1902. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD- HOUSE. 607

Harrison P. Huntsinger, to be postmaster at Pinckneyville, in Sira W. Willey, to be postmaster at Hinton, in the county of the county of Perry and State of lllinois. Summers and State of West Virginia. Eugene Don, to be postmaster at Santa Clara, in the county of George E. Work, to be postmaster at Sistersville, in the county Santa Clara and State of California. of Tyler and State-of West Virginia. Lenthold C. Brown, to be postmaster at Wheaton, in the county . B. Randolph Bias, to be postmaster at Williamson, in the county of Dupage and State of lllinois. of Mingo and State of West Virginia. John H. Creager, to be postmaster at West Chicago, in the John W. Berryman, to be postmaster at Versailles, in thB county of Dupage and State of lllinois. county of Woodford and State of Kentucky. Wilber F. Crawford, to be postmaster at Cameron, in the county John H. Meyer, to be postmaster at Newport, in the county of of Milam and State of Texas. Campbell and State of Kentucky. William E. Dwyer, to be postmaster at Brenham, in the county Edward M. Drane, to be postmaster at Frankfort, in the county of Washington and State of Texas. of Franklin and State of Kentucky.

Mary W. Morrow, to be postmaster at Abilene1 in the county A. W. Darling, to be postmaster at Carrollton, in the county of of Taylor and State of Texas. Carroll and State of Kentucky. · Mattie Lamon, to be postmaster at Bmnet, in the county of James T. Stephens, to be postmaster at Hickman, in the county Burnet and State of Texas. of Fulton and State of Kentucky. . James W. A. Clark, to be postmaster at Corsicana, in the county J. Will Wright, to be postmaster at Bowling Green, in the of Navarro and State of Texas. county of Warren and State of Kentucky. William H. Christian, to be postmaster at Stephenville, in the James F. Taylor, to be postmaster at Glasgow, in the county county of Erath and State of Texas. of Barren and State of Kentucky. William 13pellings, to be postmaster at McKenzie, in the county Thomas F. Beadles, to be postmaster at Fulton, in the county of Carroll and State of Tennessee. of Fulton and State of Kentucky. . John C. Campbell, to be postmaster at Johnson City, in the Orrin A. Reynolds, to be postmaster at Covington, in the county of Washington and State of Tennessee. county of Kenton and State. of Kentucky. John L. Sinclair, to be postmaster at Dyersburg, in the county George M. Crider, to be postmaster at Marion, in the county of of Dyer and State of Tennessee. Crittenden and State of Kentucky. Abe L. Davidson, to be postmaster at Tullahoma, in the county John D. Martin, to be postmaster' at Madisonville, in the county of Coffee and State of Tennes ee. of Hopkins and State of Kentucky. Alexander Ragan, to be postmaster at Newport, in the county Thoma-s Mason, to be postmaster at Ludlow, in the county of of Cocke and State of Tennes ee. Kenton and State of Kentucky. John B. F. Dice, to be postmaster at Morristown, in the county Daniel McDonald, to be postmaster at Barbom·sville, in the of Hamblen and State of Tennessee. county of Knox and State of Kentucky. JohnS. Hornsby to be postmaster at Martin, in the county of James·c. Florence, to be postmaster at Stanford, in the county Weakley and State of Tennessee. of Lincoln and State of Kentucky. · Burgess W. Witt, to be postmaster at Jefferson City (late Mossy David L. Redden, to be postmaster at Murray, in the county of Creek), in the county of J efferson and State of Tennessee. · Calloway and State of Kentucky. Zada W. Posey, to be postmaster at Kenton, in the county of Edwin B. Linney, to be postmaster at Danville, in the county Obion and State of Tennessee. of Boyle and State of Kentucky. John V. Lane to be po tmaster at Angusta, in the county of Benja:mln F . Ginn, to be postmaster at Augusta, in the county -Kennebec and State of Maine. of Bracken and State of Kentucky. Samuel H. Elkins, to be postmaster at Columbia, in the county William C. Johnson, to be postmaster at Williamstown, in the of Boone and State of Missouri. county of Grant and State of Kentucky. Robert H. McNeely, to be postmaster at Humboldt, in the county Wallace W. Rollins, to be postmaster at Asheville, in the county of Gibson and State of Tennessee. of Buncombe and State of North Carolina. Joseph B. Eldredge, to be postmaster at Randolph, in the county W. A. Waters, to be postmaster at Springfield, in the county of Orange and State of Vermont. of Washington and State of Kentucky. John P. Websrer, to be postmaster at Lyndonville, in the county Thomas Sympson, to be postma-ster at Franklin, in the cormty of Caledonia and State of Verm"Ont. of Simpson and State of Kentucky. Elwin A. Howe, to be postmaster at Ludlow, in the county of Harry H. Mitchell, to be postmaster at Clinton, in the county Windsor and State of Vermont. of Henry and State of Missouri. Paul G. Ross, to be postmaster at Poultney, in the county of EQ.win 0. Shaw, to be postmaster at Newaygo, in the county of Rutland and State of Vermont~ Newaygo and State of Michigan. Burt Merritt, to be postmaster at Brandon, in the county of Thomas H. Baker, to be postmaster at Louisville, in the county Rutland and State of Vermont. of Jefferson and State of Kentucky. John A. Sheldon, to be postmaster at Rutland, in the county of William H. Anderson, to be postmaster at Elkhart, in the Rutland and State of Vermont. county of Elkhart and State of Indiana. 0~ H. Jones, to be postmaster at Wilmington, in the county Jasper N. Frist, to be postmaster at Clinton, in the county of of Windham and State of Vermont. Vermilion and State of Indiana. Arthur J. Dewey, to be postmaster at Bennington, in the Isaac P. Garrett, to be postmaster at Lam;downe, in the county · county of Bennington and State of Vermont. of Delaware and State of Pennsylvania. Frederick Chapman, to be postmaster at Woodstock, in the Joseph W. Dale, to be postmaster at Mitchell, in the county of county of Windsor and State of Vermont. Lawrence and State of Indiana. ~ , Barnum L. Austin, to be postmaster at Johnson, in the county Walter W . Wills, to be postmaster at Linton, in the county of of Lamoille and State of Vermont. · Greene and State of Indiana. Trescott A. Chase, to be postmaster at Bradford, in the county Ne:wton H . Myers, to be postmaster at Jeffersonville, in the of Orange and State of Vermont. county of Clark and State of Indiana. Ora M. Carpenter, to be postmaster at Island Pond, in the county of Essex and State of Vermont. Julia Fleming, to be postmaster at Sparta, in the county of Han­ HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. cock and State of Georgia. Hervey D. Bush, to be postmaster at Covington, in the county MONDAY, Janum-y 13, 190£. of Newton and State of Georgia. The House met at 12 o'clock m. Prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. Walter Akerman, to be postmaster at Cartersville, in the county li&'ffi.Y N. CO"UDEN, D. D. of Bartow and State of Georgia. The Journal of the proceedings of Friday was read and ap­ Benjamin R. Twyman, to be postmaster at Cairo, in the county proved. of Ritchie and State of West Virginia. CHANGE OF REFERE.."'iCE. George E. Bare, to be postmaster at Alderson, in the county of Without objection, the following change of reference was made: Monroe and State of West Virginia. House bill4386, to amend an act entitled "An act to prevent the Ransom A. Brinson,_to be postmaster at Millen, in the county extermination of fur-bearing animals in Alaska,'' and for other of Screven and State of Georgia. · purposes-from the Committee on the Tenitories to the Committee William A. Mason, to be postmaster at Philippi, in the county on Ways and Means. of Barbour and State of West Vrrginia. Benjamin W. Bee, to be postmaster at Pennsboro, in the coliilty WT 1, SQUARE 1113, WASHINGTON, D. C. of Ritchie and State of West Virginia. Mr. BABCOCK. Mr. Speaker, I call up bill (H. R . 3740) to Robert B. Watson, to be postmaster at Cameron, in the county confirm title to lot 1, square 1113, in Washington, D. C. I desire of Marshall and State of West Virginia. first to submit a request to the House at this time. This is a bill 608 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. JANUARY 13, that passed the House during the last session of Congress, and is Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask the to confirm the title to a certain piece of real estate in the District. gentleman from Wisconsin as to why this bill applies to the It is on the Union Calendar, and I ask unanimous consent that it District of Columbia and not to the States in general? be considered in the House as in Committee of the Whole. Mr. JENKINS. Because Congress has no power to pass a law Mr. UNDERWOOD. I would like to ask the gentleman if the with reference to the States. It is limited to the District of Co­ bill has been considered by the committee of which he is chair­ lumbia because it affects conveyanpes of land in the Distiict of man, and if it is a unanimous report? Columbia only. · Mr. BABCOCK. It has been considered by the committee, it Mr. UNDERWOOD. Why should it not bemadebroadenough is a unanimous report, and passed the House at the last session of to apply to the other Territories? · Congress. Mr. JENKINS. Other Territories have provided for it. The SPEAKER. The gentleman from Wisconsin asks that the Mr. UNDERWOOD. Arizona, Oklahoma, Indian Territory? bill be considered in the House as in Committee of the Whole. Mr. JENKINS. It was the intention of the committee to make Is there objection? [After a pause.] The Chair hears none. it apply only to land in the District of Columbia, allowing the The Clerk read the bill as follows: Territorial legislatures, which have ample power, to exercise it Be it enacted, etc., That the Secretary of the Interior be, and he is hereby, if they choose. authorized and directed to release and quitclaim to Johanna C. Block, her Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask heirs and assigns forever).. all the right, t1tle and interest, whether legal or 1 the gentleman if his bill is broad enough to cover really what equitable, of the United ;:;tates of America. ill and to all that lot or parcel of grouna situated in the city of Washington, D. C., and known on the he intends and proposes to cover? It says that these acknowledg­ ground planof said city as lot No.1, in square lll3, upon the payment by the ments shall be made before notaries appointed by the President said Johanna C. Block of such sum as the said Secretary of the Interior shall deem just and equitable: Prov-ided, That the said Johanna C. Blockpaytothe of the United States. Now, as a matter of fact, a great many of proper officer of the Distri'ct of Columbia all taxes heretofore assessed against these notaries in the Philippine Islands are appointed by the said property, both general and special, now unpaid and standing against said governor of the islands. I would suggest to him if it would not property-. be better to so amend the bill as to make it read "by the Presi­ Mr. JENKINS. I ask for a vote, Mr. Speaker. dent of the United States or the governor of the Philippine Is­ The SPEAKER. The question is on the engrossment and third lands." reading of the bill. Mr. JENKINS. That is exactly what the bill provides. The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time; and Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. I did not so understand it by being engrossed, was read the third time, and passed. reading the bill. I did not hear the Clerk distinctly. On motion of Mr. JENKINS, a motion to reconsider the last Let us see how the bill reads: vote was laid on the table. That deeds for land situate in the District of Columbia may be acknowl­ edged in the Philippine Islands and in Porto Rico before any notary public COLLECTION OF TAXES IN DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. appointed therein by the civil or military governor thereof ·commissioned as Mr. BABCOCK. Mr. Speaker,IcallupHousebill-4372, to regu­ such by the President of the United States. late the collection of taxes in the District of Columbia. I see now that the bill means notaries appointed by the gov­ The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. DALZELL). The Clerk will ernors of these respective islands. report the bill. Mr. JENKINS. Certainly. The Clerk read the bill, as follows: Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. I wanted to have that clearly Be it enacted, etc., That hereafter, beginning with the fiscal year com­ understood. mencing July 1, 19ro, the whole tax on real and personal property ill the Dis­ Mr. JENKINS. I ask for a vote. trict of Columbia shall be payable in the month of May of each year: Provided, however That on and after the 1st of November of each year the tax may be Mr. FITZGERALD. I should like to know why this bill is paid in two equal installments, the first in November and the second in May, restricted to deeds. Why not include all instruments affecting but that no penalty shall_accrue for delinquency until the following June, as real estate? Suppose the owner of property located in the Phil­ hereinafter provided; or if the whole or any part of said tax upon real and personal property shall not be paid before the 1st day of June in each year ippine Islands wishes to execute a mortgage or release, does the the same shall thereafter be in arrears and delinquent, and there shall then gentleman believe that the language of the bill covers such be added, to be collected with said tax, a penalty of 1 per cent per month instruments? upon the amount thereof and a like penalty on the first day of each succeed­ ing month until payment of said tax and penalty, and the whole together Mr. JENKINS. I can only say to the gentleman that all the shall constitute the delinquent tax, to ·be dealt with in the manner now pro­ parties interested in this matter have agreed upon the bill in its vided by law. present form; it has not been suggested that it be made any SEC. 2. That all laws or partB of laws inconsistent with this act are hereby broader than to include deeds, and it is not at all likely that repealed. any other instrument will be affected by it. Mr. BABCOCK. Mr. Speaker, the only effect this bill has on Mr. FITZGERALD. I call the gentleman's attention to the the present law is to remove the penalty that commences to run report of his own committee, which cites a letter of the president on the 1st of- November in each year. It provides that the taxes of this trust company, writing to the gentleman from Wisconsin, can be paid in two installments, and leaves it optional with the I believe, and calling his attention to the fact that there are cer­ party who pays the taxes whether he will pay them on the 1st of tain trustees in the Philippine Islands who wish to execute a November or after May 1 and before the 1st of June, when the release. penalty of 1 per cent, which is the present law, commences to MI·. JENKINS. That is included in the word "deed." run. It is recommended by the Commissioners, and I believe Mr. FITZGERALD. The gentleman of course understands meets the approval of the business men of the Disttict generally. that conveyancers are very particular in construing language of The bill was ordered to be engrossed and read a third time; and this kind; and the word" deed" used in this case probably would . being engrossed, it was read the third time, and pa-ssed. not be ·cori.strned to·cover a release of certain kinds. On motion of Mr. B~COCK, a motion to reconsider the last Mr. JENKINS. The committee differs with the gentleman vote was laid on the table. from New York, and so do the gentlemen who are particularly EXECUTION OF DEEDS IN 'THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS .AND PORTO interested in this question. They think the word " deed" suffi­ RICO. cient. Mr. BABCOCK. Mr. Speaker, I call up the bill (H. R. 5814) Mr. FITZGERALD. I suggest that the bill be amended so as to say " deeds Ol' other instruments affecting real estate." to provide for the execu?on in. the Phi?-p~ine Islands a~d Porto Rico of deeds for lands situate m the DlStrict of Columbia. Mr. BABCOCK. These officers will be, in fact, commissioners The Clerk read the bill, as follows: of deeds acting in the Philippine Islands for the District of Co­ lumbia and will have the same powers as commissioners of deeds Be it enacted, etc., That deeds for land situate in the District of Columbia may be acknowledged in the Philippine Islands and in Porto Rico before anl in this District for any State of the Union. At present there is notary public appointed therein py the civil or. military gov~rnor th:ereo , no means provided by which a conveyance of the kind referred commissioned as such by the PreSident of the Umted States, Wlth the like ef­ to may be executed. A commissioner of deeds can acknowledge fect as if such deeds had been ~knowledged in the District of Columbia be­ fore a notary public appointed for said District: Prov-id£d, That the certifi­ a trust deed or a release. This bill is supposed by the bar and by cate by such notary in the Philippine Islands or in Porto Rico, as the case the committee to cover fully all that is neces ary. may be shall be aecompanied by the certificate of the governor aforesaid to Mr. FITZGERALD. I call the attention of the gentleman to the effect that the notary taking said acknowledgment was j.n fact the officer he purported to be; and all deeds heretofore acknowledged and certified in the fact that while commissioners of deeds may have certain the manner above specified when recorded among the land records of said powers, this bill refers merely to " deeds for land." Now there Disti·ict shall have the same effect as if such deeds had been executed, ac­ may be a mortgage, there may be a release of dower rights, knowledged, and recorded a_ccording to law, except_ as U? rig_hts_hostile to the grantees in such deeds acqmred by deeds recorded m said DIStrict before the there are a number of different instl_"UIDents that may affect real passage of this act. estate which would not be covered by the language of this bill. With the following amendment recommended by the com­ I suggest to the gentleman an amendment which would include all amendments affecting real estate in the District of Columbia. mittee: Mr. JENKINS. I ask for a vote. Strike out, after the word "be," in line 14, the. serirlcolon. and .~rt in lieu thereof a period; also strike out all after the word "be," m sa1d line, down The question being taken on the amendment reported by the to and including the word "act," in line 6 on page 2. committee, it was agreed to. · 1902.- O,_ONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 609

