Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-16

amendment to the financial bill was re-
ported The Senate agreed to the confer
ence asked for by the House and Senator's
Aidrich, Allison and Jones of Arkansas
were appointed conferees on the part of
the Senate. "a
THE HOUSE.
AT the opening of the session of the
House today Mr.. Bennett the secretary of
the Senate announced to the House the
passage of the currency bill by the Senate
'The applause which greeted the announce
ment was partly a demonstration for the
Dill and partly personal tribute to Mr.
Bennett, who was formerly a member of
the House.
Mr.. Overstreet 0nd), who had charge of
the House bill, asked unanimous consent
tnat the Senate amendments be disagreed
TO- ana that the House agreed to a confer
ence. There was no objection. and it was
50 ordered The Speaker announced that he,
would name the conferees upon behalf of
the House during the day The House then
went INTO committee Of the whole and re-
appropriation bill
Inc friends of private claims ATTEMPTED
10 aeIeat the motion, but We're defeated 1G
When the provision relating to tho oi,,,,
service commission was reached Mr.
Pearre CMd-) stated that If he Thought The
striking M out of the appropriation would put
an end to the civil service law he woi,Id
make the motion. He announced his nm
equlFocal opposition to the law. He reiter-
ated the charge made several days ago tina ,
'ne apartments We're full of incompetents.
(Mass.). i'~eei aiu
Where We're they under the old system p.
"shsu .nI, ar. fearre replying with quesuon.
everywhere. There We're thouSa nds of
them. replied Mr.. Fitzgerald ..If the bsrs
We're down now you would have the depart-
h1ents ems crowded with Marylanders'
Land :" retnr1ed M nee1 not sncer at Mary
ago gentleman read list of hundreds Of
Massachusetts soldiers who never smelled
powder during the Spanish war. but who
are already ciamoring for pensions
Mr.. Fitzgerald defended the civil ser,,;oa
ia" ana It's administration in Massa-
cHusetts. He said he knew the law was
not iived up to here in Washington and
other sections of the country Ii has been
grossly violated during the last camnaien
In ONO, he said. when federal office hold
ers an over the country were appealed to
Ior funds for that campaign
Does the gentleman say that was not
done under the Cleveland administration? ~
asked some one on the republican side.
Never, replied Mr.. Fitzgerald
Mr. Fitzgerald then turned to Mr..
PearreS statement about the Massachu-
sets soldiers in the Spanish war fndig-
nantly denying his insinuation that the
Massachusetts, regiments had never snelled
powder. The I'd Massachusetts, he said.
had three men killed. three officers and
forty-one men wounded in the Santiago
campaign. In all, the ID Massachusetts
lost ninety-nine men. the 9TH Massachusetts
ll5, the 9th los, the Sth 1871 and the 9th 130.
What was the cause of their deathp''
asked Mr.. Wachter (MdD
disease contracted on account of the in
ef1iciency of the government" replied Mr.
Fitzgerald hotly, amid applause. No other
state in the Union he sail had a proudar
record during he ish nc, l,,
chusetts. The 2d and the 9th Massachu-
sets were the only volunteer regiments in
the memorable Santiago campaign.
And the two Michigan regiments" inter-
posed Mr.: Corliss CMich).
And the I1sl New York observed Mr..
Clayton On. W.
Il accept the amendments" said Mr.,
Fitzgerald, who, continuing told a harrow
ing story of the return home of the Massa-
chusetts volunteers, broken and wrecked
by disease. If they had been rendered in
capable of earning living by the failure
of the government to provide them with
proper care and sustenance, then, said he.
they We're entitled to pensions.
Hepburn Replies to Sims.
Mr.. Hepburn Qowa) remarked upon the
peculiarity of debate in the House as in
stanced by Mr.. Fitzgerald, who Indignantly
took offense at a mere allusiou to the re-
marks made some days ago by Mr. Sims
CTenn.), but who spoke no word of rebuke
OF the utterances of a partisan friend.
Mr.. Hepburn then turned to the state
ment made by Mr.. Sims on Wednesday,
contrasting the records of eight volunteer
regiments in the north and south. showing
that from the former came 3,5SS pension
claims and from the latter 76I Mr.. Sims
had attributed the disparity to the univer-
sal pension sentiment in the north Mr.
Hepburn pointed out that for the purposes
of comparison the tables adduced by Mr.
Sims were not alike. He was very caustic
in his criticism of Mr. Sing
latter said he had used tables prepared at
the pension office. He had no personal
knowledge of the facts.
Mr.. Green tPa.) who was a captain in
volunteer regiment during the Spanish war,
and who served at Chickanauga, said that
In the years to come, in considering PEN
slons for the soldiers of the Spanish war
the sickness due to maladministration of
the army affairs would have to be recog-
nized.
MIR. Cummings (N.Y.) wanted it not to
be forgotten during this discussion that
Capt. Rafferty, of the list New York Regf-
ment was the first man on the summit of
San Juan Hill. He pal1 tribute ID some
of the dead New York heroes: Sergr Ham,
iiton Fish and William Tiffany, and to the
splendid valor of Gov. Roosevelt
The mention of Gov. Roosevelts name
brought out a round of applause.
The only objection 1 have to him." said
Mr.. Cummings, is that he is republican"
Iaughtar)
MT. feorre fxnl0lns.
Mr.. Pearre wanted to set himself right.
He had cast no imputation upon the SOL
diers of Massachusetts; he said, he had
simply referred to the statement made by
Mr.. Sims The latter said he had received
the tables from the pension office. He ad-
mitted that some of the statements in them
could not be compared, but he still con-
tended that the main point he had made
tthe immense preponderance of northern
over southern pensions claims) was cor
rect.
Mr.. Mahon Pa.) said 1t was unfortunate
that the pension question had been brought
up to create partisan rancor. During the
past few years the democratic opposition
to pensions nad disappeared. It should not
be revived now.
Mr.. Gaines Tenn) denied that the demo-
Gratis Were opposed to liberal pensions; they
were hostile only to unworthy, claims.
Mr.. Mahon declared that justice would
be done to the soldiers of the Spanish war
without sectionalism.
Mr.. Clayton On. W, who commanded
troop of cavalry during the Spanish war,
resented the reflections upon the conduct
of the war. Our officers regular and vol
unteer. compared favorably with those of
any country on earth. We had made fewer
mistakes than the British were making and