The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-17
RESUMED
Continued From First Page.

for pensions fled by soldiers Of the volun-
| teer regiments engaged IN the Spanish
war to show that the northern soldiers
were much more clamorous in that re-
gard than the southern ones, and at
| trIbutng this to the dehauching of public
| sentiment in The north on the pension
| question Mr.. Pearre CRep., Md raised
| the storm by reference 10 those figures.
| and the statement that hundreds of Mas
| sachusetts soldiers who never snelled
powder had applied for pensions. This
brought out an indignant reply from Mr..
| Fitzgerald Dem. Mass.). who detailed
| the record OF the Massachusetts volun-
| teers in the late war. He was followed
| by others, who defended the records OF
] the soldiers from their several states.
| Mr.. Hepburn iowa vigorously assailed
Mr.. 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.. Oversreet Qnd), by unanimous
consent the senate amendments were dis
agreed to. The speaker appointed Messrs.
| Overstreet CRep., Ind-), Brossius Rep.,
/ -
The house then went into committee of
the whole on the legislative appropriation
bill Mr.. Pearre Rep., Md vigorously
attacked the appropriation for the civil
service commission and charged that the
! departments were full Of incompetents-
| Mr.. Pearre stated that If hs thought the
| striking out of the appropriation would
put a mend to the civil service law he
would make the motion. He announced
his unequivocal opposition to the law. He
reiterated the charge made several days
ago that the department was full of in
com0etents.
Where are they?" asked Mr.. Fitzger-
aid Dem, Mass.).
Where were they under the old sys-
tenn" asked Mr.. Pearre. replying with a
question.
Everywhere There were thousands
of them" replied Mr.. Fitzgerald IF
the bars were down now you would have
the departments crowded with Maryland
ers."
Massachusetts need not sheer at
Maryland" retorted Mr.. Pearre. "A few
days ago a gentleman read a list Of hun
/ dreds of Massachusetts soldiers who
never smelIed powder during the Spanish
war, but who are already clanoring for
pensions"
Mr. Fitzgerald Indignantly denied that
the Massachusetts regiments had never
smelled powder in the Spanish war. The
/ Second Massachusetts, he said, had men
killed and officers and Il men wounded
/, in the Santiago campaign. In all, the
Second Massachusetts, lost 90 men. the
Fifth Massachusetts So; the Sixth 10s; the
Eighth 1877, and the Ninth 100.
What was the cause of their death?''
asked Mr.. Wachter CRep., Md
Disease contracted on account Of the
inefnciency of the government" replied
Mr.. Fitzgerald, holly, amid applause.
Mr.. Fitzgerald, continuing, told a har-
rowing story Of the return home of the
Massachusetts regiments, broken and
wrecked by disease. If they had been
rendered incapable of earning q living by
the failure Of the government TO provide
them with proper care and sustenance,
he said they were entitled to pensions.
Mr.. Hepburn CRep.. Iowa. called atten-
ton TO the statement made by Mr.. Sims
on Wednesday contrasting the records Of
eight volunteer regiments in the north
and south, showing that from the former
came 35SS pension claims and from the
latter 761. Mr. Sims had attributed the
disparity to the universal pension senti-
ment in the north. Mr.. Hepburn pointed
out that for the purpose of comparison
| the tables adduced by Mr. Sims were not
| alike. He was very caustic in his criti-
| cism of Mr.. Sims action. The latter
said he. had received the tables from the
pension Office. He had no personal knowl-
edge of the facts. He admitted some of
| the tables could not be prepared. but con-
tended that the main point he had made
(the preponderance Of northern over
southern pension claims was correct.
Mr. Green CPa.), who was a captain in
a volunteer regiment during the Spanish
war and who served at Chickamauga,
said that in the years 10 come, in con
sidering pensions for the soldiers of the
Spanish var, the sickness due TO malad-
miuistration OF army affairs would have
TO be recognized.
Mr. Cummings Dem. n. " paid
tribute 10 some of the New York heroes.
Sergeant Hamilton Fish and William
Tiffany. and TO the splendid valor Of Gov
ernor Roosevelt The mention OF Gov
ernor RooseveIts name brought out a
round OF applause.
The only objection have TO him, e"
said Mr. Cummings. lis that he is a Re
publican" IauEhtefD
Mr. Mah0n rep, Pa said It was IN
fortunate that the pension question had
been brought up to create partisan ran
cor. During the past few years the Demo-
cratic opposition to pensions had dlsap-
peared Il should not be revived now.
/ he -4c11
war soldiers without sectonalism.
Mr.. Gaines CDen. Tenn denied that
the Democrats were opposed TO liberal
pensions. they were hostile only to the
unworthy claims.
Mr.. Clayton Dem, y u, who COM
manded = troop Of cavalry. during the
Spanish war, resented The reflection upon
the conduct Of the war Our officers.
regular and volunteer. compared favor
ably with those OF any other country on
earth we had made fewer mistakes than
the British were making and had made IN
South Africa
Mr.. Norton CJem-. OhEo) declared that
Il the commissioner Of pe2sions prepared
the tables included IN Mr. Sims remarks
he should be removed
YIr. TaIbe-t Dem, :. c. extoIled the
courage Of Mr.. SINS II am glad he has
placed IRE facts before Us" sad he He
has opened the eyes q the house and the
country
M Mudd CRep- Ma than moved .
strike out ne civil service provision ard
il prevailed. x 20 :. No record IS male
II committee ard as soon as the amend
neat OF The vote was made, &r. Cannon
gave notice that he would demand 4 yea
and nav vote il The koase Aster