Mr. FITZGERALD. I move to amend by inserting in line 3 and Means Committee that the limitation to which the gentleman the words " and other instruments affecting." refers applies to all resolutions of this character. Mr. JENKINS. I want to suggest that if the gentleman's Mr. PAYNE. I so understand it, Mr. Speaker. This is in the amendment is to be adopted the word ''for '' in the bill should be usual form, and we have always been met in the Committee on stricken out. But the bill in its present form satisfies all the peo­ Ways and Means by such a limitation as the gentleman refers to. ple intere ted in the question. Mr. UNDERWOOD. Then the gentleman from Wisconsin Mr. FITZGERALD. I do not believe that in adopting legis­ understands that this limits the appropriation to the expenditure lation of this kind we should have in view only certain persons of $500. intere ted in a particular case. I think the bill should be broad Mr. BABCOCK. I so understand it. enough to cover the interests of any persons whose interests may Mr. UNDERWOOD. Very well. be involved in the measure in question. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on agreeing to Mr. JENKINS. We have no objection to the amendrilent, but the resolution. if it is to be adopted the word "for" now in the bill should be The resolution was agreed to. stricken out. Mr. BABCOCK. Mr. Speaker, the Committee on the District Mr. PRINCE. Allow me to ask whether there is any proviEion of Columbia have no further business to present. . in this bill which would be applicable to a soldier in the Philip­ pines who may have real estate in the State of Illinois which he PE...~SIONS .!..PPROPRIATION BILL. may wish to convey? Mr. BARNEY1 Mr. Speaker, I move that the House resolve Mr. JENKINS. None whatever. Congress can not legislate itself into Committee of the Whole House on the state of the on that question. That is a question· for the State of Illinois. Union for the consideration of House bill 8581, making appro­ Mr. PRINCE. Then each State will have to pass special legis­ priation for the payment of invalid and other pensions for the year lation covering matters of this kind? ending June 30, 1903, and for other purposes. Mr. JENKINS. Certainly. And pending that, I desire to inquire of gentlemen on the other ' Mr. PRINCE. And the legislatures of the Territories will have side of the House whether we can not come to some understand­ to do the same? ing as to the limitation of debate upon the bill? Mr. JENKINS. Certainly. Mr. TAYLOR of Alabama. Mr. Speaker~ I do not think that Mr. FITZGERALD. I agree to the modification of my amend­ there is likely to be very much discussion of the bill. I have my­ ment as suggested by the gentleman from Wisconsin. · self had very few requests for time. But I think it better to let Mr. PAYNE. I ask that the amendment be read. the matter go o~ for a time and we will then be able to under­ · The Clerk read as follows: stand what arrangement can be made with reference to closing the general debate. I think time will be saved by adopting that In line 3 strike out ·• for" and insert in lieu thereof the words "and other instruments affecting;" so as to read "deeds and other instruments affecting course, that is, to allow the debate to proceed in the regular way; lands situate." etc. and I suggest to the gentleman in charge of the bill that that Mr. ROBINSON 'Of Indiana. Does this bill create any new course be adopted. • offices? Mr. BARNEY. Like the gentleman from Alabama, I have myself received but few requests from this side. We will then Mr. JE~JITNS. If my friend will read the bill he will discover not undertake to make an agreement at t~ time, but let the de­ that it does not. . . bate proceed for .a while. The amendment of Mr. FITZGERALD was agreed to: Mr. TAYLOR of Alabama. I repeat, I have received but few The bill as amended was ordered to be engrossed for a third requests for time, and agree fully with the gentleman as to the reading; and it was accordingly read the third time, and passed. course of procedure. On motion. of Mr. JENKINS, a motion to reconsider the last The motion of Mr. BARNEY was then agreed to. vote was laid on the table. · The House accordingly resolved itself into Committee of the PRINTING FOR THE COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Whole House on the state of the Union, Mr. LACEY in the chair. The CHAIRMAN. The House is in Coiil1tl.ittee of the Whole Mr. BABCOCK. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent for for the consideration of the general pension appropriation bill, the the adoption of the resolution which I send to the desk. title of which the Clerk will report. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Clerk will report the resolu­ The Clerk read the title of the bill. tion. Mr. BARNEY. I ask unanimous consent that the first reading The Clerk read as follows: of the bill be dispensed with. Resolved,_ That the Committee"on the District of Columbia. be authorized The CHAIRMAN. The gentleman from Wisconsin asks unani­ to have sucn printing and binding done as may be required in the transaction of its business. mous consent that the first reading of the :-m be dispensed with. Is there objection? The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the present There was no objection. consideration of the resolution? Mr. BARNEY. Mr. Chairman, this bill carries an appropria­ There was no objection. tion of 139,842,230, or something like five and one-half million Mr. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, before a vote is taken, I dollars less than the pension appropriation bill for the fiscal year would like to ask the gentleman from Wisconsin whether the 1901. This difference, however, is not owing to any decrease in request is in the usual form and comes within the limitation usu­ the pension list, because, while we appropriated -something over ally provided for printing done by committees? In other words, 145,000,000 for the fiscal year 1901, there was a surplus left of I would like to ask him whether this limitS the amount of the something like five and one-half million dollars; so that the actual appropriation? expenditures for the payment of pensions and for the expenses Mr. BABCOCK. I will state to the gentleman from Alabama incident to the work were something over 139,000,000. that this is the shortest form used in the House for authorizing The pension roll is larger numerically now than it ever was the necessary printing done for the committees of the House. I before, but at the same time the annual value of the pension list wish to say to the gentleman, and for the benefit of the House, is about the same and has remained about the same for the last that there are several important matters which will necessarily ten years. come before the committee in the near future, and with reference Mr. CLARK. Mr. Chairman, I should like to a-sk the gentle­ to which it is absolutely necessary that the committee should man one question. What is the largest amount that was ever ex­ have all of the information attainable. There are four or five impor­ pended on pensions in one year? tant provisions that are coming before the committee shortly Mr. BARNEY. I think the report shows that. It was for the upon which the House will need detailed information. One is the fiscal year 1893, I believe, when it was 156,906,000. question of the taxation of -personal property of the District. Mr. CLARK. ·Is the amount that is actually used up in paying Another relates to the amendments to the code of the District of pensions gradually diminishing every year now, or not? Columbia. Another has reference to the change and consolida­ Mr. BARNEY. Well, the Pension Commissioner in his report tion of the two depots which will be of a great deal of importance, says that the pension list has reached its high-watei· mark-that and with reference to which members will desire full information. is, that the number upon the pension roll is larger to-day than it There are also one or two other matters which should be printed ever was before. However, the value of the pension list has di­ for the benefit of the House. minished. That arises from the fact that arrearages are gradu­ Mr. UNDERWOOD. I want to ask the gentleman from Wis­ ally decreasing from year to year. While the-number upon the consin this question: My understanding is that the usuallimita­ pension roll remains about the same and the amount actually paid 'tion put upon committees in this regard authorizes an expenditure for accrued pensions is about the same, at the same time the ar­ of 500. Does this resolution in the form in which it is pre­ rearages allowed upon pensions granted are gradually diminishing, sented follow that rule and limit the appropriation, or the expen­ so that the amount actually paid out is less than it has been here- diture which may be made under the resolution, to that sum? tofore. • Mr. BABCOCK. I understand from the chairman of the Ways The number on the pension roll at the present time is 997,735 :XXXV-39 610 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD- HOUSE'. JANUARY 13 1

persons. This is the largest number that was eyer upon the pen­ Mr. ROBINSON of Indiana. Ten per cent. sion roll. Of these, for the fiscal year ending Jnne 30, 1901, some­ Mr. BARNEY. I may add that the examination of the Pen­ thing over 4,000 were pensioners whose pensions arose out of the sion Commissioner shows that since that time a sn.fficient number Spanish war. of appli~ations have been filed to make something like 50,000 in Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. Mr. Chairman, I rise to a point of the aggregate, which he thinks would be about 20 per cent of all order. We can not hear one word of the debate upon this bill, the men who were engaged in the Spanish war. which appropriates millions and millions of dollars, and we should Mr. ROBINSON of Indiana. And about 10 per·cent have been like to have it quiet. granted? The CHAIRMAN. The point is well taken. The committee Mr. BARNEY. I think that would be about 10 per cent. will be in order. Mr. ROBINSON of Indiana. As the:r:.e seems to be some delay Mr. BARNEY. I might add, for the information of the com­ attending the granting of pensions in the Pension Department, mittee, that out of about $138~000,000 paid on account of pensions has the appropriation the House is now asked to make anything for the fiscal year 1901 the sum of 1,175 225 was paid on account to do with remedying this delay. of pensions growing out of the Spanish war. Mr. BARNEY. Not at all. That is not within our jurisdic­ Mr. CLARK. I should like to ask one more question~ if it will tion. Wehavenothing to do with the payment of the clerks and not interrupt the gentleman. the number of clerks in the force here in Washington at all. I Mr. BARNEY. Certainly. 1\fr. CLARK. If the gentleman will permit me to ask him Mr. CLARK. Have you ever tmned your attention to the another question. When you say there have been 50 000 applica­ question as to wh"(}ther the e roYing pension agents that go tions for pensions growing out of the Spanish war, does that around over the country save the Government enough money by include simply those who served prior to the ratification of the cutting off pensions to pay their salaries and expenses? treaty of peace with Spain, or does it include tho e who have Mr. BARNEY. Do yon mean what are called "pension exam­ served in this quasi state of peace oyer in the Philippines since iners?'' the ratification of the treaty of peace? Mr. CLARK. Yes. They raise a good deal of disturbance, Mr. BARNEY. It takes~ as I understand it, all who have and I want to know whether they do any good or not. served in the Army since the ontbreaking of the Spanish war. Mr. BARNEY. Of course, that question does not properly Mr. CLARK. Including the Philippines? come under the jurisdiction of the Committee on Appropriations. Mr. BARNEY. All that have served in the United States It comes more properly under the jurisdiction of the Invalid Pen­ Army, either in the Philippines, Porto Rico, or Cuba. sions Committee. We do not enter into any investigation of that 1\Ir. CLARK. Yon do not know how many actually served in subject. the Spanish war and how many in this state of peace over in the Mr. CLARK. I know that; but do yon know,. as a matter of Philippines? · fact, whether they do save the Government enough to pay their Mr. BARNEY. I do not. salaries and expense or not? 1\I:(. GAINES of Tennessee. Will the gentleman inform me Mr. BARNEY. My wrsonal experience is that they do a good how much money is represented by the pensions allowed tho e deal of hustling and examine a great many witnesses. who have been pensioned on account of our Spanish-American Mr. CLARK. Yes, I know; that is just exactly it. war? Mr. BARNEY. And they make a good deal of trouble for Mr. BARNEY. I stated that once before. members of this House. Mr. GAINES of -Tennessee. I did not hear the gentleman's Mr. CLARK. And a good deal of trouble for other people, too. statement. Mr. PAYNE. I should like to ask the gentleman a question. Mr. BARNEY. For the fiscal year 1901 we paid out for pen­ Is it not a fact that these e~miners throughout the country sions on account of the Spanish war$1,175,225. greatly aid persons in applying fur pensions and assist applicants Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. Now, that represents how many in getting their proof? pensions? Mr. BARNEY. I think they often do, and, as I understand it, Mr. BARNEY. That represents 5,604 pensions. that is one of the great objects of the work they have to perform. "Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. How many applications have Mr. PAYNE. And that they add more to the pension roll and there been made on account of service in the Spanish war? to the pension payments than they take away by reason of find­ Mr. BARNEY. The applications altogether up to the close of ing dishonest claimants. the fiscal year 1901 were 45,536. - Mr. BARNEY. My experience is., and that is doubtless true, Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. Now, just another question dis­ that on account of the work of these pension examiners a great associated with this. I want to know why only 8 or 12 is al­ many pensio have been allowed that otherwise would not have lowed to Mexican soldiers and so much more is allowed to soldiers been allowed. who were connected with the war between the States. Mr. ROBINSON of Indiana. That was the original theory that Mr. BARNEY. I will state to the gentleman that that is a prompted their appointment. But is it not true that the present proper question to ask this House when we have our pension bills special agents sent out to make investigations are seut out as spe­ under consideration. These pensions are all granted a.Ccording cial detectives, or are so esteemed by members of this House and to laws enacted by Congress. We are now in this bill only making otherct appropriations for the payment of pensions which are already Mr. BARNEY. Well, I do not know in what way they are provided for by law. The Appropriations Committee has nothing considered by the members of this House. I understand the real to do with general legislation upon the pension question, but only object is to get the facts. has jurisdiction to provide for-the payment of pensions under ex­ Mr. ROBINSON of Indiana. Is not their policy to defeat the isting law. Any cliange in the law regarding the granting of pension claims of those whose· pensions they investigate in a kind pensions must be worked out through the Invalid Pensions Com­ of detective service? mittee and original legislation of Congress. Mr. BARNEY. I know that has been charged against many Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. What is the highest pension that of them, and perhaps sometimes. with good reason; but so far as is paid by this bill? -my personal experience is. concerned I do not think it is generally Mr. BARNEY. Oh, I do not know that. This is fo:r the pay­ true. ment of all the pensions, both large and small. Mr. ROBINSON of Indiana. Does not the gentleman's bill Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. Are there pensions as high as $50 provide the appropriation, and does not it have jurisdiction OYer or 60? them? _ Mr. BARNEY. I presume so; $72, I think, is the limit for Mr. BARNEY. Wehavenojurisdictionovertheappropriation total disability. This is a bill to pay all the pensioners on the for pension examiners. We only have jurisdiction for making the pension roll. appropriation for the payment of penl;ions, for the payment of Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. As a matter of law, the Mexican medical examiners, and for the payment for the offices of the soldier who survives-and there is but a handful of them, and agencies and the hire of their clerks. they are out of Congress-are paid from to 12 a month. I Mr. ROBINSON of Indiana. I would· like to ask the distin­ want to know if the gentleman from Wisconsin indorses that gu.i hed gentleman if he will, if convenient, giYe us the number­ radical distinction. If so, he will give his reasons for it. of applications on account of services in the Spanish-American Mr. HULL. Let me ask the gentleman from Wisconsin if the war, and of the number that have been granted pensions who have pension for the Mexican soldier and the soldier of the civil war applied? does not stand on the same plane? Mr. HARNEY. I can onlyspeakauthoritativelyuptotheclose Mr. BARNEY. I always understood so. of the fiscal year 1901. Up to that time there had been 45,536 appli­ Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. I know that the Mexican soldier cations for pensions growing out of the Spanish war. For the fiscal is not paid over to 12 a month. year 1901, 14,64:8 applications were made, and up to the close of the Mr. HULL. That is a service pension, regardle s of disability. fiscal year 1901, 5,604 pensions had been allowed on ac~unt of the Mr. GAINES of Tenne ee. They are old soldiers who went to Spa.ni.sh war. the Mexican war, carried the :flag there and brought it back; and 1902. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 611

