Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-03-31
Congress-.

Inc speech or MIR. Hamlln IN the
National House of Representatives on
March 4th is deserving Of the careful
consideration of every citizen and voter.
He had stated that in the House the Re-
publicans had majority Of from rs to
ia, and it was in their power to pass
the various bills which were waiting,
and which the country was waiting for,
among them the pension bill, and he
said, "There are many other good
measures which you could pass between
this and the latter part of next week,
and We (the Democrats) stand ready to
help you. Why do you not do it9 You
have the power and yours is the re-
sponsibility."
He added, 81 presume you are pro-
ceeding upon the theory that no differ
ance what you do or fail to do here on
election day, the rank and file of the
Republicans will walk up to the polls
and vote the ticket, but in this believe
you will be badly mistaken. That day
has passed.
81 stated a while ago that your evident
policy is to do nothing; that this is true,
lies in the fact that this Congress met
on the second day of December and ad-
journed for the holidays on the twenty
first, covering period of eighteen work.
ing days, and out of the eighteen work
ing days you were actually in session
just eleven hours and eight minutes and
nearly one half of that time was taken
up in organizing the house on the first
day. Have 1 drawn the picture too
strongly? No. Of the eighteen work
ing days in the month of December last,
you (the Repubicans) permitted this
house to be in session actually, as shown
by the official records, just eleven hours
and eight minutes, and this country in
the throes of a fearful panic, banks
closed, factories closed down, soup
houses being open ed, thousands Of
honest men with fam lilies to support be-
ing thrown out of employment, yet you
were deaf to their entrea ties. Yours is
the responsibility"
Official statistics were then quoted
dated New York, March -, showing
that at that time in New York city alone
over 500, 800 workers were out of en-
ployment because of the business panic.
Over $4,000 railroad men are laid off be-
cause of the panic and the business
scare, yet it was in the power of the Re-
publcans to have relieved the situation
by legislative action yet they dallied and
the evil effects are still with US.
On the pension bill the same dilatory
tactics have bad sway while thousands
of poor soldiers are suffering for the
necessaries of life, suffering which is
needless If the Republican members of
Congress had promptly attended to
business and passed the bill which they
apparently reluctantly helped to pass on
the 18th, and with it had included the
Sherwood Pension Bill, which Mr.. Lam
ing of the pension committee says he Is
in favor of. This is Hon. j. F. Laning
of Ohio, who in an able speech showed
I'D the inability of the pension COM
mittee to handle the thousands of ap-
plications which deserve attention which
are constantly being sent into Congress
and which ought to be honored, and
therefore he favored a pension bill, the
Sherwood bill and other good bills that
would take care OF all these worthy
appeals and leave the Congressman to
give their time and attention to other
important and urgent business. At this
session 10000 pension applications have
been sent to members of Congress asking
for special legislation that worthy SOL
diers might receive what in justice they
ought to have. During the fifty-ninth
Congress over $4,000 applications were
presented and thousands of cases, many
of them as meritorious as those granted,
were not written up or considered by
the pension committee because of their
inability to handle them and only 1923
were passed or granted.
For these AMI other reasons Mr.. Ian.
ing advocated the passage of a general
pension law covering them all. AS he
said, they are fast moving on to the
"eternal camping ground;" $4,000 pass
ed on last year, and not less than 30, 600
will answer to the great roll call during
the current year. What the country
does for the old soldier will have to be
done quickly. This Republican con-
gress has not shown itself as friendly to
the old soldier. Many Of the Repub-
licans have, but great many more have
shown a disposition to ignore the Oh
soldier and his family.
REPUBLICAN Ex.soLptER.