Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-01-14
18th CONGRESS.
CONTINUED from page ~

$50 to $75 a month was also decreasing.
In reply to another question he stated
that the commissioner of pensions be-
lieved that the high tide of pension
payments had been reached and the
amount required probably would re-
main stationary for some years.
Bell. Col, denounced the practices of
the pension sharks" He declared
that they We're importuning soldiers of
the Spanish war and those had since
served in the Philippines to apply for
pensions. He said that in some cases
soldiers who were thoroughly examin-
ed at the time of their discharge and
found to be perfectly sound yielded to
these opportunities and applied for
pensions within a month after their
discharge. AS against the soldier in
the Civil War who had applied for a
pension until recent years he thought
the present commissioner was too
strict but in the matter of ferreting out
a fraud he thought Commissioner
Evans has been unexcelled by any of
his predecessors.
Grosvenor, Ohio, assailed the report
of committee of the G. A. r., made
to the Grand Army encampment at
Cleveland, last summer. The report
placed at the door of certain members
of the House and Senate (among them
HIMSELF the failure to pass what was
known as the PREFERENCE pension bill.
GrOsvenOr characterized the report as
unjust, unfair and untruthful." Grosve-
nor said that during his long service
in the House he always had supported
onrIio 11V cnpcial hill
for the benefit of his comrades in arms.
The objection to the bill he said, was
that it contained a provision which
would have given preference over the
old soldiers of the Rebellion to 25O,000
men who enlisted in the Spanish
American war. He did not think the
provision just and explained why he
could not support it in the shape in
which it appeared before the House.
Talbert, S. c., delivered a general
speech on the subject of pensions to
show the growing extravaganza and
fraud of the present system. He
thought the practice of passing spec
ial pension bills should be abandoned
Hepburn, Ia, again brought up the
report made to the G. A. r. encamp-
ment in criticism of members of Con-
gress who voted against the veteran
preference" bill. He said he had
voted against the bill and pointed out
that the bill, as endorsed by the G. A.
r., and as originally introduced, did
not contain the provision giving prefer
ence to veterans of he Spanish war
Some Of the veterans of the Spanish
war, he said, were as much entitled to
be in the preferential class as the vet
Grams of the Civil War, but the vast
majority of the 100000 Spanish volun-
GERS had not heard hostile gun fired,
and he was unwilling that they should
be placed in preferential class, from
which the civil service would be re-
cruited for the next % years.
Bromwell, Ohio, explained that the
bill as introduced did not contain the
provision relative to the Spanish war
veterans. Against the protest of
minority of the committee, the pro-
vision was inserted and the bill then
came before the House under suspen-
sion of the rules, no opportunity being
given for amendment. He expressed
the hope that the bill would be re-intro-
duced and passed.
Rixey, Va, submitted an argument in
favor Of bill introduced by him. today,
to admit Confederate veterans to Ma
tional Soldiers Homes and to extend
the same national aid to State Confed-
crate Homes in the Sorth as was ac-
corded State Union Homes. The re-
strictions against ex-Confederates par
ticipating in the government and
against eX-Confederates holding COM
missions in the army Or navy having
been removed he argued that the Sol
diers Homes barrier which stands
across the path of ex-Confederate SOL
diers also should be removed. Rich
ardson, Tenn, the Democratic leader,
interposed to declare that never would
he be willing to see eX-Confederates en-
ter Union Homes. The debate grew
lively, differences of opinion developing
on the Democratic side. Richardson,
Ala, sided with Rixey, while Lamb,
Va, Bartlett, Ga, and others opposed
the suggestion.
Gaines, Tenn, secured the floor and
talked for some time about the result
of his recent observations in the Philip
pines. Lever, S. c., then formally an
nounced the death of the late Repre-
sentative Stokes of his state, which oc-
Cured last summer and, after adopt
in the customary resolutions of regret,
at 4.55 p. M. as a further mark of re-
spect the House adjourned