yet they are paid this poor little pittance of $8 to 12 a month, Mr. ROBINSON of Indiana. Is there any new legislation pro- while some of them are absolutely in a state of penury. • Mr. BARNEY. Mr. Chairman, I am willing to yield to the posedMr. inBAR thisNEbill? Y. N ot a smg· 1 e 1"t em. The bill 1S. 1·a entical wr"th gentleman from Tennessee for a question, but not for a speech the bill which we passed one year ago, except as to the amount of on Mexican war pensions, as that is not germane to this bill. the appropriation. Now, the estimat~ for the fiscal year 1903 is made upon what Now, if there be no further questions, I will yield to my col­ the Commissioner says was paid out for the first half of the fiscal league on the committee, the gentleman from Colorado [Mr. year of 1902, which was $68,513,380. But the Commissioner in­ B:E:LL], reserving the balance of my time. forms us that they always pay out more the last half of the fiscal Mr. BELL. Mr. Chairman, as I understand the statement of the year than they do the first half, because of the fa.et that the pen­ Pension Commissioner, we have now the unparalleled condition of sion clerks get their leave of absence through July, August, and 20 per cent of the men who served in the Volunteer Army during the September so that more work is done the last half of the fiscal Spanish war applying for pensions, when put a few were maimed year than for the first half. He thus estimates 138.500,000 to be by shot or shell. That officer, in his narration before the com­ sufficient to pay the pensions for the fiscal year of 1903, upon the mittee and in his report, has shown that these applications go basis of $68,513,380 for the first half of the fiscal year, as stated, largely by regiments. There are quite as many where they did and this is probably as nearly correct as can be estimated. not smell powder as where they did. The proportion is not There is one other change in the bill, and that is the amount greater from the Philippine Islands than from the camps down paid for the board of medical examiners. This year we appro­ in Florida, where no gun was fired. He also shows that at the priate 800,000 instead of $700,000, which has been the amount we end of seven yeari1 after the war of the rebellion only 6 per have appropriated annually for many years past. The Commis­ cent of the soldiers of that great war, mangled as they were on sioner tells us, and we know it to be true in the Appropriations hundreds of battlefields, had applied for pensions; yet, almost Committee, that they are asking for a deficiency this year of upon the very heels of the termination of the war with Spain. we something like $200,000 for the purpose of paying the medical have 20 per cent or over50,000outof anarmyof 250,000,engaged examiners for the fiscal year 1901, but he thinks that if we give for that war applying for pensions. him $800,000 for 1903 it will be sufficient for that purpose. Now. there are some peculiar things about this matter. The Now, then, unless some further questions are to be asked, I will Commissioner of Pensions shows that the reason this pension roll yield to the gentleman from Colm-ado. keeps up is the continued liberalization of the pension laws. In Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. Will the gentleman allow other words, he shows that by reason of the very liberal pensions mea moment? given by the Government and the liberal construction of the Pen­ Mr. BARNEY. Certainly. sion Department the pension agents in California and other por­ Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. I understand this bill shows tions of the country where our Army was recently turned loose a reduction of nearly $6,000,000 in the amount appropriated for acted like a gang of wolves let loose upon those men, importuning pensions next year as compared with the present fiscal year. them to apply for pensions and taking small fees for their services Mr. BARNEY. About five and one-half millions. in applying for these pensions. He shows case after case where Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. At the same time, I under­ men when discharged were thoroughly examined and shown to stand the gentleman to say, or the report of the Commissioner to have no ailment whatever-were shown to be in perfect health; say, that there has been an increase of pensioners on the roll I yet at the end of a single week, upon the instigation of these pen­ .want to ask if there has been any reduction in the Pension Office sion agents, these very men came in and undertook to show by as to amounts g:t-anted for pensions. affidavit that they had every disease almost that the human race Mr. BARNEY. That grows out of this, that the amount paid is heir to. to pensioners, on an average, is decreasing; that is, the large pen­ Now, it seems to me that if our friends want to do something sions, for those who are getting from fifty to seventy-two dollars a for the men who really deserve pensions they ought to do some­ month, are decreasing in number. These pensioners are getting thing to prevent Sll.Ch men who are hunting for fees f:-om pension old, and becatise of the very reasons for which they draw these large cases from having any status before the Pension Office. These pensionstheyarepassing awayfa.sterthan the men wliogetsmaller agents proselyte and ~ake hypochondriacs out of many of these pensions, so that those who are getting the large pensions on the tired and weary soldiers as they return to their homes. pension roll are diminishing, on an average, faster than the others. The Commissioner of Pensions is a very active man, a man of Thus, while the number of pensioners is increasing the annual great energy} and I think he has been deceived so often. and the value of the pension roll is not increasing . clerks in his office have been impo ed on so many times by sharks .Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. So that the amount in this and unworthy agents, that now it is almost impossible for a man to bill is not to be attributed to any decrease of the pension roll­ get a pension who really deserves it under the old law. The rea­ that is, relatively? son why the value of the pensions is decreasing to-day is because Mr. BARNEY. I do not quit-e understand the question. The the old soldier, who, soon aft& the war, was too proud to apply for reduction is on account of two reasons: First, a decrease of ar­ a pension-who pnt off an application as long as possible-now rearages, which I explained a little while ago-that is, diminish­ finds it practically impossible to get a pension under the old _ing from year to year; and, second, those who are receiving large s.tatntes. Therefore he must take a pension under the service­ pensions are passing off more rapidly than those who receive small pensiOn law, the highest pension of that kind being $12. Under pensions. circumstances of this kind the value of the .pension roll will nat­ Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. Will the gentleman tell us urally decrease, while in numbers it may increase. if the reduction which is to be made is to be continued from year That is the condition at this time, and while I have great faith ·to year? In other words, are we on the down grade? in the endeavor of the Pension Commissioner to protect this. Mr. BARNEY. The Pension Commissioner te11a us-and of Government, I do say the sentiment against allowing pensions course his judgment is far better than min.e, and ought to be-he with arrearages is so overwhelming in the Department that it is te11a us that for a few years the amount will remain about the practicaily impossible to get such an application through; and same, but that we have reached the high-water mark1 and that it you can not get it through unless you have proof beyond a rea­ then will soon begin to diminish, unless new and more liberal pen­ sonable doubt. This is a flagrant injustice to the patriotic old sion legislation is enacted by Congress. soldier who put off his claim as long as possible. .Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. Is the gentleman. from Wis­ The other day I received a letter from a physician in a Western consin quite sure that $138,500,000 will leave us without a demand State who wrote to me regarding a case in the Department. He for a deficiency bill? stated to me that the applicant had a case so clear that if the man Mr. BARNEY. I feel quite positive, from my experience on the who caused the gunshot wound had been in civil life he would committee and from my examination of the Commissioner, that have been convicted of murder if there had not been a limit as to $138,500,000 will be sufficient to pay the pension roll for the fiscal the time of death to a year and a day, etc. year of 1903. The writer of this letter asked me to go up ·to the Pension De­ Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. Has there been any defi­ partment and do two things; first, convince the Pension Office ciency this year? that a dead man can not make an affidavit; that was the first Mr. BARNEY. No; we have a surplus of five and one-half proposition, because, as this physician said, the officers had asked million dollars to turn back into the Treasury. Now, if there are three times for the affidavit of a particular man and had three no further questions, I will yield to the gentleman from Colorado. times been told that the man was dead. He asked me first to con­ · Mr. ROBINSON of Indiana. Just one moment, if the gentle­ vince the Pension Department that the dead can not swear, and man pleases. I understand him to say that there have been cov­ next he wanted me to look over the proof. I went over that proof. ered into the Treasury in the last year five and one-half million The case was that of a lieutenant of the Army, a robust young dollars which the House appropriated last year? manr who had been wounded by a piece of bombshell near the Mr. BARNEY. There will be at the proper time, as I under­ spinal column. His cap~in stood behind him at the time the stand. The appropriation runs for two years, and then it will be wound was inflicted, and the lieutenant was relieved fl'Om seT"vice. covered into the Treasury if not reappropriated in the meantime. The captain makes an affidavit as clear as any you e-ve1· Eaw, 612 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. JANUARY 13,

saying that this young officer was at once relieved from duty and eration of the Government. The Commissioner of Pensions tells relieved from day to day afterwards. But he never went to the us, from time to time, that he has been unable to do his duty by hospital. He said, '' I will come out all right.'' He went through reason of the present condition of the law. He has told us some • the war With that sore on his ba~k. In 1881 he applied for a years ago, and from time to time heretofore, that he had 100 pension. The sore was still there. The captain swore point­ clerks in his office that were not worth 1 to him defining the - blank tq the fact of the lieutenant having been wounded as stated, allowance of pension claims.. He has told us that he had em­ that he was relieved from service from time to time, but that he ployees there supposed to be looking after the pension claims had no hospital record because he never went to the hospital. that were worthless in every particular, and yet who were draw­ The examining board showed the wound. Here comes in a clerk ing for their service, or pretended service, $75 a month. of the Pension Office and says," You must have the affidavit of They were drawing that sum and, in addition, a pension, in the surgeon." The surgeon states, "I have no remembrance of some case, as high as $72 a month. What does that mean, Mr. this case; and it would be strange if I should remember such a Chairman? That means a d0uble pension. The man wa getting case, in view of the gr~at number of cases with which I had to 72 a month which the Congress said he should· have without deal.'' labor, and he was getting 75 that the law gives him as a pre­ He added, " I know that lieutenant so well that if he should tell tended laborer, but which is in reality another pension. I asked me he had such a wound I would feel that I knew it to be true." the Commissioner myself where he made the distinction between The man who attended this soldier in his last sickness makes a the 72 to be paid to these men as pensions under the law and the statement coinciding in eve articular with that of the captain, 75 for services in the Bureau. " Why," he responded, " there is showing that there was a tumor in the man's back at the place no difference in reality." I asked, then, "Is that just to the old described. He not only shows this, but that this wound killed soldiers throughout the country? Is not this giving a few favored him. When the case in that condition came to be passed upon, ones double pensions at the expense of the other worthy soldiers? '' the office sent to the board of vital statistics in ·the city where the And I want to make another suggestion. At the end of the soldier died and the report of that city officer was that the man civil war, as I understand it, the highest pension paid was 8 a had died from chronic diarrhea and from dropsy-the very ail­ month. So there was not any great incentive at that time for ments that might be expected from a wound that near the spine. pension agents and nnworth1 men to attempt to impose upon the The Department says you must explain that discrepancy be­ Government. But as our country has become richer and as our tween the captain, between the doctor who attended him from soldiers have become older and more needy we have gradually time to time until his death, and these vital statistics from the increased those pensions. Now, that has been eminently proper. city where he died. Well, the result is that the man can not ex­ I believe in it; but at the same time we have had this pension plain the discrepancy. They give hitn a certain time in which to business mixed np in a measure with politics, to the extent that explain, and if he does not explain within that time, the name we have not aided the Pension Department in an honest and just must be knocked off. In the days of administration of Commis­ execution of the pension laws, and now what is coming? Here sioner Black he was knocked off the rolls because he did not are the new soldiers, 20 per cent of whom have already applied explain it within the time given to him. Now his widow-his for pensions. A few days ago I had a letter from an old ~nsioner, wife-eomes, and the Commissioner says in response to her request, who stated the three or four years he served in the war of the and I suppose he thinks there is reason in it, that we can not take rebellion. He told me of his old age, his necessities, and the fact up the cases of the man who preceded him in the administration that he is drawing only 6 a month; but he says," My nearest of the office. He says he can not overrule the decisions estab­ neighbor was a soldier in the recent war with Spain; he is an lished by General Black in this new hearing for the benefit of the athlete, as strong a man as any in my city, and he is drawing $25 widow. Result-a grievous wrong resulted to the soldier who a month.'' No doubt but the new soldier deserved this pension. gave his life for his country, and now a delicate feeling· and a No doubt but that he was really disabled when it was granted. technical rule must stand between a supposed duty and justice. Now, what does that mean? What is it going to mean to yon Now, Mr. Chairman, there are thousands of just such cases as and to me and to the old soldiers of the country? It means that this, and the greatest injustice has been done to the old soldier, many of the soldiers returning from their service in the Spanish as you will readily see-the man who went into the service with war were sick and afl:licted; but in a certain time they begin, in patriotism in his heart, who said," I want to serve the country, our climate and under favorable conditions, to recuperate. By if possible, without remuneration," while other men, not filled and by they will become well again. Now, unless the Pension with such patriotic impulses, hurried to the pension agency, got Office keeps close track of them and keeps its examiners in the their pensions immediately after the war closed, and the old fel­ field, examining'pensioners from year to-year, yon will soon have low who put off the evil day as long as possible is now denied re­ a line of robust men drawing large pensions all over the country, lief because he can not now prove his case beyond all reasonable while the old soldiers, under the dependent pension act, disabled, doubt. bowed with age and infirmities, will be drawing only 12 a month; Mr. Chairman, we ought to give this man the benefit of every and as a result of it you will see disturbance and dissatisfaction reasonable doubt. We can not do it by men standing here and all over the country. This country will never be contented with elsewhere saying to the Pension Commissioner or to the Bureau, any unjust discrimination made against th~ old soldier that came "Why ·don't you do this, or why don't you do this or that?" home mangled and maimed in the most bloody war in modem That is not the way to deal with the question. We should pass times. bills saying what shall be done and what shall not be done. The Pension Commissioner says that one reason why he has not Now, another thing, Mr. Chairman: We all complain from year allowed any more of these Spanish war pensions is that after these to year about the widow's pension. We say, '' Why is it that the men returned and forty-five or fifty thousand of them applied for · widow has got to be put off in her claims for two and three years pensions they began to improve in health. These men were not after the death of the husband before you can get a widow's pension shot; they were simply poisoned by malaria, and they have been for her?'' Now, the reason is the law as it stands requires her to getting better· from day to day. The country expects and de­ make practically an impossible kind of proof. It reqttires the mands that Congress and the Pension Department sl)all be liberal widow to show things that are utterly foolish and unreasonable, and just with all of our soldiers. and it makes her proof almost impossible. Now, who is to blame The rea-son why the Commissioner of Pensions told us in a for all of this? It is that class of men who have been trying to former Congress that he could not discharge 100 clerks who were put impositions upon the pensioners and upon the Pension Office, absolutely worthless to the service and keeping the old pensioner and which condition of affairs has forced Congress to pass laws out of his claim was that whenever he discharged one every that make it almost impossible for them to prove up. The worthy member of Congress from the State from which that employee are made to suffer to escape the inroads of the unworthy. came and the two Senators from that State came and jumped Now, the head of the Bureau annually comes to us and appeals upon the Commissioner and never allowed him any rest until the to us to change that law. He says the law ought to be that a man was reinstated. That is unquestionably true, and it seems woman who should be proved to be in good faith the common-law that Congress and the old soldiers in the country have never wife of the soldier, cohabiting and living with him many years in looked at this from the proper standpoint, which is that both the good faith, taken by the community as her husband, the children salary paid to one of these men who is beyond the power of effi­ taking his name, and so on, should entitle her to the presumption cient service and the pension that he draws combined make his of being his wife, and give her the benefit, under the law, of that total pension. One is as much a pension as the other. Thereby position. he gets two pensions, while the old soldier at home gets none, or I propose to offer a bill to-morrow for the purpose of making a very small one. This political pull seems to be the curse of that proof ~er, And another thing, while it seems to me that about everything about Washington, including the administl-ation every man on this floor ought to insist on being absolutely just of the pension laws. to the old soldier in all the wars, including the last one, and in Mr. ROBINSON of Indiana. I believe Congress cut down the ol'der to be just to the man who was really injured in that war, number of employees about 100, or something like that, three we have got to join the Pension Office in protecting it from the years ago, and it was then stated that that would add to the effi­ men who were not injured and who are unworthy of the consid- ciency of the service. Has the gentleman from Colorado noticed 1902. CONGRESS! ON AL RECORD-HOUSE. 