The National tribune., 1911-01-19

Jan. 10, 1911, Mr.. Fuller, of Illinois
addressed the Speaker of the House OF
Representatives, saying that by direc.
ton of the Committee on Invalid Pen
sioils 1 move to suspend the rules, dis
charge the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union from
the further consideration of House Leg
Hslation 29346 and pass the bill" The
Speaker ordered a clerk to report the
bill. (The bill will be found on the
editorial page.)
Fitzgerald, of New York, and Simms,
of Tennessee, demanded seconds. Inc
Speaker asked if the gentlemen We're
opposed to the bill, and both replied
that they were. Both Simms and F1tz-
gerald insisted upon their demand Tor
a second, when Mr.. Fuller, in charge
of the bill, asked unanimous consent
that second might be considered as
ordered. The Speaker again asked If
there was objection, and Dwight, of
New York, made the point of order that
there was no quorum present. The
Speaker proceeded to count the House,
and found only 154 members upon the
floor. Mr.. Dwight then moved call
of the House. Enough seconds appear
ing, call of the House was ordered.
After a long siege of roll calling it was
found that ESQ members had been
brought in, quorum, and the Door
keeper opened the doors. Mr.. Fuller,
in charge of the bill, and Mr. fitZger-
aid, opposed to the bill, were under the
rules given 90 minutes each in which TO
discuss its merits.
MFR. Tullcr's Remarks.
Mr.. Fuller then addressed the House:
MIR Speaker, this bill comes before
the House with the unanimous report
Of Invalid Pensions
That committee has been busily en-
gagged in giving its attention to special
bills proposing to grant relief for the
most needy of those who went out in
their young manhood to fight the battles
of the Union and who to-day are in dis
tress, many of them for the necessities
of life, many of them bedridden, unable
to labor, and calling upon their coun-
try. to which they gave their best years,
to give them relief in their old age, Suf-
fcient at least to provide for them the
ordinary comforts of life.
mo man upon that committee can
: know anything of the great number of
pitiable cases that come before us every
day for action and fer needed relief
The committee have unanimously de-
ternlined that the time has come when
the Congress of this great Nation should
do justice to the defenders of the Union
and do what it can to make comfort
soldiers by general legislation that all
may be treated alike. This bill would
do away largely with the great number
of special bills that we are reporting
all the time for the action of Congress.
BY sSsciai legislation we can do justice
60 only very few of the most deserv-
ing ca es, and can consider only small
proportion of those referred to the
committee. This bill gives uniform re-
lief, and if we are ever going to recog-
nize further the debt this Nation owes
TO its defenders the time has come to-
day to 90 it. All of them now are old
men. most of them poor. most of them
unable to earn livelihood by manual
labor many of them in such condition.
owing to their service for their coun-
try, that they are in need Of the con-
slant aid and attendance of another
person. More than a hundred of these
old soldiers are passing over the Great
Divide every "a hours. More than 5000
every month are going into camp on
the other shore, and swercannot infjus-
tiee longer delay. Mr., Speaker, there
ought not to be a vote against this
bill in this House. There ought not
10 be man in this House with
SO little gratitude to our country's
defenders, so little red IN their veins,
as to stand up here and cast a vote
against this little measure of relief that
we are proposing to give them now. 1t
is right, it is just, it is humane. 1t is
not charity; it is justice.
Benefit of Pensions.
'"bfr. Speaker, this country is great.
It is the greatest. the most powerful
and the most wealthy Nation on the
face of the earth. Our flag floats in
honor over land and over sea the world
over. and the men who made it posi-
bic that we could have this great, unit