke by striking
from the legislative appropriation bill all
provision for the Civil-service Commission.
This action is taken each year In commit
tee of the whole, where the members do not
60 on record. and the provision Is then IN
variably restored when the bill gets back
in the House, where members have TO re-
spond to their names upon a roll call. The
vote to-day to strike out was seventy-nve
tc sixty-seven. Tomorrow the House VIII
reverse this action as usual on yea ana
ray vote.
Most of the time of the House to-day be-
yond that occupied in the discussion OF the
civil-service law was devoted TO attacks on
the speech made by Mr.. Sims (Dem-. Tenn-)
on Wednesday in which he furnished some
figures of the Pension Office showing the
number of applications for pensions filed
by soldiers of the volunteer regiments en-
gagged in the Spanish war to show that the
Northern soldiers were much more clamor-
Gus in that regard than the Southern ones
and attributed this to the debauching OF
public sentiment in the North on the PEN
SlOn QucclOn. 0AA- t&itS t&>~f-f <*<>-"f
raised the storm by a reference TO those
figures and the statement that hundreds or
Massachusetts, soldiers who never smelled
powder had applied for pensions This
brought out an indignant reply from Mr.
Fitzgerald Oem.. Mass.). who detailed the
record OF the Massachusetts, volunteers I'm
the late war He was followed by others
who defended the records Of the soldiers
from their States. Mr.. Hepburn. of Iowa.
vigorously assafled MI. Sims. Considerable
temper was shown.
When the session opened announcement
of the receipt of the currency bill from the
Senate was made. and on motion OF Mr..
Overstreet of Indiana. by unanimous con-
sent the Senate amendments were disa-
greed to. The speaker appointed Messrs.
Overstreet, Brosius (Rep.. Pal and Cox
Dem.. Tenn.) conferees
The House then went into committee OF
the whole on the legislative appropriation
BILL Mr.. Pearre vigorously attacked the
appropriation for the Civil-service Com
mission and charged that the departments
were full Of incompetents.
where are they?" asked Mr.. Fitzgerald
Dem.. Mass.).
where were they under the old systemr'
asked Mr.. Pearre. replying with question
Everywhere. There were thousands OF
them," replied Mr.. Fitzgerald. "If the bars
were down now you would have the de-
partments crowded with Marylanders."
Massachusetts need not sneer at Mary
land" retorted Mr.. Pearre. "A few days
ago a gentleman read list Of hundreds OF
Massachusetts, soldiers who never smelIed
powder during the Spanish war. but who
are already clamoring for pensions"
Thus began lively debate. Mr. Fitzger-
aid said he knew the law was not lived up
to here in Washington and other sections
| of the country. II had been grossly vio-
/, lated during the last campaign in Ohio, he
| said, when federal offce-holders ali over
the country were appealed TO for funds for
that campaign.
"Does the gentleman say that was not
done under the Cleveland administrations
asked some one on the Republican side.
Never" replied Mr.. Fitzgerald.
THEY DID SMELL POWDER
Mr.. Fitzgerald then Indignantly denied
that the Massachusetts, regiments had
never smeiled powder in the Spanish war.
| The Second Massachusetts, he said. had
three men killed. three officers and forty
one men wounded I'm the Santiago cam
| paign. In all. the Second Massachusetts,
| lost ninety-nine men, the Fifth Massachu-
setts hfty-hve. the Sixth los. the Eighth
1877 and the Ninth 15o.
"what was the cause of their 6eaths p"
asked Mr.. wachter Rep.. Md
Disease contracted on account OF the
inefhciency OF the government" replied
Mr.. Fitzgerald, hotly. amid applause
| Mr.. Fitzgerald. continuing. told a har-
rowing story OF the return home OF the
Massachusetts, volunteers, broken and
wrecked by disease. II they had been rem
dered incapable OF earning a living by the
failure OF the government TO provide them
with proper care and sustenance. then.
said he. they were entitled 10 pensions.
Mr.. Hepburn called attention 10 the
statement made by Mr.. Sims on Wednes-
| day contrasting the records OF eight vol
| unteer regiments In the North and South.
| showing that from the former came s.5ss
pension claims and from the latter 7sl. Mr..
| Sims had attributed the disparity TO the
| universal pension sentiment I'm the North.
Mr.. Hepburn pointed out that for the pur-
| pose OF comparison the tables adduced by
Mr. Sims were not alike. He was very
| caustic in his criticism OF Mr.. Sims's ac-
| ton.
The latter said he had received the tables
from the Pension Office He had no per-
sonal knowledge OF the facts. He admitted
some OF the tables could not be prepared.
but contended that the main poins he had
made uhe preponderance OF Northern over
Southern pension claims) was correct
| Mr.. Green (Dem.. Pa, who was q cap
tain In a volunteer regiment during the
| Spanish war and who served at chicka-