613 that there has been any more expedition or facility in the grant­ Of the 25 indictments dismissed on nolle prosequi the causes assigned are ing of pensions since that time? as follows: Lapse of time since proceedings were instituted------_-----_----- 5 Mr. BELL. I am not an advocate of the present Pension Com­ Old age and feebleness of defendant------4 missioner. I think in many cases he has been too strict, and Convicted in another case ______------_----- 5 especially against the old pensioner who did not apply until Offense committed in another district------1 D~th ofprinci~ witn~ f~r Goye~ent ______1 within the last few years. But on the question of economy, and Failure of granajury to mdict prmmpal offender ______------2 on the question of insisting on every employee doing his full quota Evidence not sufficient ____ ------______------____ ------____ ------2 of· work, and in searching out every conceivable indication of Consideration for defendant's family------1 Inability to locate defendant ______------1 fraud, I want to say that the present Commissioner has, in my Cases in which reasons for dismissal have not been reported ______3 judgment, never been excelled in that high office. Total ______25 Mr. NORTON. Will the gentleman from Colorado allow me? Mr. BELL. Yes. The 226 indictments tried, which resulted in convictions, were based upon Mr. NORTON. I understand you to say that you believe the the following charges: Commissioner is too strict as against the old soldier? False claim _____ ------·------M False affidavitcertification_------______------______------______1626 Mr. BELL. Yes, I do, in some cases. False personation ______------______5 Mr. NORTON. Is not the law now existing too strict? Perjury ______---- ______4{) Mr. BELL. It is utterly foolish, in some particulars. It seeks known impossjbilities. Mr. NORTON. You say the law is utterly foolish? if5~i~fi~~~~~:~;::: :~~ ::::: ~: :~~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ :~~~~ ~ ~:~ ~~:~~~:: ::~~ ~ Mr. BELL. In a great many particulars; and we are largely Prosecuting claims while a Government officer------4 to blame for it. Conspiracy ______------_-----_-----______2 Mr. NORTON. I am glad to know that you will join in some Embezzlement __ ------______------______1 bill correcting that. Attempted bribery------______1 It has been the uniform practice not to recommend prosecution in any case Mr. BELL. I am in favor of liberalizing wherever justice and unless the criminal intent of the parties was cleal'ly shown, and in the cases common sense dictates, and that is in many places. of soldiers and their dependents, to resolve every doubt in th eir favor, and · Mr. NORTON. All right. not to recommend prosecution where it was apparent that they had been drawn into a violation of the law by others. As a result of this practice, the Mr. BELL. But I think we do not assist the Pension Com­ majority of the convictions secured were against attorners, agents, sub­ missioner in the meritorious cases, and also, we do not stand be­ agents magistrates, and others reSlJOnsible for the preparation and filing of hind him in cases that are not meritorious, as we should. We are false and fraudulent claims and eVIdence, and those who falsely personated soldiers or soldiers' widows. • prone to criticise rather than to aid in overcoming the defects. In view of the fact that the Bureau had obtained evidence in many pend­ Mr. NORTON. Are you in favor of the Commissioner making ing claims showin~ that grossly irregular and improper practices were re­ rules to govern his office entirely outside of law? sorted to by certam persons engaged in the prosecution of pension claims at and around Newbern, N.C., an investigation was undertaken at the be­ Mr. BELL. No, sir. ginning of the fiscal year of the cases of some of the 1m army and navy pen­ Mr. NORTON. Is he not doing that? sioners residing in Craven and Jones counties, N.C. In the course of the Mr. BELL. I think some of his constructions are unquestion­ examination it became necessary to investigate 22 pending ori~inal claims, in addition to the pending claims for reissue, increase and additional pension ably outside of the original intentions of the lawmakers. filed by the pensioners. This work was completed m1 . December, but 10 of Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. Do you not think the Commis­ the cases are still under investigation in other localities. sioner has the right to make a reasonable rule for the. govern­ As a result of the investigation1 the names of 38 illegal pensioners were dropped from the rolls and 24_ _pending claims were rejected upon the ground ment of his office in determining these claims? that they were fraudulent. In addition to the above there were 10 cases in Mr. BELL. Oh, yes. Here is the trouble with the Commis­ which irre!fularities and forgeries were discovered, but in which no action sioner. The Commissioner has been imposed on from so many was taken m view of the fact that it was shown that the pensioners were, nevertheless, entitled to the pensions received by them. quarters. The clerks have been imposed upon in that Depart­ Six indictments were found against persons believed to be guilty of delib­ ment by spurious affidavits from so many sources that they do erate violations of the law, 3 for forgery, 1 for false impersonation of a sol­ not feel that they: are safe in trusting f)onybody, and that affects dier, l for an illegal receipt of pension by a remarried widow, and 1 for per­ jury committed before a special examiner. The first 5 cases resulted in con­ the good as well as the bad. That is the difficulty. The deserv­ viction. ing are suffering for the venality of the undeserving. ATTORNEYS, Mr. SULLOWAY. Will the gentleman pe"rmit me a question? During the year 288 attorneys have been disqualified for the following Mr. BELL. Certainly. reasons: Disbarm~nt, 37; suspensions, 6; dropping for cause, 7; dropping at Mr. SULLOWAY. As the gentleman states there is such a request, 2; prohibition under section M98, Revised Statutes, 29, and death, roT. terrible condition existing down there in the filing of false testi­ Now, I do not want it understood that I am charging the mony and numerous attempts to impose upon the office by false Commissioner with being the best or the worst we have ever evidence, I would like him to state how many cases has this Com­ had. What I am trying to do is to take my part of the responsi­ missioner, who is so industrious in that direction, and who is bility for the unjust condition of the pension records of this suggested as having been hampered in the discharge of his duty­ country. I notice we are all quite free to criticise, but slow to how many cases has he ~covered or r~ported? The gentleman remedy, the evil. · will remember there are nearly a million on the rolls. How many Mr. ROBINSON of Indiana. Mr. Chairman, I would like to applications of that kind will the gentleman tell us there are? ask the gentleman from Colorado, as I know he is taking great Let us know how rotten this affair is. interest in the matter, and has a bill that he is going to present Mr. BELL. The Commissioner tells us exactly, and I can giTe or has presented, what remedy would he suggest to strengthen it to you in a moment from his report. the arm of the Pension Commissioner in detecting and ferreting Mr. SULLOWAY. Oh, offhand. out these frauds that he states exists, when he states the same Mr. BELL. It runs up into a large number. Commissioner has asked three times for the statement of a man Mr. SULLOWAY. How large? who is dead, his constituent, as he has detailed to the House. Mr. BELL. I am not going to guess at this when I can give Mr. BELL. The difficulty is that whenevBr we have a bill you the exact number by turning to it. in this House we all jump on the Commissioner and the Pen­ Mr. SULLOWAY. Is it twenty-five? sion Department, when at leaBt half the responsibility rests upon Mr. NORTON. It is not twenty-five. Congress itself. We could better spend some of our time in Mr. BELL. All kinds of fraud are set forth. Numerous men finding a remedy. Now, these frauds can not be avoided alto­ have been drawing the pensions of others who have died, and gether. The machine is too large and the temptation too great. there have been any number of pension attorneys that have been But here is the difficulty: That men, because they think that it is disbarred from practice before the Department for filing fraudu­ popular, as it seems to me, come in here, assume to represent lent evidence, and everything else that-is now militating against the Grand Army, and from other places, and hoot at the idea that the interests of the worthy old soldier. there are frauds in the applications for and in the allowance of Mr. TALBERT. If the gentleman will turn to page 105 of the pensions. Now, there is no such field presented in America for · report of the Commissioner of Pensions, he will find a large list the evil disposed as at the Pension Office, and that comes largely of frauds given. from the tender sentiment of the country...a-first, for the old sol­ Mr. BELL. Yes. Iwillappendthereportof the Commissioner dier, and, secondly, from many men who are every day in the here so all can see. year catering to the old soldier and trying to make him think CRiliiN.A.L D.A.T.A. that he is his friend in and out of season instead of standing up At the close of the flsca.l year 23> cases were pending in the hands of United and aiding the Commissioner and others in weeding out the un- · States attorneys1 in which evidence had been secured showing violations of just and giving greater protection to the really meritorious soldier. law. The re~rr.s received during the year show that 250 indictments were brought to trial, resulting in 226 convictions and 24 acquittals. In 25 cases a What I was particularly trying to refer to was, I was hoping that nolle prosequi was enter ed. One hundred and thirty-eight persons were sen­ we would not get into the same condition with the volunteers of tenced. Sentence was suspended in the cases of 17 ~rsons convicted, and the late war, that we might limit the privileges of the proselyting the action of the court in the cases of 4 others conviCted has not been re­ ported. During the year 191 persons were arrested, and axJ indictments were agent. Pensions are so liberal at this time that we may expect reported found: to be loaded down with this pension roll for time immemorial 614 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD- HOUSE. JANUARY 13, unless it is cautiously limited to deserving ones, because, as said Mr. SULLOWAY. In other words, he assun1es that a surgeon by the Pension Commissioner, out of forty-five or fifty thousand who perhaps has known the man for thirty or fifty years on the applying under the Spanish war claims so many have improved board, has seen him almost daily perhaps, treating him during in health that but few have been allowed. These men were not these years, that this surgeon, after seeing him and examining shot. They we1·e simply exposed to hardship and poison. Being him specifically with the eye and with the hand, is not so compe­ young and robust, many of them will recover or not materially tent as some gentleman that they have in the office here at Wash­ feel the bad effects again until they begin to age. Then the Gov­ ington who has never laid eyes on him. Is that it? ernment will have to deal liberally with them. Mr. BELL. No; his theory is that the ordinary board does not The Pension Commissioner is bearing a great responsibility. have enough business and responsibility, and does not get down He has shown great nerve; he is showing great indU£try, and he into the duties of the office sufficiently to make the examination has shown great executive ability in that office. There is no and report as they are instructed by the Department here. In doubt but that he is master of the office, and he should not be other words, the Commissioner says that he found it absolutely charged for things of which he is not guilty, and should be aided impo ible to take those ratings; that if he should do so there where he deserves aid. would be no uniformity in the pensions; that no two boards agree Mr. SIMS. Will the gentleman allow me a suggestion? in their findings. Therefore he asks to have organized educated Mr. BELL. Yes; certainly. boards, who will be governed by the same rules and make con­ Mr. SIMS. Is it not a fact that as time wears on, and the ob­ sistent reports. jects and purposes of the Commis ioner are better understood, I do not doubt that the conclusion of a surgeon reached after there is less outcry and criticism of his acts? an examination of the case ought to have great influence if he un­ Mr. BELL. I think so . .Anotherthing; :wedonotaid the Com­ derstands his duties. But the Commissioner insists that the ex­ missioner. He comes here from year to year and with his ex­ periment has proved a failure; that men have been put through perience, suggests to us what he wants, and we pay no attention ten or twelve examinations, sometimes as many as four in one to it. We do not even read his report. Now, we are appropri­ day, and the boards differed so widely in theil· conclusions that he ating this year 00,000, or $900,000 I think it is, for the examin­ found it impossible to base any action on their reports. . ing boards. Eight hundred thousand dollars; just think of it. Mr. GARDNER of Michigan. Is it not true that many of the The Commissioner for five or six years has reported to us the con­ physicians here in the Department who act upon these cases are dition of the examiners. He has shown us that certain boards men without actual experience as surgeons or physicians? have examined as high as 40 and 50 cases consecutively and given Mr. BELL. I could not say; I do not know; but I have heard the same disease and the same conditions in nine-tenths of the criticism. · cases. He has· taken the same man and gone before four boards Mr. GARDNER of Michigan. I think the Commissioner made in one day, and those four boards would give the man from noth­ that statement in a previous report. That being so, does it. not ing to the highest pension, and no two of them would rate him follow that in accepting the reports of such officers the Depart­ alike or attribute the same diseases to him. ment gives more credence to the statements of young and inex­ Mr. BINGHAM. Will the gentleman from Colorado allow me perienced men than to the findings of carefully selected surgeons a suggestion? • who have had the applicants before them? Mr. BELL. Certainly. Mr. BELL. I understand that the Commissioner has stated Mr. BINGHAM. I think the gentleman made the statement several times-not in the recent hearing or report-that the office that we are appropriating $900,000 for the examining boards. I does not pay any attention to the rating of the local board; and think he will find upon examination that it is $800,000, an in­ he gives the excuse that he has found it impo sible to do so. crease of 100,000 over last year. Therefore he has tried every year since he has been in office, I Mr. BELL. I am obliged to thegentlemanfromPennsylvania. believe with the single exception of the present year, to have that Now, what the Pension Commissioner desires is this. He says law repealed. that these boards, scattered all over the country, report to him the The gentleman from Wisconsin [Mr. BARNEY] and myself as condition of the soldier and what he ought to have. He says members of the conference committee prevented that law from that they are guided by so many different rules that they can not, being repealed. I believe that every member M the cpnference in the Pension Office, take these ratings at all. They have to sweep committee except the gentleman from Wisconsin and myself was them to one side and judge by the description of the disease what in fa.vor of the repeal on hearing the reasons of the Pension Com­ the rating should be. missioner. But we thought that as these men were experts, and Now, the Commissioner says if they will allow him to organize as they had seen and examined the applicants, their opinions even a certain number of boards with a stenographer, and with an at­ in a court of law would be good and should have credence. But torney-and he fixes the prices-and go from point to point and now the Commissioner proposes to organize a force and put them examine these soldiers all upon the same p1inciple, then he will do on the same basis. In our arguments with him he invariably con­ the work in the field. He will get a service that will be infinitely tended that boards could not be obtained whose members would cheaper and will do justice to the soldier; but he says he never educate themselves sufficiently to ever understand their duties; can do it under this system of the board of pensions. This is his that there was no harmony among these boards in their ratings; contention. He persists in the view that there is no consistency that no two would make the same rating, and thus there arose in the reports of the present boards. dissatisfaction and complaint among the old soldiers. Mr. SIMS. Will the gentleman allow me a suggestion? I would like to see our pension laws amended in several par­ Mr. BELL. Certainly. ticulars. There is one provision, for instance, which I know is Mr. SIMS. I have found the Commissioner to be often criti­ somewhat unpopular with the old soldiers. It refers to cases of cised by individuals in this way: They go before the medical men who, in order to escape from Southern prisons and the;reby board and the board will tell them that they are entitled to $20 or save their lives, enlisted in the Southern army. The Pension $30 a month, but after it goes to the Pension Office they only get Office has held that these men could not be pensioned at all under $10 or $12, and then they write me and say that they have been the act of 1890. There is a provision of our pension laws which outraged by the Commissioner at Washington. They do not un­ the Pension Department has asked to have 1·epealed, to the effect derstand it, and the Commissioner gets a great deal of unjust that when a soldier of the Union Army, rather than starve or die cTiticism. It is because these individuals have been before the in a·Southern prison has entered the Southern army with the in­ board and the board told them that they ought to get more than tention of escaping at first opportunity and that they did not they really should. fight against this Government, but escaped, such a soldier or his Mr. BELL. The Commissioner states that this old law was widow can not be pensioned. that they must give the man's injury in eighteenths, and they That recommendation for the repealofthatlawisnotin this re­ would give his inability; and so it used to be a common thing for port, but,I understand, was in a former report. I had a letter the them to have a man that had inabilities or deficiencies running other day from a man telling me that he enlisted in a company be­ up to twenty-five or twenty-six eighteenths. They not only had longing to the Southern army, with a great crowd of other men, him totally disabled, but doubly totally disabled. Under the law with no other object than to escape death, almost immediate death; of 1890, with a ma:ximv.m rate of $12, the boards often gave much that on the first opportunity they did escape, and that Grant put higher ratings than the law allowed. So the Commissioner had them to guarding his headquarters. ~neral Grant thought to change that, and now the boards make the rating in dollars enough of them to trust them in that way. This man said that under the act of 1890. This testimony before us is that they both Grant and Logan congratulated them and said that they paid no attention to the rating of the local physician; that what wished that all the prisoners of Libby Prison had done likewise. they are compelled to do is to make the local physician describe Yet that man can not get a pension. Some men say that under the disease in every case, and let the medical board ~ere judge such circumstances the soldier should have died in prison rather of the disability. He says otherwise they can not have any con­ than enter the Southern army. sistency or equality among the soldiers . We think it unreasonable to say that those young men, many .:Mr. SULLOWA Y. Will the gentleman allow me a question? of them mere boys, who had not been trained as soldiers, should Mr. BELL. Oertainly. have stayed in prison, with death staring them in the face, rather 1902. CONGRESSiONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 615

