The National tribune., 1900-06-14

court of pension appeals, which Mr..
Turner said he had introduced several
months ago at the request of the g. y.
II. He presented several letters from
prominent members and officials of the q.
\. Il. i'll support of the measure.
Mr.. Turner made an attack upon the
administration of the Pension Department
because he said. by its peculiar coustruc-
tion of the laws passed by grateful Con
arcss it was denying just and proper pen
sons to the old soldiers of the Republic,
their widows and orphans.
Mr.. Galingcr. Chairman of the Com
mittec on Pensions. expressed sincere re
gret that . member of the Pensions Com
mittee in the closing hours of the session
felt it his duty to make an argument that
is nothing if not political and PARTISAN
He replied ut length to NJ. Turner. and
concluded with review of the work ac-
complished in pension legislation. He said
Congress had been very liberal III the
treatment of the ex-soldiers. both Of the
great political parties having shown Il dis
position TO deal fairly with the pensioners.
At the night session the Senate sent the
antitrust law to the Judiciary Committee
by a vote of As to 2;i.
In the House one of the most violent de-
bates Of the session, degcncrating to per-
sonaitics. occurred. 1t was between
Chairman Hull. of the Committee on Mil
itary Affairs. and Representative IeHtz.
"A member thereof, and grew out of con-
sidcration of the proposed promotion of
Gen. Miles and Gen. Corbin. y riutous
scene marked the proceedings, and Il great
deal of feeling resulted. The gentlemen
claShed with more than usual spirit be-
cause of the bitter controversy which
ragged between them during the Occur
d Alene mining investigation, and which
on one occasion threatened to cuimrate
with personal violence in the committee
room.
The debate had proceeded for some timr
on the Senate amendments to the Military
Academy appropriation bill. Mr.. Lent
engaged in Il running debate with several
members on different topics. and finally
Corbin. He had hardly begun with this
attack before he was diverted to the
Cocur dAlenc troubles.
Mr.. Lcntz arraigncd the Military Com
mittce for declining to take action looking
to the adoption of a Senate resolution to
print 10000 copies of the Cocur d Alone
investigation. 1t was. he said, another
step in the direction of militarism.
Then he said: Il would like to see some
of those men getting higher military hon
ors b. fighting for them. | am tired Of hav-
im@ men leg for military degrees. | have
not much respect for political beg
gars or army beggars. A Maior-Gener-
I 81
fee we have in the army today. to be
given to man who sits in bomb-proof
building and does nothing but act as the
clerk for the President.
Il am not in favor Of anv staff officer
holding higher title than Brigadier-fen-
cral Six thousand two hundred dollars
Il year. with the privilege Of retiring at
ca on three-fourths pay, is as much as any
clerk in the War Department or any other
Department ought to receive, and the man
who goes in on the staff ought to under
stand that he cannot have the highest Of
fee. even by legislation"
Chairman Hull. in reply, justified the
action of the Military Committee in refus
ing to sanction the printing of 10000 cop
les of the report of the Occur d Alene in
yestigation, and spoke caustically of Mr..
Lentz.
"The gentleman from Ohio is too able
n man." said Mr.. Hull. 'to believe for one
minute that the heads of these great staff
departments and especially the Adjutant
of the Army. is mere clerkship. He
knows, and every other member of the
House knows that the Adjutant-General
Of the Army, if he discharges his duty eff
firiently. should at least be one of the
ablest military men i'll the country. lie
is virtually. under our present system, the
Chief of Staff of the Secretary of War,
and. through him, Of the President"
After a further exchange. Mr.. Hull
said: THE gentleman from Ohio is evi-
IDENTIFY anxious to get the fact before the
country that | have son in the Army.
who has served in the staff department at
Manila. That is something | am very
proud of. ! am delighted. Mr.. Chairman.
to admit TO this House and to the country
that / have a son in the Army. He went
and enlisted first with his own regiment,
having served in the guard for ten years
and got commission by the votes of his
own comrades for the rank of Captain.
loud applause on the Republican side.)
"And, Mr.. Chairman. he was promoted
and is now Major on the staff in the Phil
ippines, Renewed applause on the Re
publican side.) His regiment is coming
home.
"Mr. Chairman, thank God I have
boys that can serve their country. IRE
newed and loud applause.) / am proud
of them
Mr.. Brown Of Ohio assailed Mr.. Lett.
lie would like. he said, to see some one or
something that would commend the pa.
triotism of that gentleman. If he IentZ)
were familiar with The history of his own
State he would know that II. C. Corbin
had fought for his promotion.
Mr.. Underwood insisted that the sense
of the House should be tested upon the
proposition to promote Gen. Miles and
Con. Corbin in this extraordinary way"
He did not want the vote taken at night,
when members might be off their guard.
The motion of Mr. Hull to noncOncur in
the Miles amendment prevailed without
division. and after another spirited debate
the Corbin amendment was nonconcurred
in. as was the amendment relative to
cadets-at-large.
Mr. Sulzer. of New York, then moved
TO. instruct the conferees to insist upon
their disagreement to these three amend
ments. The motion was lost-54 to 1O3.
A direct vote on a motion to instruct the
conferecs to insist upon the disagreement
| of the Miles amendment was lost by yeas
and poes-112 to 142 A direct vote to
instruct against the Corbin amendment
was also lost-G0 TO 107. The bill then
went back to conference The amendment
| promoting Miles and Corbin was after
wards accepted by both Houses.
| WEDNESDAY.
Congress did not adjourn On Wednes-
day, as expected, there being deadlock
| for awhile on an appropriation for naval
surveys. 1t was the elimination of n
fight which Representative Cannon, the
Chairman Of the Appropriations Commit
tee, made upon the photographic Bureau
of the Navy Department, fearing its en-
croachment upon another bureau of the
Government, the Coast Survey. The strug-
gle has been in progress during nearly the
entire session Of Congress.
Mr.. Cannon fought the battle for the
Coast SHrvey Wednesday night and won.