The Marietta journal and courier. (Marietta, Ga.) 1909-1918, 1912-04-05
WASHINGTON LETTER.


Senator HOke Smith and Senator
Bacon took a prominent part in the
debates on the Civil War pension bills
which came to an end at 9 O'Clock Fri
day night.
me House of Representatives had
passed a bill known as the Sherwood
b., which had been prepared by
General Sherwood, of Ohio, Demo
crat. That bill. which would have in
creased the pensions paid to soldiers
of the Civil War between seventy-five
and eighty-siX millions of dollars an
nually, had passed the House with
very little resistance in that body
The figures given as the probable in
crease above the amount now being
paid are the estimates of the Pension
Office
The bill came to the Senate as the
work of Democratic House and the
difficulty of defeating it was increased
by the fact that number of Repub-
hcans who were opposed to it hest
tated from party policy to put the
Senate, a majority of whom are Re-
gublieans, lin the attitude of defeating
4 q large 4iHcreases of ~pensionsEto Union.
soldiers when the House. which is
, Democratic. had passed the measure.
The bill was referred to the Com
Taittee on Pensions of the Senate, O
majority of whom submitted a sub
stitute called the McCumber or Smoot
bill, which provided an increase of
pensions to Union soldiers of some
thing oyer twenty millions of dollars
annually.
A minority of the committee report
ed the Sherwood bill carrying the in
crease of seventy-fve to elghty-six
millions annually. Two members,
Senator Bryan. of Florida, and Sena-
tor Gore. of Oklahoma, reported
against any increase.
The fight on the increase was open
I'd by speech from Senator Bryan
several weeks ago. in which he at
tackled all increases of pensions to
soldiers of the Union Army.
For about three weeks past Senator
Hoke Smith has been continuing the
fight, taking advantage of the special
pension bills and as each special pen
sion bill would come mp he made a
short speech. calling attention to the
enormous sum already being paid to
pensioners of the Civil War.
Or -,
final consideration OF the Sherwood
bill and the substitutes. In the final
debate both Senators from Georgia
took part. opposing any increase in
pensions
Senator Bacon spoke briefly. calling
attention to the fact that he had for
nearly eighteen years in the Senate
never opposed any bill brought for
ward to pension Union soldiers, and
that during that time two billions of
dollars had been paid to them. He
declared. however, that the present eff
tort to increase the pensions was so
extreme that he felt not only justi-
led, but required. although a South
ern Senator. to take part in opposing
he increase
Senator Hoke Smith made the most
extended argument that was present
ed on Friday in opposition to the in
crease. He called attention to the
TACT that a statement OF the Secre-
AIRY of the Treasury showed the ordi-
Aary income of the government for
The fiscal year ending June 80. 1918,
you'd be $3.50, 900. aud that already
he pay roll of pensions to Union
soldiers would take st50.o00.000 of
, that amount, which WIS nearly 25
per cent of. it. and that it the Sher-
wood pension bill WAS passed this
. would add $75,0O0.00G. more, or make
he pensions to the soldiers OF the
Union Army sS2s.oo6. 006, more than
one-third OF the entire revenue OF the
government for the 1ekt year.
He called Attentions to the fact that
already there mad beep bald to sol
diers of the Union Army for services
IN the Civil War $4.1O0.00O.0oO These
figures were SO large, he said, they
could scarcely; be understood 4
Under the g0vernn ent's system of
collecting taxes. said Senator Smith. |