than join some command of the enemy with the view of deserting Mr. JENKINS. Mr. Chairman, if I correctly understood the. and getting back to their own regiments. It is going too far to gentleman from Colorado [Mr. BELL l who has just taken his seat, say that these men are to be forever disgraced and must die with­ he said that this nation was growing larger and richer day by day. out reinstatement to the honors of the roll. I do not, therefore, desire to take any of the time of the House with Mr. McCLEARY. Is there any proposition to cover cases any comments upon what the gentleman from Colorado has said. •where men in the stress of circumstances entered the Confederate But I do desire to have sent to the desk, and to have read in my army although they were not in harmony with the purposes for own time, a short extJ.·act from the COXGRESSION.A..L RECORD of which that army was fighting, and who at the first opportunity January 10. I ask the Clerk to read. escaped from that army and joined the Union .Army? . The Clerk read as follows: Mr. BELL. No; such per ons can not obtain pensions at all. Mr. ROBINSON of India.nn.. I fully understand that my entry into this dis­ Another thing; the Commissioner says that in Mr. Lincoln's cussion may be construed by some as laying me under the charge of bein~ a "carping critic," to use the language of the gentleman in charge of this bill. second campaign politics had, more or less, come into the armies, At the present time the Treasury of the country is overflowing. The times and that a great many men who had been fighting for the South areprosperous. WehaveintheTreasuryt{)-dayasurplusofnearly$35(),00),00). believed so implicitly in Mr. Lincoln that they deserted the South­ Thls is the beginning of a session of Congress. It is a suitable occasion, a suitable time arid place to begin a system of legislation which shall look to em army and went over to the Northern Army. Yet such men cutting down the urplus in the United States Treasury. One way to accom­ can not be pensioned. rlffs~ this is by reducmg taxation, the other way is by the passage of bills like Mr. McCLEARY. Does not the gentleman think that some wisely guarded provision ought to be adopted whereby pensions Mr. JENKINS. Now, Mr. Chairman, that was the language of can be granted in such cases? one of the ablest Democrats and one of the strongest partisans Mr. BELL. I certainly do. upon the floor of this House; and I want to say to him and to the Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. I think the gentleman from Colo­ Democratic party generally that it is a great tribute to the Re­ rado [Mr. BELL] is mistaken in the statement he has just made. publican party, a greater tribute, perhaps, than any Republican As I understand, there is a provision of law under which persons on this floor wonld be willing to pay to the Republican party. I who left the Southern army and went- into the Federal Army say also, in all kindness, that nothing of that kind·could be truth­ have the right to be pensioned. fully said of the Democratic party from the time of Jackson down Mr. CLARK. Oh, no; the gentleman is mistaken. to the present day. I also want to say to you that if the people Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. You will :find thatsuchisthelaw. of this country will keep the Republican party in power there l\fr. CLARK. I have knowledge of the case of one of my will be no question but what the war taxes will be removed, the neighbors who left the Confederate army and enlisted in the revenues of the country will be reduced, and prosperity will con­ Union Army, and who drew pension for four or five years as a tinue to be among us. soldier of the Union Army; but after he had drawn pension for The rivers and harbors of the country will be improved as they some years some contemptible fellow informed upon him and his need improvement; the Nicaraguan Canal will be constructed, pension was cut off, and I have never been able to get it restored. and all persons entitled to a pension under this and other bills Ml·. SIMS. I have one or two neighbors in the same fix. will receive due and adequate pensions for their services to the Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. Very well; if you think I am country. New public buildings necessary throughout the nation wrong in this matter I think I shall be able to show you the law will be constructed, and a sufficient surplus for all the needs of in a few minutes. the Government will be found in the Treasury of the United Mr. BELL. A gentleman oonnected with the Pension Office States, and this, I repeat, is due to the magnificent record made drew this amendment for me, suggesting that it had been recom­ by the Republican party. mended by that Department: Mr. THAYER. Will the gentleman yield to me for a question? Be it enacted by the Senate and H01LSe of Representati11es of the United States Mr. JENKINS. Certainly. of .Anterica in Congress a88embled, That section -tn6 of the Revised Statutes is Mr. THAYER. Won't you add, among all of the good things hereby rt~pealed so far ns the same relates to pension claims arising under the act of June 'tT, 1800, and the amendments thereto of May 9, lrol. that you are giving to us, reciprocity with Cuba and independence Now, Mr. Chairman, the case covered by that bill is this: That for the Philippines? is, where the man went out of the rebel army and went into the Mr. JENKINS. " Sufficient unto the day is .the evil thereof." Union Army and while fighting there was shot, he can recover Mr. THAYER. The evil is now pressing and ought to be for service injuries. remedied. M.r. GAINES of Tennessee. That is exactly what I stated the Mr. JENKINS. Mr. Chairman, it is pretty near time that in law to be, and I shall get it and read it in a few minutes. all branches and departments of our Government we have more Mr. BELL. There is a law providing that he can be pensioned, business and less politics. Particularly is this true of the legisla­ except under dependent act of 1890, for mere poverty. tive branch of Government. It will greatly aid the people. The1·e Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. Precisely as I have said. But he is nothing so dear to the hearts of all those desiring a political job can be pensioned under the act I have in mind. as to be of service to the people by bettering their condition. Mr. BELL. Yes, certainly; he would be entitled to pension if Claiming to be the foremost nation in the world, unquestionably he was shot or otherwise injured in the service. the leader in commercial life, this connby should be administered Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. Of com·se if he was not injured, on business rather than on political lines. Our greatness to-day he would not be entitled to a pension anyway. as a nation, if not due to accident more than design, is certainly Mr. BELL. Dependent Union soldiersarepensioned underthe due to the wonderful :resources of the people. There is no excuse act of 1890, with service injury, because of mere dependence. to-day for that Democratic opposition to Republican legislation Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. But it covered the case to which for our new po sessions as there was for the Federals and Whigs I referred. opposing the progress of the Democratic party in acquiring foreign Mr. SNODGRASS. The act of 1890 repealed the inhibition territory and legislating for it and the people who came with it. against Confederate soldiers who served in the Federal Army The Democratic party was not only determined to uphold slav­ receiving pensions; and I think the Commissioner of Pensions so ery, but to extend it and make slave labor an element of our na­ held, but his decision was reversed by the Secretary of the In­ tional life. The Federals, Whigs, and Republicans were unalter­ terior. ably opposed to slavery and exerted every effort and made every Mr. BELL. I think that is correct. I think it excepted, how­ argument possible against it. If they could defeat the extension ev-er, the Mexican war veterans. of slavery, they knew in time the South would be the principal Mr. SNODGRASS. The Mexican war veterans, and also Con­ sufferer from its existence, but that if extended through the in­ federate soldiers serving under those circumstances. fluences of the National Government, in direct opposition to the Mr. BELL. That, however, applies only to the act of 1890. people directly interested, their belief was that it wonld never be Under this dependent act a man who served in the rebel army and abolished and would prevent this people being the great nation afterwards in the Union .Army can not be pensioned except for they now are. No doubt any lover of this country would like to actual service injuries. Now, Mr. Chairmam, I reserve the re­ erase from the history of this nation the opposition of the Fed­ mainder of my time. erals and Whigs to acquiring foreign territory that naturally be­ longed to this nation and was for the interests of all the people to MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. acquire. Contrast the history of the Democratic party in this The committee informally rose; and, Mr. GARD IER of Michigan regard from Jefferson to Buchanan with reference to the acquisi­ having taken the chair as Speaker pro tempore, sundry messages. tion of foreign territory and legislation necessary and proper to in writing, from the President of the United States were com­ follow such an event with the sayings and doings of our Demo­ municated to the House of Representatives by Mr. PRuDEN, one cratic friends since voting this country into the Spanish-Ameri­ of his secretaries. can war, and the differences will readily be seen. PENSION .APPROPRIATION BILL. After a declaration of peace the result of war generally brings The committee resumed its session. great responsibilitieB and duties. At such a time we require a Mr. BARNEY. I yield to my colleague from Wisconsin [MI. united country, not a party of opposition to everything proposed J ENKINs] . or done. Such a course_brings vicious and dangerous legislation,

·. 616 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. JANUARY 13,

rather than beneficial results. It was this kind of Democratic op­ Mr. Jefferson, in a letter.to President Madison of the 27th of position that forced upon this country so much unfortunate legis­ April, 1809, speaking of the policy that Napoleon would probably lation at the close of the civil war, making a breach that has taken pursue toward us, says: forty years to heal. If our people were united on a national policy, He ought to be satisfied with having forced herJGreat Britainl to revoke· no matter how widely they differed in matter of detail, the nation the orders on which he pretended to retaliate, an to be particu1arly satis­ fied with us, by whose unyielding adherence to principle she has been forced would be the gainer. It is useless to say that the American peo­ into the revocation. He ought the more to conciliate our good will, as we ple are not equal to any emergency or any condition. Success will can be such an obstacle to the new career opening on him in the Spanish col­ certainly crown their efforts if once united in matters of policy. onies. That he would give us the Floridas to withhold intercourse with the· residue of those colonies can not be doubted. But that is no price, because The following quotation is applicable and can be read with profit they are ours in the first moment of the war, and until a. war they are of no for national, party, and-individual purposes: particular necessity to us. But, although Wlth difficulty, he will consent -to our receiving Cuba into our Union, to prevent our aid to Mexico and the On the high road of public life are strewn broadcast the miserable frag­ other provinces. That would be a. IJrize, and I would immediately erect a. ments of party doctrines shattered by overstrain, like the dead mules and column on the southernmost limit of Cuba and inscribe on it a. ne plus ultra broken-down wagons in :the track of an advancing or retreating army. as to us in that direction. We should then only have to include the north in Theories of mathematical precision are good in books of geometry, but not our confederacy, which would be in the first war and we should have such in the conflict of great a.ffarrs. Men of action are the.masters, not the slaves an empire for Liberty as she has never surveyed smce1 the creation· and I a.m. of doctrine. What the world needs, demands, and will have is more ofprac­ persuaded that no constitution was ever before so well calculated as ours for tical statesmanship and less of bigoted exclusiveness of doctrine. He to extensive empire and self-~overnment. * * * It will be objected to our whom it never happened to think or know something to-day which he did receiving Cuba that no limit can then be drawn to our future acquisitions. not think or know yesterday must have been born omnisciently infallible or Cuba can be defended by us without a. navy, and this developes the principle has not yet advanced from the innocent simplicity and petulant Willfulness which ought to limit our views. Nothing should ever be accepted which of infancy. (Two Treaties of Paris, page 21.) requires a navy to defend it. · ' History conclusively shows that up to the civil war the Dem­ John Quincy Adams, while Secretary of State under Mr. Mon­ ocratic party was favorable to the acquisition of foreign terri­ roe, in a dispatch to Mr. Nelson, our minister at Madrid, of the tory, insular in nature, and insisted that there was abundant 28th of April, 1823, says: · authority for such action and for the government of the people In the war between France and Spain, now commencing, other interests, acquired with tne territory, by a substituted sovereignty, whether peculiarly ours, will, in all probability, be deeply involved. Whatever may be the issue of this war, as between those two European powers, it may be taken satisfied or not with the forced change. The many questions for granted that the dominion of Spain, north and south, is irrevocably gone. troubling that party to-day never gave the party a thought when But the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico still remain, nominally and so far the Democratic party wanted Cuba in connection with the vast really dependent upon her that she yet possesses the power of transferring her te1Titory acquired from different governments as a result both dommion over them, together with the possession of them, to others. These islands from their local position are natural ap~nda~es to the North Ameri.: of peace and war, but in all cases for the benefit and glory of the can continentl and one of them, Cuba, almost Wlthin Sight of our shores, from United States. Jefferson never made an official declaration that a. multitude or considerations has become an object of transcendent impor­ tance to the commercial and political interests of our Union. · he had any doubts about it. Knowing that the progress of the Its commanding position with reference to the Gulf of Mexico and the nation was diametrically opposed to his democratic belief, he West India seas, the character of its population, its situation midway between quietly and in a personal way intimated that he was going to do our southern coast and the island of Santo Domingo; its safe and capacious harbor of theHa.bana, fronting along line of our shores destitute of the same a great public act that he personally .and politically knew to be advantage; the nature of its productions and its wants, furnishing t he sup­ wrong, and progress was made by him in absolute opposition to plies and needin~ the returns of a. commerce immensely profitable and mutu­ his political teachings of a lifetime, and nothing but good and ally beneficial, g1ve it an importance in the sum of our national interests with which tha.t_of no other fore1gn territory can be compared, and little inferior benefit for the United States has resulted from his public course to that which binds the different members of this Union together. Such, in­ and action. deed. are between the interests of that island and of this country, the goo­ I consider the relations between the United States and Cuba in graphical, commercial, moral, and political relations formed by nature gath­ ering in the process of time and even now verging to maturity, that in look­ every aspect of the case, whether for immediate separation or ing forward to the possible course of events for the short period of half a. continued exercise of sovereignty by the United States over Cuba, century it is scarcely possible to resist the conviction that the annexation of as important a£ any other question before the American pevple. Cuba to our Federal Republic will be indispensable to the continuance and I speak not for forcible annexation, for I was never an expan­ integrity of the Union itself. It is obvious, however, that for this event we are not yet prepared. Nu­ sionist; but a condition of affairs of vast importance confronts merous and formidable objections to the extension of our territorial domin­ us, not only of interest to the people of the United States and the ions beyond the sea present themselves to the first contemplation of the subject; obstacles to the system of policy by which alone that result can be people of Cuba, but to the whole civilized world. compassed and maintained are to be foreseen and surmounted, both from at There is 2til onward march of great events that can not be home and abroad; but there are laws of political as well as of physical gravi­ stayed. That man or political party is lost who does not keep tation, and if an apple severed by the tempest from its native tree can not choose but fall to the ground, Cuba, forcibly disjoined from its own unnat­ advised of the current of affairs and act accordingly, keeping in ural connection with Spain, and incapable of self-support, can gravitate only line with the destiny of this great nation. toward the North American Union, which, by the same law of nature, can History discloses that for over one hundred years this nation not cast her off from its bosom. 