Norwich bulletin., 1911-08-01
ABANDoNs HOPE or
PENSION LEGISLATION
Congressman Anderson Is Opposed By
"Tammany Southern Combine.
Especial to The Bulletin.)

Congressman Anderson IS IMPOSED 6y
"Tammany Southern Combine.
Especial to The Bulletin.)
Washington, D. c., July 31.-At last
Representative Carl G. Anderson. of
| any pension legislation at this session
| of congress. Although not admitting
| it he now realizes that in his efforts
| to secure the consideration of legis-
lation for the veterans of the civil war
4 that he has met with the opposition OF
| the Tammany Southern Combine
i which controls the democratic machine
| in the house and bosses the job more
than it was claimed that Uncle Joe did
| when he was speaker under the re-
/ publican house. Mr.. Anderson enter :
! tains hopes that something may be
done in the next session but these al e
not shared by those who are in touch
with the inside workings of the DEM
! ocratic machine.
! Mr.. Anderson assumed that when he
returned from the Ohio State Grand
| Army encompment with an endorse
ment Of his bill that he would be Civ
| en- some consideration by the machine
| leaders of the house. In this he was
! bitterly disappointed for the Tam
many Southern combine were only
| incensed by the demand of the Ohio
! Grand Army for pension legislation.
Mr.. Anderson was told that any fur
| Their effort of his to secure consider
alton of pension legislation would be
| useless as they had him blocked at
every point. The member from the
| 18th district told the machine leaders
in very plain language that they were
not deceiving the veterans and that
some of them would be called to ac-
count for their tactics by their con-
stituents. He declared that the coun-
try was interested in some other legis
lation than the tariff and that the way
matters were being conducted by the
democratic leaders that the sooner that
congress adjourned the better for the
party and the country.
Il am highly pleased with the vim
dication which l received from the
Ohio Grand Army encampment.' said
Mr.. Anderson. MY pension bill was
endorsed in the most enthusiasts
pleased with it that those who were
opposed to it did not dare to come out
in the open and fight it.
81 am convinced now that any fur
Their effort to secure pension legisla-
ton at this session would be useless
At the next session ] will take up the
fight again and / think we can force
some effective pension legislation
through the house early in the session.
am anxious that my bill or some
thing like it should be passed in the
session SO that it cannot be held up in
would have been to have passed it at
this session but the next best will be
to put it through the house at least
before the holidays.
From the expressions which l heard
at home it appears to me that the best
thing for congress to do is to adjourn
and give the country rest. My con-
stituents seem to be weary of this
constant tariff agitation and if con-
gress is not going to enact any other
legislation at this session it could ad-
jOurn in the interest of economy.
Every day that congress is in session
it costs the country thousands of dol
lars and / do not see that anything
can be accomplished with republican
president and senate except the pass
age of the reciprocity BILL
While John McElroy editor of the
National Tribune, gives Representative
Anderson's dollar -a-day pension bill
the most enthusiastic endorsement he
views the Sherwood bill with sus-
picion. Mr. McElroy declares than the
Anderson bill is along progressive
lines, while the bill introduced by the
Chairman of the Invalid Pension com
mittee is reactienary in its nature and
is along lines which in past legisla-
ton has been 80 Objectionable to old
soldiers e.
"The Anderson bill is Of no uncer-
tain construction" said the editor of
the Grand Army paper. If it becomes
a law the old soldiers will know what
is coming to them in the way of PEN
sions. 1t is substantially the same as
the Sul1oWay bill and is built along
lines which have been demanded by
the soldiers of the civil war for years.
1t leaves very few claims to be adjud-
icated in the pension bureau. All that
will be necessary for the old soldier
under the Anderson bill to make out
his application in due form.
''rThe SherrOOd bill is exactly oDpo-
site in its character 1t is the kind of
legislation that has given the old sol
diers SO much trouble and made SO
much work for the Pension bureau in
the past | verify believe that under
its provisions it would be necessary to
increase the force at the pension
bureau in order to adjudicate the many
doubtful claims that would come up
under it. There are so many provis
ions in the Sherwood bill that as soon
as an old soldier is either a pauper or
a crook that it is actually vicious in
it's character. For instance the in
come provision in the Sherwood bill,
if it should become a law, would set
force of detectives at work examining
the private affairs of every old soldier
that made an application for a pen
sion under the act AS everybody
knows the pension bureau would first
place the burden of proof upon the old
soldier and then send out a force of
spies TO Dreak up the soldiers evidence.
doubt seriously whether the passage
of the Sherwood bill would be of ma
terlal Improvement in the pension laws
of the country. On the other hand the
Anderson bill is just what we have
been asking for. Not only in the rate
of pension that it provides for but the
clearness of its provisions"
Accused of "Sneakine I'M Bill.
Washington July 31.-The house was
thrown into a turmoil today when Rep
resentative c. c. Anderson of Ohio de-
nounced as false publications in which
Representative Sherwood of Ohio and
others were quoted as charging Mr..
Anderson with having "sneaked in
his pension bill because he could not
offer it in the regular way
Mr.. Anderson sarcasticalIy declared
that he might have '.sneaked" in his
bill. but at least he did not sneak into
the corridors and fail to vote when
the bill was called up. Il am a good
democrat, though ! am not proud of all
democrats said Mr.. Anderson while
his party associates demanded the
regular order.
Unable to produce the newspaper ar
ticles, Mr.. Anderson was ruled out of
order. as was Representative Sherwood
of Ohio, who rose to defend his dol
lar day pension bill.
Two Men in the Field,