The National tribune., 1900-04-19
PENSION DAY.
Heated Debate as to the Passage
of Private Bills.

In the House on Friday last, private
pension bills were considered in Committee
of the Whole.
The first notable incident of the after
noon occurred when Mr.. Talbert, of Soutl
Carolina, produced several letters, tha
were read from the clerks desk, touchin.
upon his course toward pension legisla
ton. He said that he had received thes,
letters of commendation from hundred.
of old soldiers all over the country. Th,
letter that attracted most attention wa:
from veteran residing in the Congress
sional district of Representative Charles
| A. Bou telle, of Maine. 1t read, in part
Dear Sir: see by the papers that Congress
last Friday passed 142 private pension bills
Now and thousands of other old soldiers
protest against this wholesale private
pension business. Any coffee-cooler OF
hummer who has political pull or can
get up a big petition, can get big pension
while others, ever so worthy, have to take
whatever the Pension Bureau gives them.
| Il believe that that is where all claims
should be settled, and that Congressman
should Ind other business to attend to
| besides tumbling over each other in pass
| ing claims, many of which are fraudulent "
The letter cited two eases against which
the writer protested one in which he said
| the pcnSoner at $40 month owned a house
worth 81 200 and had money in bank, and
the other in which man sound at the close
of the war, but hurt few years ago by a
vicious horse got $50 pension, and then by
special act got ii increased to $50.
Now continued the writer ''I served in
the Union army four Years. | enlisted in
April. 1861, and was discharged in Septem-
Der. 1860. ! carried q musket three wears
and then was commissioned. Twas wound
ed three times and have been a physical
wreck for the last 30 years. / have ever
been treated fair by the Government. and
have no fault to find with the Pension
Department. | have n medal of honor
that ! received from Congress. NV house
IS not worth $1,000, neither have | any
bank stock. From the effects of my wounds
and heart trouble | can do no work or blsi-
ness.
81 think this Congressional Pension
Bureau Is all wrong, and the old boys are
sore over the way pensions are ground out
Please excuse me for thus addressing You,
but l saw that YOU did not believe in the
grab business, and thought | would write
you how we old follows feel about it."
Inc letter was signed y. j. Knowles
Captain, Co. ID, 1st Ne. H. A, North
Bradford, Me.
Mr.: Talbert insisted on the reading of
the bills presented by the Committee. he
said. so that the House can vote intclli-
gently upon the claims at issue. do not
DelieYc tnat these bills ought TO be poured
Ike corn into hopper and run through
without any consideration, without any
criticism, and without any scrutiny. |
shall therefore ask in every case that the
report accompanying the bill be read.
There We're discussions throughout on
the different bills. AT length Mr.. Talbert
got in controversy with Gen. Shattuc,
OF Ohio, who expressed the opinion that
opposition to pensions came with i'll grace
from {. former Confederate soldier.
Mr. SillqN- Cf
pie calculation would show that it cost
S36. 900 day for q session Of the House,
or 81 900 an hour. The time frittcred away
by Mr.. Talbert since he came to Congress.
he sald, would more than pay all the special
pension bills passed during that period.
Mr.: Norton of Ohio, protested against
MIR: Talbert's course. He said Mr.. Talbcrt
referring to previous assertions of Mr..
Ialbert has no right to charge upon this
floor as against this Committee will not
speak OF myself, but for every other member
OF the Committee, who is Just as honest
and just as honorable as he is-that we are
acqng IN manner false to facts, false to
right, justice, and honor.
Mr. Talbert. | hope the gentleman
does not think that i charged any dis
honesty to the Committee.
Mr.. Norton of Ohio. You must charge
dishonesty when you say that we are i
pensioning millionaires and unworthy |
Mr.. Talhert. ! did not say anv such |
thing. | did not charge that upon the
Committee.
Mr.. Norton of Ohio. The gentleman's
statement is certainly in the Record that
we are adding to the pensions of those who |
nave already enough and more and who |
are living in ease and luxury" / deny il. |
and hurl that back. ! say to YOU that no
pension ever reported on this floor by the
Committee to which ! beiong-not one
but what has had the most careful CON-
Slderahon By Committee at least as
honest and conscientious as any other
Committee in this House: and sav To the
gentleman if it is your desire and ambition |
TO continue TO fight the idea Of pensions
You ought to see that it must be futile now.
You ought to know that Oh your side and IN
every State of this great country there is not
a voice raised against the men who fought
against you, except your own.
In the name Of God and humanity.
what pride can man have iii feeling within
himself that he Is supreme over all the mem
bers of this House, Democrats and RcpIbIi-
cans alike? tApplause.l Will it bring
you higher glory, higher fame? Will |
1t add TO your honor? viii it make vour
own people love yOu better to stand here
hour by hour and fritter away the time of
the House and the time of the people assert
ing your Judgment in opposition to that OF
every other man on this floor and holding
that yours is supreme over all?
beg. you, in the spirit of kindness-in
that spirit of love that have learned 10
have for you-to deSist When YOU can
come on this floor and assert in honor and
in integrity of purpose that a particular
claim Is an unjust claim, and when YOU
can prove your assertion, / will stand bv
YOU and vote against it, fAppIausa'T
But tine mere cry Read the report" /" the mere
cry u raise point Of ORDER" the mere cry
There is no quorum" does not prove sim
cerity, but only an absolute determination
to delay doing justice to the men who i'm
their old age are going down TO their graves
in penury.
would be glad if ] could arouse Won TO a
higher patriotism to take care of The men
Of your own State who were at Appomattov
and Stone River and Gettysbirp. and 7
would say that YOU woul1 be eowardly If
on this floor You did not take care of them
when you had the opportunity. But
when you come here and undertake to DENY
that right TO these men, charging perjury
and fraud, we Oh our side have something
TO complain Of. The soldier has somethinS
to complain of against you and me. We
have made IT hard enough, God knows
for the soldier and his widow and his
orphans to secure justice. The Pension
Department and Congress itself have
raised barriers enough against nv old
without having the aid of South
Carolina to, by its unrcasoninc Repre-
sentative on this floor aSSasSinate Justice |
Kill patriotism, and deny equity to the men
who saved the Nation. II is not necessary
longer tD keen I'M this JIuSppnI, ,pJ -, |