1 has wanted Cuba, needed C!Jba, and Cuba has needed, and will The transfer of Cuba to Great Britain would be an event unpro-pitious to the interests of this Uruon. This opinion is so generally entertamed that continue to need, the protecting arm of this civilizing, progress­ even the groundless rumors that it was about to be accomplished, which are ive, and powerful nation. spread abroad and are still teeming, may be traced to the deep and almost universal aversion of it, and to the alarm which the mere probability of its The arguments that have been made from the days of Jefferson occurrence has stimulated. The question both of our right and of our power down to the present time in favor of the acquisition of Cuba and to IJrevent it, if necessary- by force, already obtrudes itself upon our councils, extending the sovereignty of the United States over the island of and the Administration lB Ca.lled upon, in the performa.nc& of its duties to the Cuba have been able, patriotic, and on the line of true statesman­ nation, at least to use all the means within its competency to guard against ship, and the logic unanswerable. Every word said in favor of and forefend it. extending the sovereignty of the United States over the island of On April27, 1825, Mr. Clay, Secretary of State, in a dispatch to Cuba is as true now as at the different times previously spoken. Mr. A. H. Everett, our minister at Madrid, instructing him to use Let liS see what history says on this important subject: his exertions to induce Spain to make peace with her revolted colonies, says in part: JEFFERSON. ·The United States are satisfied wth the present condition of those islands It is enough for us to know as far as Jefferson was concerned [Cuba and Porto Rico] in the hands of _Spain, with their p_orts open t? 9ur In commerce, as they are now open. This Government desrres no political that he was in favor of the annexation of Cuba. a letter to change of that condition. The population itself of the islands is incompe­ James Monroe, October 24, 1823, Mr. Jefferson, among other tent at present, from its compositiOn and amount, to maintain self-~overn­ things, said: ment. The maritime force of the neighboring republics of Mexico ~nd Colombia is not now, nor is it likely shortly to be, adequate to the_protection " But we have first to ask ourselves the question, Do we wish to acquire to of those islands if the conquest of them were effected. The Uruted States our own confederacy any one or more of the Spanish provinces? I candidly would entertain constant apprehensions of their passing from their possession confess that I have ever looked on Cuba as the most interesting _a.ddi~on to that of some less friendly sovereignty; and of all the European powers, which could ever be made to our system of States. The control which, Wlth this country prefers that Cuba. and Porto Rico should remain dependent Florida Point, this island would give us over the Gulf of Mexico and the upon Spain. If the war should continue between Spain and the new repub­ countries and isthmus bordering on it, as well as all those whose waters flow lics, and those islands should become the object and theater of it t heir for­ into it, would fill up the measure of our p()litical well-being (Vol.lO, Writ­ tunes have such a. connection with the prosperity of the United States that ings of Thomas Jefferson, by Putnam, p.m.) they could not be indifferent spectators; and t he possible contingencies of such a. protracted war might bring upon the Goyernment of the_ Unit~d States Mr. Jefferson, writing to James Monroe, June 23, 1823, with duties and obligations, the performance of wh1ch, however painful It should reference to his understanding as to the desire of the inhabitants be, they might not be at liberty to decline. of Cuba, and to his opposition to Cuba falling into the possession Mr. Van Buren, writing to Mr. Van Ness, our minister to Spain, of England, says: October 2, 1829, says: We are surely under no obligation to give her gratis an interest which she The Government of the United States ha.ve always looked with the deepest has not; the whole inhabitants being averse to her , and the climate mortal to intere t upon the fate of those islands but particularly of Cuba. Its geo­ strangers, its continued military occupation by her would be impracticable. gra_phical position, which places it almost within sight of ou:r southern shores, It is better then to lie still in readine to r eceive that interesting incorpora­ and, as it were gives it the comiJULnd of the Gulf of Me.nco and t he West tion when solicited by herself, for certainly her additio_n to our co~edera~y India seas· its Safe and capacious harbors; its richproductions, the exchange is exactly what is wanting to round our power as a nat10n to the pomt of Its of which for our surplus agricultural products and manufacture-s constitutes utmost interest. (Writings of Thomas Jefferson, by Putnam1 vol. 10, p. 260.) one of the most extensive a.nd valuable branches of our foreign trade, 1·ender

.· 1902 . . CONGRESSIONAL RECORD- HOUSE. 617 it of the utmost importance to the United States that no change should take ral order and you can fill up the outline from the information communicated place in its condition which would injuriously affect our political and com­ in this dispatch, as well as from your own knowledge of the subject. Should mercial standing in that quarter. the minister of foreign affairs lend a favorable ear to your proposition, then Other considerations connected with a certain class of our population the q_uestion of the consideration to be paid would arise, and you have been make it the interest of the southern section of the Union that no attempt furmshed with information in this dispatch which will enable you to discuss should be made in that island to throw off the yoke of S:pa.nish dependence, that question. · the first effect of which would be the sudden emancipatiOn of a numerous The President would be willing to stipulate for the paytnent of SlOO,CXX>,CXX>. · slave population, the result of which could not but be sensibly felt upon the This, however, is the maximum price, and if Spain should be willing to sell adjacent shores of the United States. On the other hand, the wisdom which you will use your efforts to purchase it at a rate as much below that sum as induced the Spanish Government to relax in its colonial system, and to IS practicable. In case you should be able to conclude a treaty you may adopt, with regard to those islands, a more liberal policy, which opened their adopt as your model, so far as the same may be ayplicable, the two conven­ ports to general commerce, has so far been satisfactory in the view of the tions of April 00, 1800, between France and the Umted States for the sale and United States as, in addition to other considerations, to induce this Govern­ purchase of Louisiana. The seventh and eighth articles of the first of these ment to desire that their possession should not be transferred from the conventions ought, if possible, to be omitted. Still, if this should be indis Spanish Crown to any other power. In conformity with this desire, the min­ pensible to the accomplishment of the object, articles similar to them may be isters of the United States at Madrid have, from time to time, been in­ retained. structed to watch attentively the course of events and the secret springs of BUCHANAN. European diplomacy, which, from information received from various quar­ ters1 this Government had reason to suspect had been put in motion to effect On June 17, 1848, Buchanan, who was then Secretary of State, the transfer of the possession of Cuba to the powerful allies of Spain. charged Saunders, of North Carolina, who was then envoy ex­ You are authorized to say that the long-established and well-known policy traordinary and minister plenipotentiary to Spain, in the name of the United States, which forbids their entangling themselves in the con­ cerns of other nations, and which ~rmits their phySlcal force to be used only of the President to introduce the matter confidentially to the for the defense of their political r1ghts and the protection of the persons and Spanish Government, and he authorized him to go as high in his pro~rty of their citizens, equally forbids their public agents to enter into offer as 100,000,000. Mr. Buchanan in part said: poSitive engagements the performance of which would require the employ­ ment of means which the people have retained in their own hands; but that The question could not be a local one in the United States, for human fore­ this Government has every reason to believe that the same influence which sight could not anticipate the beneficial consequences which would result to averted the blow ready to fall upon the Spanish islands would again be found every portion of our Union, and the a.cquisiv..on of tfle island would strengthen effectual on the recurrence of similar events, and that the high preponderance the Union in high degree. (Executive Document, Thirty-second Congress, in American affairs of the United States as a great naval power.,. the influence first session, No.l21, pp. 43. FF.) - which they must at all times command as a great commercial nation, in all· FOOTE. questions mvolving the interests of the general commerce of this he:m:i.sphere, would render their consent an essential preliminary to the execution of any In Senate, Friday, January 5, 1849, the following resolution :project calculated so vitally to affect the general concerns of all the nations offered by Jacob W. Miller, a Senator from the State of New Jersey, m any degree engaged in the commerce of America. The knowledge you December 18, 1848, was taken up for consideration: possess of the public sentiment of this country in regard to Cuba will enable you to speak with confidence and effect of the probable consequences that Resolved, That the President of the United States be requested to inform might be expected from the communication of that sentiment to Congress the Senate whether any and what negotiationsorcorrespondencehavetaken in the event of any contemplated change in the present political condition of place between this Government and the Government of Spain, or between that island. any persons acting under the direction or authori~ of either Government, in relation to the purchase of Cuba. by the United States; ~nd that h,e com­ And again on the 13th of October, 1830: municate to the Senate copies of such negotiations or correspondence, so far This Government has also been given to understand that if Spain should as the same may be communicated consistently with the public interest. persevere in the assertion of a ho:peless claim to dominion over her former :Mr. Henry S. Foote, a Senator from the State of Mississippi, colonies· they will feel it to be their duty as well as their interest to attack her colonial possession in our vicinity-Cuba and Porto Rico. Your general was apparently in favor of the annexation of Cuba, for, on a motion instructions are full upon the subject of the interest which the United States to lay the resolution on the table, Senator Foote said: take in the fate of those islands, and particularly of the former; they inform you that we are content that Cuba should remain as it now is, but could From the mann'"'er in which this subject has been introduced by the Senator not consent to its transfer to any European power. Motives of reason­ from New Jersey, I feel myself authorized to propound an inquiry to him able State policy render it more desirable to us that it should remain subject ·which he may answer or not, at his pleasure and discretion. I WISh to know, to Spain rather than to either of the South American states. Those motives in the event of his ascertaining that any correspondence or negotiations in will readily present themselves to your mind; they are principally founded reference to this subject ha. ve actually taken place, whether he is prepared to upon an apprehension that if possessed l:iy the latter it would, m the present assume an attitude hostile to the annexation of Cuba to this country, a.nd state of things, be in greater danger of becoming subject to some European whether he is, or is not, prepared to act upon the subject. If he is not prepared power than in Its present condition. to act, then I think there is no necessity for this resolution. If, however, the Although such are our own wishes and true interests, the President does Senator from New Jersey, in the event of such correspondence or negotiations not see on what ground he would be justified in interfering with any attemptR having actually occurred, or being in J?rogress, intends to throw obstacles in which the South American states might think it for their interest in the the way for the purpose of preventing 1ts consummation, there is some reason :prosecution of a defensive war to make upon the islands in question. 11' for his resolution. But if he intends to remain inactive, and is resolved that mdeed, an attempt should be made to disturb them by putting arms in the no action shall follow after the information shall be obtained, I must repeat hands of one portion of their population to destroy another, and which in its that I see not the slightest reason whatever for the passage of the resolution. in1luence would endanger the peace of a portion of the United States, the Senator Miller replied: case might be different. Against such an a.ttempt the United States (being informed that it was in contemplation) have already protested and warmly Mr. President perhaps it would be wise in me to reserve my answer to the remonstrated in their communication last summer with the Government of question of the ~nator from Mississippi until the facts of the case are laid Mexico, but the information lately communicated to us in this regard was before the country, but I have no desire to conceal my opinions or intentions accompanied by a solemn assurance that no such measures will in any event in regard to this matter. My own OJlinion is made up upon this subjectJ a.nd be resorted to and that the contest, if forced upon them, will be carried on I do not hesitate to say that I shall be opposed to the annexation of Cuoa. to on their part with strict reference to the established rules of civilized warfare. this country at a.ll times and under all circumstances. Mr. Buchanan, in a dispatch to Mr. R. M. Saunders of June 17, Senator Foote replied: 1848, says: I would simply state that if such be the determination of the honorable With these consideratiOns in view, the President [Polkl believes that the Senator from New Jersey he will find himself in im awkward ~ition in less crisis has arrived when an effort should be made to purchase the island of than four months, for the President-elect (Taylor] is decidedly m favor of the Cuba from Spain, and he has determined to intrust you with the performance annexation of Cuba and has so declared himself. of this most delicate and important duty. The attempt should be made in Mr. Clayton, when Secretary of State, wrote to Mr. Barringer.. the ~t ~nee, in _a conftden~ conversation with the Spanish ministe~ of foreign affairS; a wntten offer might produce an absolute refu....<:al in writing August 2, 1849, in part as follows: which would embarrass us hereafter in the acquisition of the island. Besides' As to the purchase of Cuba from Spain, we do not desire to renew the from the incessant changes in the Spanish cabinet and policy, our desire tO proposition made by the late Administration !Polk] on this subject. It is make the purchase might thus be made known in an official form to foreign understood that the proposition made by our late minister at Madrid, unde:t g:overnment.s and arouse their jealousy and active opposition. Indeed, even instructions from this Department, or from the late President of the United if ~he president of the cabinet should ~hill;k favorably of the proposition, they States, was considered by the Spanish ministry as a. national indignity and might be greatly embatTassed by havmg It placed on record, for in that event that the sentiment of the ministry was responded to by the Cortes. · it would almost certainly, through some channeb reach the opposition. and After all that has occurred, should Spain desire to part with the island th6 become the subject of diScussion in the Cortes. tmch delicate negotiations proposition for its cession to us should come from her; and in case she should at least in their incipient stages, ought always to be conducted in confidential make any you will content yourself with transmitting the same to your Gov­ conversation and With the utmost secrecy and dispatch. ernment for consideration. At your interview with the ministerof foreign affairsroumight introduce the subject by referring to the present distracted conditiOn of Cuba, and the This very readily explains why the United States has never ac­ danger that exists that the populatjon will attempt to accomplish a revolu­ q~ed Cuba. ~pain did not wish to part with Cuba, and the tion. This must be well known to the Spanish Government. In order to convince him of the good faith and friendship toward Spain with which this Um~d States did not feel like renewing the proposition for its Government has acted you might read to him the first part of my dispatch to cess10n to us. General Campbell, and the order issued by the Secretary of War to the com­ Mr. Everett, in his celebrated letter of December 1, 1852, to the man~g general in Mexico, and to the officers having charge of the em­ barkatiOn of our troops at Vera Cruz. You may then touch delicately upon Comte de Sartiges, rejecting the joint proposition of the French the danger that Spain may lose Cuba by a. revolution in the island or that it and British Governments for a tripartite convention with the may be wrested from her by Great Britain should a rupture take place be­ l!nited Sta~s, discla~g, seve:ally and collectively, alf inten­ tween the two countries arising out of the dismis....<:al of Sir Henry Bulwer and be retained to pay the Spanish debts to the British bondholders. Yoli ti_on _to obtam possesslOD; of the ISland of Cuba, and respectively might assure him that. whilst this Government is entirely satisfied that Cuba bmdmg themselves to diScountenance all attempts to that effect sho~d. r_emain under the doiD;inion of Spain, we should_in all;Y event resist its on the part of any power or indi~duals whateve:r, said: acqmsitlon by any other natiOn. And, finally, you nnght inform him that under all these circumstances, the President had arrived at the conclusio~ Spain, meantime, has retained of her extensive dominions in this hemi· that Spain might be willing to transfer the island to the United States for a sp_here but the two islands of _Cuba. and Porto Rico. A respectful sympathy fair and full consideration. Witp_ the fortunes of an aD;CieD;t ally and a ga.Ifant people. with whom the You might cite as a precedent the cession of Louisiana to this country by Umted States have ever mamtamed the most friendly relations would if no Nap_oleon under somewhat similar circumstances, when he was at the zenith other reason existed, make it our duty to leave her m the undisturbed JXlf'o of his power and glory. I have merely presented these topics in their natu- session of this little remnant of her mighty trans-Atlantic empire. The 618 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. J ANUARY 13,

