The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-19
GENERAL DEFICIENCY
BILL PASSES THE HOUSE
Democrats Attempt to Make Polit-
ical Capital Out of the
Age Pension Order.


WASHINGTON, April 1S.-The House to-
day passed the last of the supply bills of
the government the general deficiency APP
preparation measure, after a stormy ses-
sion. which lasted till Sis in the evening.
The contest was party one over the
deficiency appropriation of PENSIONS which
, the Democrats tried ineffectively TO amend
by incorporating as a law the recent exec
utive age disability pension order. An
effort was made by Mr. Moon. of Ten
nessee. TO secure a yea and nay vote on
his amendment as to this disability order,
but the speaker refused TO recognize him.
On pro forma motion to recommit the
bill the Democrats, angered by the speak
ers refusal to recognize Mr.. Moon. Sc
cured a roll call, but after the vote had
been taken all further opposition ceased
and the bill was passed.
Late in the afternoon Mr.. Hit offered
his Chinese exclusion bill, introduced sep
arately as an amendment to the special
deficiency BILL and it was accepted with
out objection. Mr.. Williams, however
made a speech against it. He sarcastically
declared the amendment demonstrated
how easy ii was for the majority TO do
things. He congratulated the Republicans
for having found that substantial legisla-
ton was a thing superior to technical
rules. The bill was "a felonious assault,
lynchng bee. directed against the rules
of the House. but he said, no Republican
voice had suggested it was not in order.
Directing his remarks at Mr.. Hit, Mr..
Williams said he could not understand
how a Republican House could sit idly
by while gentleman who has hereto
fore been a law-abiding citizen raised the
red flag of anarchy against its rules and
offered an executive amendment to an APP
preparation bill.
Mr.. Williams, noticing Speaker Cannon
occupying a seat on the floor, said he was
almost struck with paralysis by the fact
that the speaker is sitting now by the
gentleman from Indiana [Mr. Hemenwayl
aiding and abetting him in this felonious
attempt TO strange the rules" Laughter
If that sort of thing went on much longer,
he said with derision. the committee on
rules would grow rusty in the exercise of
its function. He concluded by saying the
amendment was good legislation.
When the deficiency appropriation of
A,OO,OO0 for pensions, embracing 81, 600
to carry out the provisions of the Presi-
dents recent order regarding age disability,
came up Mr.. Underwood offered an amend
ment reducing the total appropriation to
s2,5OO,0O, and Mr. Livingston offered another
providing that no part of the appropriation
shall be paid to any claimant for pension
under the Presidents order Another
amendment by Mr.. Miers, of Indiana in
creased the appropriation to $5,OOO,0OO, while
still another amendment was offered by Mr.
Moore providing that persons who served
ninety days or more in the service of the
United States during the civil war SHALL
when they reach the age of sixty-two
years, receive So month, after sixty-fve
years SS a month, after sixty-eight years
$40 a month, after seventy years s12
month.
1t developed that this last amendment
was sharp move by the Democrats. Mr..
Hemenway made point of order against
IL, because ne said 1t changed existing
it followed word for word the Presidents
order, and inquired if the President was
more entitled to violate existing law than
the House.
Mr. Hemenway declared that i'm the con-
FUSION he did not get the drift of the
amendment and in defending the appropria-
ton, as provided by the bill, said the DEM
months for an issue in the coming cam
paign and they thought they had one now.
put. he said. the Republicans would meet
was man who served in the civil war and
who was now sixty-two years of age or
over who was capable of performing more
.han one.half days manual labor. He
charged that by the several amendments
the Democrats were simply trying to play
politics at the expense Of the old soldiers
replying to Mr.. Moon Mr.. Hemenway said
ne would insist on his point of order against
the amendment because the law was differ
ent from the suggestion of Mr. Moon.
MT WllllamS said the order another
of executive usurpation. He
emphatically declared that the order was
a change of existing law and insisted that
the commissioner of pensions had com
mltted an Improbable offense
Mr.. Moon Indignantly denied that he Of
fered his amendment for political purposes
1t was not. he said, the first time nor Would
1t be the last that he would protect the in
terests of the American soldier His
he explained, was offered sole
ly that there may be no doubt of what the
soldiers are entitled to, because he believed
the order wise and sensible one if enacted
into law in pursuance of the Constitution
After further debate all amendments were
ruled out or defeated.