The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1911-12-22
CONGRESS AND THE BILL TO
INCREASE PENSIONS.

that the bill would never become law,
because the Senate would not pass it,
or if the Senate should pass it, the
President would veto it. This was con-
elusive proof, if proof was needed, why
the majority Of the members of the
House OF Representatives voted for the
bill They voted for the passage of the
bill in order to get the votes of the old
soldiers who are pensioners. and without
anv consideration whatever to the merits
of the measure. but on the contrary voted
for the bill when they were conscious
that il was ute rly without merit. and
trusting to the Senate to defeat it or the
President to veto il. And we are
ashamed to know that some of the
Maryland members of the House of
Representatives cast their votes in favor
of this indefensible bill What can be
the opinion of honest and intelligent
people when they see the great majority
of the members of the House of Repre-
sentatives voting for a bill which they
admit to be wrong and unjust, and then
trusting to the Senate and the President
to prevent its becoming law.
Each member of Congress takes an
oath to de what he believes to be right,
which ought to be his all-sufficient guide
in the discharge of every duty as men,
Der of Congress. and more especially of
every vote cast to pass law.
These men, it seSms TO be conceded,
voted TO get the old soldiers vote, and
then put it up to the Senate to defeat the
measure which they voted for. believing
it to be wrong, or ifthe Senate passed it,
to the President to veto it.
Suppose that the Senate passes it, and
this is possibility, but we hope not a
probability, then it will go to the Presi
dent for his signature. The President is
candidate for reelection and he is very
anxious to be reelected, and he may
want the old soldiers vote also, and he
NAV sign the bill, and thus an unjust
and oppressive law will be adopted and
the people will be forced to pay from
sixty to seventy-hve million of dollars,
more to the already over paid pen
Sioners. We do not believe that the SEN
ate will pass this bill. and if it be possible
that the Senate should be foolish enough
to pass it, we believe that Mr.. Taft will
be strong enough, in obedience to his
conscientious convictions. to veto it, and
the people will be saved the injustice and
the outrage Of such law. The pen
, soners themselves, conscious that they
/ are already literally pensioned, laugh IN
/ their sleeves at this ridiculous bill.
But the House OF Representatives are
to held responsible for it all At the last
session they made a record that the
whole nation was proud Of and applauded
and it was largely because it was
in the line Of economy in the public ex-
penditures. and the saving of public
money, and in the efforts to reduce the
high cost of living BY reduction of the
tariff burdens on the necessaries of life.
But the Pension Bill is fiat reversal OF
the whole Democratic record at the last
session, and is extravaganza run mad
| With sixty or seventy-hve millions OF
dollars added to the Pension Bill it will
be difficult to effect any reductions in the
tariff oppression and TO reduce the high
cost of living, without deficit in the
revenue and sale of bonds to meet the
deficit If the intent was to put the
President in a hole by forcing him to
sign or veto a bad law, it may prove a
huge blunder, for the President may con.
clude to sign it, and then he will put
Congress in a hole. The result of this
! ill-advised legislation will then be to put
| the people in the hole, and they will be
forced TO bear this additional burden
| when they are already overburdened.
Congress ought to remember that this
vast sum of money is paid by all of the
people, and there are, it is safe to say
twenty millions Of people less able &c
pay any increase and who are worse of
than any pensioners. There ought to be
some consideration shown to the mil
lions Of poor people who have a struggle
to get the necessares OF life, day in anC
day out, as well as to the pensioners.
The fact is that great majority of tht
pensioners, independent of their pension:
are infinitely better off than the grea
majority of the people. but the people arr
not taken into consideration But these
people have votes and they have minds
and if they apply their minds and ther
cast their votes to best subServe theil
own welfare and the best interests o
the whole country, there will be no more
such bills passed, and many of the mem
bers who voted for this bill, will never
have the chance to vote for any bill il
Congress hereafter 1t is then time
for the people to wake up to The dis
charge of their duty to themselves anC
to their country.
THE Federal Grand Jury is now trail