President desires to do so. N e word or deed of his will ever question her of this nature, there are many other reasons for believing that Spain will title or shake her possession. But can it be expected to last very long? Can pertinaciously hold on to Cuba, a.nd that the separation, whenever it takes it resist this mighty current in the fortunes of the world? Is it desirable place, will be the work of violence." that it should do so? Can it be for the interest of Spain to cling to a posse& sion that can only bs maintained by a garrison of twenty-five or thirty thou­ On April 3, 1854, this Government sent instructions to Pierre sand troops, a powerful naval force, and an annual expenditure for both arms Sou1e, of Louisiana, who was then minister to Spain, which in­ of the service of at least $12,000,00)? Cuba at this moment costs more to Spain than the entire naval and mili­ structions included fully the desire and determination of the tary establishment of the United States co ts the Federal Government. So United States to acquire Cuba, ip. part as follows: far from being really injured by the loss of this :island, there is no doubt that, were it peacefully transferred to the United States, a prosperous commerce The unsettled condition of political affairs in Spain and the trouble which between Cuba and Spain, resulting from ancient associations and common may arise in the island of Cuba from the experiment now making to intro­ language and tastes, would be fa1· more ;productive than the best contri>ed duce a new system for supplying the demand for agricultural labor are here f!YStem of colonial taxation. Such notonously has been the result to Great regarded as cu·cll.IDstances which may opon the way to the accomplishment of Britain of the establishment of the independence of the United States. The the object so much desired by the United States. In view of the contingen­ decline of Spain from the position which she held in the time of Charles V ci which may arise, the President has deemed it proper that you should be is coeval with the foundation of her colonial system, while within twenty­ furnished with full power to enter into a convention or treaty for the pur­ five years and since the loss of most of her colonies she has entered upon a chase.of Cuba. * * * The change of policy in Cuba, particlllarly with re­ course of rapid improvement unknown since the abdication of that Em­ gard to supplying the demand for agricultural illbor, has increased discontent peror. and created alarm among the people of that :island and made them more aversetothecontinuanceof Spanish rule and more willing to come under the The policy of the United States on thissubjectwasdiscuased by protection of the United States. Though the pride of Spain might revolt at the IJropositi.on to sell the island Mr. Everett in the same letter as follows: of Cuba to a foreign power, it has been suggested that she might be induced The island of Cuba lies at our doors. It commands the approach to the to consent to its independence, and that the United States might essentially Gulf of Mexico, which washes the shores of five of our States. It bars the contribute to such a result. (Executiv-e Document, 2d sess., 33d Cong., vol. entrance to that great river which drains one-half of theNorthern American 10, No. 92, pp. 80, 81, 82.) Continent a.nd with its tributaries forms the largest of water communica­ So anxious were the South and the Democratic pa!o/ to divorce Cuba from tions in the world. It keeps watch at the doorway of om intercourse with Spain and place Cuba under the sovereignty of the Umted States that on the California by the Isthmus route. * * * Tho opmions of American states­ lstof Mn.y~ 18M, Mr. John Slidell, a Senator from the State of Louisiana., men at different times and under varying circumstances have differed as to endeavorea to charge the Committee on Foreign .Afiairs in the Senate to the desirableness of the acquisition of Cuba by the United States. Territo­ consider the expediency of authorizing the President to uspend the neu­ rially and commercially it would in our hands be an extremelv valuable pos­ trality laws for twelve months while Congress was not in session. (Con­ session. Under certain contingencies it might be also essential to om safety. gresswnal Globe, 1st sess. ~d Cong., pp. 1021.) Even war with Spain was contemplated to secme possession of Cuba fo-r PI&RCE. the mere purpose of acquirinoo territory, and not with a view to bettering the President Pierce, in his inaugural address, March 4, 1853, said: condition of the ~ple; for t'here was a move to place 0,000,000 at the dis­ p~sal of the President and empower him to employ the Army and Navy and With an experience thus suggestive and cheering, the policy of my Admin­ authorize the levy of 50,000 volunteers. istration will not be controlled by any timid forebodings of evil from expan­ Expansion and acqllisition of territory was not horrible in the sigll~ of the sion. Indeed it is not to be disguised that our attitude as a natlon and our dominant party of that day. (Speeches and writings of Senator Ulingman position on the globe render the acquisition of certain possessions not within of North Carolina J?P· 375, 376.) our jUl'isdiction eminently important for our protection, if not in the future AtthistimethehighestrepresentativeoftheDemocraticpartyinthecoun­ essential for the preservation of the rights of commerce and the peace of.the try declared absolutely in favor of expansion. In August, 1854, President Pierce world. Should they be obtained it will be through no grasping spirit, but instructed MI·. Marcy, his Secretary of State, to direct Buchanan, Mason, with a view to va1·ious national interests and security and in a manner en­ and Soule, ministers, respectively, to London, Paris, and Madrid, to convene tirely consistent with the strictest observance of na1!ional faith. in some European city and confer with each other in regard to the manner of gaining Cuba to the United States, and accordingly they met at Ostend in The nation and, in fact, the world knew the President was re­ October, 18M. The result of their deliberation was published in a manifesto, ferring to Cuba, and it is very evident that this Democratic in which reasons are set forth for the acquisition, and the declaration was made that the Union could not enjoy repose and security as long as Cuba. authority was not afraid of the doctrine of expansion. was not embraced within its boundaries. The manifesto received the in­ Mr. Marcy, in his dispatch of July 23, 1853, to Mr. Pierre dorsement of President Pierce and his Cabinet. (H. Wilsont History of the Soule, says: Rise and Fall of the Slave Power in America, Vol. II, chap. 4: .) SIR: There are circumstances in the affairs of Spain, having a connection The Democratic platform. of 1856 by implication strongly advo­ with this country which give unusual importance at this time to the mission to that Government. The proximity of her remaining !>9SBessions in this cated the doctrine of expansion and the acquisition of Cuba, and hemisphere-the islands of Cuba and Porto Rico-to the United States the after having put out a feeler in this direction, felt so much en­ present condition of the former, and the rumors of contem}llated changes in couraged that the Democratic convention that met in Charleston, 1ts internal a:ffairs complicate our relations with Spain. The ish nd of Cuba, on account of its magnitude, situation, fine climate, rich productions far S. C., April23, 1860, and adjourned to Baltimore, Md., June 18, superior in all respects to any in the West India. group, is a desirable posses­ at which time Douglas was nominated for President and Johnson sion to pain, and for the same reasons very difficult for her to retain in its 'for Vice-President, adopted as a plank in their platform. the fol­ present condition of dependence. The opinion generally ;prevails among the EUl'opean nations that the Spanish dominion over it is msecure. ThiS was lowing resolution: clearly evinced by th~ alacrity with which both England and France, on Resolt:ed, That the Democratic party are in favor of the acquisition of the occasion of the late disturbances in Cuba volunteered their aid to sust.1.in island of Cuba on such terms as shall be honorable to ourselves and just to the Spanish rule o>er it, and by their recent proposition to the United States Spain. for a tripartite convention to guarantee its po ession to Spain. Without an essentia change in her present policy-such a change as she will most The bolting faction of the Democratic party that nominated likely be unwilling to mak&-she can not, it is confidently believed, long sus­ Breckinridge for President and Lane for Vice-President were a tain. unn.ided her present connection with that island. little more insistent, and declared in strong terms their desire for Whn.t will be its destiny after it shall cease to be a dependency of Spain, is a question with which some of the principal powers of Europe have seen fit Cuba, as will be seen by the following plank in their platform: . to concern themselves, and in which the United States have a deep and direct That the Democratic party are in favor of the acquisition of the island of interest. Cuba on such terms as shall be honorable to ourselves and just to Spain at I had occasion recently, in preparing in.st:rnctlons to our minister to Lon­ the earliest practicable moment. don, to present the views of the President in relation to the interference of Mr. Buchanan had sti·ong convictions on this subject. In his Great Britain, as well as of France in * * * Cuban affairs. To spare my­ self the labor of again going over the same ground, I herewith furnish you second annual message, December 6, 1858, he says: with an extract from those mstructions. It has been made known to the world by my predecessors that the United "The :policy of the Government of the United States in regard to Cuba, in States have on several occasions endeavored to acquire Cuba from Sp in by any contingency calling for our interposition, will depend, in a great degree, honorable negotiation. * * * The island of Cub..'!., from its geographical upon the peculiar circumstances of the case, and can not therefore now be position, commands the mouth of the Mississippi and the immense and an­ presented with much precision beyond what is indicated in the instructions nually increasing trade,_ foreign and coastwise, from the valley of that noble before referred to. Nothing will be done on om part to disturb its connec­ river, now embra.cin~ nalf the sovereign States of the Union. With that tion with St>ain. unless the character of that connection would be so changed island under the dom.mion of a db"'tant foreign pow r, this trade, of vital im­ as to affect our present or prospective security. While the United States portance to these Sta.t.es, is exposed to the danger of bein~ destroyed in time would resist at every hazard the transference of Cuba to any European of war, and it has hitherto been subjected to perpetual injmy in time of nation, they would exceedingly regt·et .to see Spain resorting to any _ pow~ peace. * * * for assistance to uphold her rule over 1t. Such a dependence on fore1gn a1d Whilst the posse ·on of the island would be of vast importance to the would in effect inve~t the aux:fiiary with. the character of a pro~tor, and United States, its value to Sps.in is comparatively unimportant. Such was give it a pretext to mterfere m our affarrs, and also ~enera.J.!y m those of the relative situation of the parties wh n the great Napoleon transferred theNorth American Continent. In case of a collision With the United State · Louisiana. to the United States. Jealous a he ever wa of the national such a ;protecting power would be in a condition to make nea.r ly the same use honor and interests of France, no person throughout the world has imputed of the ISland to annoy us as it could do if it were the absolute possessor of it. blame to him for accepting a pecuniary equivalent for this cession. The " Our minister at Madrid, dming the administration of President Polk, :was publicity which has been g-iven to our former negotiations upon this ubject instructed to ascertain if Spain was disposed to transfer Cuba to the Umted and the large appropriation which may be requir d to 1fect the purpose States for a liberal pecuniary consideration. I do not understand. however, render it expedient, before making another atl;empt to renew the negotia­ that it was at the time the policy of this Government to acquh·e that island tion, that I should lay the whole subject before Congress. This is e rpecially unless its inhabitants were very generally ~to concur in the transfer. necessary as it may become indispensable to sue that I should be in­ Under dertain conditions the Umted States IDlght be willing to purchase it; trusted with the means of making an a.dvan to tha Spanish Government but it is scarcely expected that yo~ will find ~pa~, should you _attempt to immediately after the signing of the tre:lty. without awaiting the ratification ascertain her Vlews upon the subJect, at all mclined to enter mto such a of it by the Senate. I am encouraged to make this ugge tiou by the example ne~otiation. There is reason to believ~ ~t she is under C!bligation to Great of Mr. Jefferson l?revious to tho pru·chase of Louisiana from France, and by Br1tain and France not to transfer this :island to the Umted States. Were that of Mr. Polk, m view of the acquisition of territory from Mexico. I refer there nothing else to justify this belief but the promptness with which these the whole ubject to Congress and commend it to theii· careful consideration. two powers sent their naval forces to her aid in the late Cuban distur)?ances the proposition for a tripartite convention to guaranty Cuba to Sp3:m, and When Mr. Buchanan wrote his third annual message, Decem­ what is more signi.fl.Cfl.nt than either of the above facts, the sort of JOmt pro­ ber 19, 1859, he was still of the opinion that the United States test of England and France; to which I adverted in my instructions to Mr. Buchanan, against some of the views presented in Mr. Everett's lettet· of the ought to have Cuba, for he says: 2d. of December last to Mr. Sartiges, the French minister, would alone be I need not repeat the arguments which I mged in my last annual message Sllotisfactory proof of such aiTangement. Independent of any embarrassment in favor of the acquisition of Cuba by fair purchase. My opinions in that 1902. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD- HOUSE. 619 measure remain unchanged. I therefore again invite the serious attention the President of the United States in his messag-e to Congress of April lith, of Co~ess to tlris important subject. Without a recognition of this policy 1898, upon which the action of Congress was inVIted: Therefore, on thell' part it will be almost impossible to institute negotiations with any Resolved btJ the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of reasonable prospect of success. . America in Congress assembled, First. That the people of the island of Cuba are and of right ought to be, free and independent. If l\Ir. Buchanan ever changed his mind on this subject, he left Second. That it is the duty of the United States to demand, and the Gov­ no evidence whatever behind him, but as time rolled on he grew ernment of the United States does hereby demand, that the Government of Spain at once relinquish its authority and government in the jsla.nd of Cuba more insistent as will be seen by language used when Congress and withdraw its land and naval forces from Cuba and Cuban waters. met in December, 1860. At this time civil war threatened our Third. That the President of the United St.atesbe, and he hereby is, directed nation; we were in danger of losing part of our territory; yet Mr. and empowere"d to use the entire land and naval forces of the United States, and to call into the actual service of the United States the militia of the sev­ Buchanan found time to consider the Cuban situation, for in his eral States, to such extent as may be necessary to carry these resolutions into fourth annual message, December, 1860, he in part says: effect. I r eiterate the recommendation contained in my annual message of Decem­ Fourth. That the United States hereby disclaims any disposition i:lr inten­ ber, 1 - and repeated in that of December, 1859. in favor of the acquisition of tion to exercise sovereignty, jurisdiction, or control over said island except Cuba from Spam by fair purchase. I firmly believe that such an acquisition fort he pacification thereof, and asserts its determination, when that is accom­ would contribute essentially to the well-being and prosperity of both coun- plished, to leave the government and control of the island to its people. tries in all future time. · Appro>ed, April 00, 1898. Mr. Stephen R. Mallory Senator from Florida, was very out­ It must be borne in mind that these resolutions are not in the spoken. In the Senate of the United States. on February 25, nature .of a compact. Those contending that Cuba should have 1859, after reviewing the subject fully and criticising Spain very an immediate, free, separate, and independent government can sharply, the Senator said: not plead an estoppel. Sir, when I reflect upon the geographical position of Cuba upon its com­ Cupa has not been misled by the declaration expressed in the mand of our com.m.er~, upon it iron despotism, upon the claims of her peo­ resolutions; Cuba did not act to her disadvantage upon anything ple upon us, upon its fertility and resources, but, above all, upon the repeated contained in the resolutions; Cuba was not a party to the re olu­ provocations which Spain has given us, I am reminded of the reply of Lord Clive when called before the pa.rliament.'lry committee to answer for his tions and never agreed to them. By their adoption no fraud was alleged spoliation of the Indian princes: 'By heaven, gentlemen, when Ire­ perpetrated, no wrong done. If Cuba could have been consulted fleet upon the temptation, I am astonished at my own moderation." * * * at the time the same were being considered by the United States, And the Senator further said, in the course of his remarks, that she would have said with a loud voice to the United States: we could have had Cuba on several occasions by paying down a '' Come on! Do anything and everything you please to remove the sum of money to a mediator; and then, continuing, he said: cold, cruel, and powerful hand of Spain; do not consider our But, sir, I am asked what I would do if Spain should reject all reasonable future; do with us as you wish-but free us from Spain." terms. I ca.n hardly suppose such a contingency, sir, but I would be prepared What more, under the circumstancesl could the United States to meet it. I would in such case act openly and fairly with her, and look di­ do for a struggling people than put them on the road to Ameri­ rectly at the contingency of taking Cuba and talking about it afterwards, as Frederick did with Sile$8.. can citizenship? PIKE. It was said at the time of their adoption that it was necessary First Blows of the Civil War, page 227, says, in quoting from the for this country to make the declaration therein contained, other­ Southern Standard: wise it would be presumed that this nation were waging a war With Cuba and San Domingo we could control the production of the Trop­ on Spain for the acquisition of territory, and that foreign gov­ ics, and with them the commerce of the world, and with that the power of ernments would be very likely to charge this nation with an un­ the world. lawful purpose. Therefore this declaration was made to the De Bow's Commercial Review, published in New Orleans, vol­ world, in order to overcome what was considered by some· a pre­ ume 9, page 173, declared that public opinion was almost unani­ sumption; but there is no presumption, when war is declared by mously convinced that Cuba was indispensably necessary to the Congress, that it is waged for the purpose of conquest or acquisi­ right development and security of the country. tion of territory. Louisiana, because of its sugarindustry, was opposed to the an­ A war declared by Congress ca.n not be presumed to be waged for the pur­ n-exation, and the publisher at that time had no sympathy with pose of conquest or ~uisition of territory. (Taney, Chief Justice, Fleming it, hence this opinion iB important as showing the views of her v. Page, 9 Howard. 003.) people at that time. The proximity of the island to this nation would make it a January 10, 1859, 1\Ir. John Slidell, a Senator from the State of valuable acquisition. Certainly, after having deth1·oned one Louisiana, introduced a bill (S. 497) making appropriation t-o foreign power, it will never do for this nation to permit any other facilitate the acquisition of the island of Cuba by negotiation. foreign power to exercise sovereignty over the island or enter Such was the position taken by what was recognized at the into any alliance or treaty of any kind with the people of Cuba. time as farseeing statesmen of the highest patriotism. What guaranty have we, if the sovereignty of this nation be The island of Cuba, from its geographical position, commands withdrawn from Cuba, that the people of Cuba will not form an the mouth of the Mississippi to-day as much as in the day that alliance with some foreign power? the great men I have quoted wrote. If it would have been detri­ I would not attempt to justify the continued sovereignty of this mental to the interests of this nation to have the island under the nation over the island of Cuba for any selfish purpose, but it can dominion of a foreign power the day they wrote, it would be just not be denied that from a commercial standpoint it would be a as disastrous to us to-day. great acquisition to the people of this nation. This nation offered To undertake to present every argument in favor of the con­ up a great many lives and spent considerable money and caused tinued extension of our sovereignty over that island would be great suffering among our people for the benefit of the people of but a feeble attempt to quote from the great men who have Cuba, exclusive o"f the Spanish portion of the same, and therefore already written on this subject. Not a word can be added to we have a right to consider the interests of our people in this what has been said by the advocates of acquisition; not a word matter. controverted. A few figures might be changed on account of the If we are to withdraw and leave the government of the island great increase in commerce. to the people of Cuba, then we must have a money consideration Independently of the joint resolution adopted by Congress, ap­ for what this nation has done and lost for the people of that island. proved April 20, 1898, no arguments can be made against the For my part, I do not very well see how we can make any arrange­ continued extension of our sovereignty oyer that island. I am ments with the people of Cuba for our indemnity unless they have not unmindful of the adoption of that resolution; I voted "for it a government controlled by the people of Cuba; that is, we must my elf, realizing at the same time that there was no necessity for first withdraw our sovereignty and allow them to erect a govern­ its adoption. ment of their own choice, and then take our chances of entering This nation was absolutely forced to declare war on Spain. into a treaty for future benefits of the two countries. We should That declaration has met popular appro~al, and there is not a civ­ either give notice to the world that we shall continue to exercise ilized Christian of any nation but has approved of the act of thiB sovereignty over the island or else at once withdraw our sover­ Government in that regard. eignty and, in the words of the resolution, "leave the govern­ In this connection I submit a copy of the resolution referred to: ment and control of the island to its people.'' [Public resolution-No. 21.] We are to-day exercising sovereignty, jurisdiction, and control Joint resolution for the recognition of the independence of the people of over the island, so that we have nothing further to do except to Cuba, demanding that the Government of Spam relinquish its authority give to the people of the island a form of government and give and government in the island of Cuba, and to withdraw its land and naval them to understand that they are not only under the sovereignty forces from Cuba and Cuban waters, and directing the President of the United States to use the land and nav-al forces of the United States to carry and jurisdiction of this nation, but that they will have to remain these resolutions into effect. so unless it shall appear to this Government best in the future to Whereas the abhorrent conditions which have existed for more than three leave the government of the island in control of her people. years in the island of Cuba. so near our own borders, have shocked the m.oral Every person of understanding, no matter where his political sense of the people of the United States, have been a. disgrace to Christian sympathies may be, knows well, without any desire to reflect civiliz:l.tion, culminatin~ , a they have, in the destructioiJ. of a United States battle ship, with 266 -of Its offi.~rs and crew, while on a friendly visit in the upon the people of Cuba, that they are not fit to-day for self­ harbor of Ha.ba.na, and can not longer be endured, as has been set forth by government, and that we can not, in justice to omselve!i1 in 620 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. JANUARY ·13, justice to the property interests of Cuba, and in justice to other II. civilized nations, withdraw our sovereignty. If this be true ~t said gove~ent shall not assume or contract any public debt to pay the m~rest uP.on wh1ch and 1::<> make re~nable sinking-fund provision for when will the condition of the island permit us to? If condition~ the ul~te discharge of which the ordinary revenues of the island, after ~re such to-9-ay . that we m~t retain our soverei~ty over the defraymg the current expenses of government, shall be inadequate. Island, then .It will be for the mterests of all people m the United m. States and m Cuba and those foreign countries desiring to do . That ~e gove~nment of Cuba consents that the Uni~ States may exer­ business with Cuba that we publicly announce to the world that c~ the nght to mtervene for the preservation of Cuban independence, the mam_tell!LJ?.ce of 11: government ad~uate for the protection of life, property, we shall continue the exercise of sovereignty over the island, and and l.J?.diVIdual liberty, and for diScharging the obligations with respect to thereby benefit trade and commerce and materially assist the Cuba unposed by the treaty of Paris on the United States, now to be assumed people of Cuba, and aid in the rapid development of that impov­ and undertaken by the government of Cuba. erished country. IV. Under the jurisdiction of the United States in a. very short time That all acts of the United States in Cuba during its military occupancy thereof are _ratip.ed and validated, and all lawful rights acquired thereunder Cl_Iba ~ be a th:ifty, wealthy, and prosp~rous country. They shall be mamtamed and protected. will furnish us With what we can not furnish ourselves, and in . v. return we can furnish them with a large amount of our surplus That the government of Cuba will execute, and as far as necessary extend, prod~cti?ns. ~e ~ ~s~ate the plans already devised or other J>lans to be mutually agreed upon for the people rea?lly with our people, sani~tion _of th~ cities of the island, to the end that a recurrence of epidemic and It will be a nght step m the right direction. It will not only and infectious diseases may be prevented, thereby assuring protection to the bring great prosperity to those people, but will save many lives people and commerce of Cuba, as well as to the commerce of the southern and prevent a great destruction of valuable property. ports of the United States and the people residing therein. The Cubans themselves have nothing to fear from American VI. government. If this nation has been capable of governing terri­ That the Isle of Pines shall be omitted from the proposed constitutional boundaries of Cuba, the title thereto being left to future adjustment by tory acquired from France, Spain, Mexico, Russia, and England treaty. this people can certainly assist and improve the people of Cuba~ VII. There is no question but there is a stJ:ong sentiment among the That to enable the United States to maintain the independence of Cuba people of that island for early and open annexation to the United and to protect the_people thereof, as well as for its own defense the govern~ ment of Cuba will sell or lease to the United State lands necessary for States; that is, in favor of an early settlement of the question. coaling or naval stations at certain specified points, to be agreed upon with Cuba can not and will not thrive until it is known to the world the President of the United States. that the American flag will continue to float over the island and VIII. give the people thereof that peace and quiet so necessary to their That by way of further assurance the government of Cuba will embody the foregoing provisions in a permanent treaty with the United States. prosperity. As early as possible we must assure the commerce of Approved March 2, lOOL (Chap. 800, vol 31, U. S. Stat. L., pp. 895-897.) the world that life, liberty, and property will be protected in Cuba. Here is an assertion of sovereignty; not only an assertion of Until the American flag is a fixture in Cuba the country can sovereignty extending far beyond the resolutions of April 20 1898 not develoJ?, people there can not improve, and in a little time, but the United States has assumed the part of a dictator u;ward unless all Signs fail, the people of Cuba will relapse into conditions Cuba in indicating what their constitution must contain. The res­ as bad as when Spain governed that island. American blood, olutions of April 20, 1898, assert that the power and control of the capital, and energy will not go there. Confidence, so much needed, United States over the island is to ~seat the pacification thereof. ~not be felt unless they have an American government in that This pacification relates to the difficulty between Spain and Cuba ISland. · and not to any difficulty between the United States and Cuba: We have nothing further to do as a nation but to indicate that Therefore, according to the letter and spirit of the resolutions we are going to continue our sovereignty over that island. We pacification came to the island when the treaty of peace wa.! are there; we have not got to do a single affirmative act. We signed. . acquired the island by conquest, and have as good and perfect a But in any event, whether the United States retains sovereignty title as can be possibly obtained. over the island or entirely withdraws its sovereignty, there should By treaty Spain relinquished all claim of sovereignty over and be no attempt to dictate to the people of Cuba as to what form of title to Cuba. government they should adopt or what element should enter into Where does sovereignty reside, if not in the United States? As their goveriunent. far as title is concerned, it is as much ours as are the Philippine The act of March 2, 1901, is an important assertion of soverignty; Islands and Porto Rico. The provisions of the treaty on this sub­ going beyond the pacification spoken of in the resolutions of April ject are as follows: Spain relinquishes all claim of sovereignty 20, 1890; and it would be more consistent on the part of the United over and title to Cuba, and as the island is, upon the evacuation States, more to their interest, and of more interest to the people of Spain, to be occupied by the United States, the United States of Cuba to continue exercising sovereignty over the island rather will, so long as such occupation shall last, assume and discharge than force the people of Cuba to unwillingly adopt a constitution. the obligations that may, under international law, result from the If Cuba should ~willinglyadoptwhatisrequired by the United fact of its occupation for the protection of life and property. States, it will have a tendency to weaken conditions between Cuba By our act in taking possession of Cuba and forcing Spain to and the United States, and the United States will be assuming relinquish all claim of sovereignty over and title to Cuba we great responsibilities far beyond what would fall to its lot if the assumed great international obligations. We can not discharge sovereignty of the United States was continued over the island. those obligations by merely relinquishing our-sovereignty over There would be a continued feeling of hostility between the peo­ and title to Cuba. Independent of all obligations that can be ple of Cuba and the people of the United States, and the people enforced under international law, we owe it to the people of Cuba of Cuba would not feel kind toward their constitution and would to assist them. We can not assist them by relinquishing our never recognize it as their constitution. Instead of tending to claim to sovereignty over them. It is a part of our destiny that promote good feeling between the two countries there would be Cuba shall remain forever under the sovereignty of the United constant friction growing out of the forced adoption of the con- States, and the highest duty devolves upon the American people stitution. - to assist the people of Cuba to American citizenship. . In its present attitude the United States is assuming the duties If anyone doubts that the United States are not exercising sov­ and position of a protectorate without the right to interfere to ereignty over Cuba, all they have to do is to refer to "An act prevent trouble between Cuba and foreign powers. As long as making appropriation for the support of the .Aimy for the fiscal Cuba conforms to requirements of the United States, as required year ending June 30, 1902:" by the act of March 2, 1901, the United States could not control the action of Cuba, or interfere between Cuba and a foreign Provided further, That in fulfillment of the declaration contained in the power, no matter how unjust or unlawful the action of Cuba in joint resolution approved April 20, 1898, entitled "For the recognition of the mdependence of the people of Cuba, demanding that the Government of this regard. There would be constant danger of a war. SI_>ain relinquish its authority and ~overnment in the island of Cuba, and to Further, on the record made, Cuba can now, without any fur­ Withdraw its land and naval forces from Cuba and Cuban waters, and direct­ ther legislation on the part of Congress, adopt any form of con­ ing the Pre ident of the United States to use the land and naval forces of the United States to carry these resolutions into effect," the President is hereby stitution, no matter how objectionable to the United States, if authorized to "leave the government and control of the island of Cuba to its the requirements of the act of March 2, 1901, are adopted, to people" so soon as a government shall have been established in said island stand without any interference on the part of the United States. under a constitution which, either as a part thereof or in an ordinance ap­ pended thereto, shall define the future relations of the United States with As stated, Cuba is either a territory belonging to the United Cuba., substantially as follows: States, over which the United States has a right to continue exer- I. cising sovereignty and control, or else it is Cuban territory, and That the government of Cuba shall never enter into any treaty or other the United States has no lawful rights whatever upon that island. compact with any foreign power or powers which will impair or tend to im­ Pacification came by the adoption of the treaty of pea.ce, and pair the independence of Cuba., norm any manner authorize or permit a.ny there the rights and responsibilities of the United States ended, foreign power or powers to obtain, by colonization or for military or naval purposes or otherwise, lodgment in or control over any portion of said island. unless it intends to continue exercising sovereignty over the 1902. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 621 island. The only justification for the United States to continue definite and certain hereafter, as being calculated utterly to de­ to exercise sovereignty over the island and to dictate as to the feat any purpose that I ha.d in supporting a measure favorable to terms of the constitution is the doubts and fears as to the capa­ my comrades of the war of 1861-1865. bility of the Cuban people to exercise governmental powers and There was present on the floor of the House, as you gentlemen as to the attitude of the Cuban government toward the United will remember, an ex-commander in chief of the Grand Army of States after the Cuban people have a.dopted a constitution and the the Republic, the late lamented Representative Shaw, and I ap­ United States withdrawn its sovereignty over the island. pealed to him to know where that amendment came from. He told Mr. GROSVENOR. Mr. Chairman, I feel like offering an me he had no knowledge about it, but insisted that there should apology for occupying the time of the committee. I shall do so be no opposition presented to the action of the committee, or who­ but a very few moments. For the first time in my experience in ever it was that brought that amendment in here. I told him the House of Representatives I rise to make an explanation in re­ that I could not consent to the passage of that bill under those gard to an attack that wa.s made upon myself and the distin­ circumstances, and I felt very free to criticise a pension bill; and guished gentleman from Iowa [Mr. HEPBURN], who sits by my most of you gentlemen who have served upon this floor with me side, and who occupied the same position in the Congress that well know the reason why, for there never was a measure offered expired on the 4th of last March. ,on this floor, whether in the form of a general pension bill or a I hold in my hand the report of a committee of gentlemen pur­ worthy and proper special pension bill, until that amendment, porting to be a committee of the Grand Army of the Republic, that I did not support cordially and cheerfully. signed by five gentlemen more or less distinguished in public and I had spent all the years since the war in honest labor for the private life in the United States, and which report was made to pensioners. Long before I was elected to Congress I had devoted the national encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic months of my time to the prosecution of pension claims for the last year, in which they place at the door of a number of gentle­ soldiers, always without pay, never having received a cent. When men in this House the failure to pass, in the last session of Con­ I came here, finding the duties very onerous, I paid out of my own gress, what they are pleased to term the veterans' preference bill. pocket during all the years until clerks were allowed by law a clerk I have read the report with a great deal of care, and the real meat in who devoted his time almost entirely to the prosecution of pension the thing is found in the statement by the committee that the bill claims, and therefore I did not feel any hesitation in criticising was stabbed in the House of Representatives, and was defeated this bill nor do I now feel any he~itation in making full explana­ by those who ought to have been its friends; that it received in tion of the reason why I was not willing to vote for that measure. the Senate a ''knock-out blow,'' and received in the House a blow It will be remembered by those who were present that the bill so bitter that the committee see fit to place in the report a list of was in such form that it was necessary to vote for that amend­ members who voted against the bill, and call it" a white list, not ment or defeat the bill. No amendment could be offered, for we a black list." were acting under a motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill. A great deal of misunderstanding has gone forth, as I will show, This committee has seen fit to criticise the Speaker of the House by reason of the unjust, unfair, and untruthful report which I in two or three places in the report. hold in my hand. Here is a report emanating from these gentle­ In point of fact, the Speaker of the House had no knowledge or men, addressed to the national encampment of the Grand Army notice whatever of that amendment to this bill; and not only so, of the Republic at Cleveland last September, made up of 8 pages I went myself to Mr. Shaw and urged him to withdraw the bill, of printed matter;· and nowhere in the whole of that report does get the amendment eliminated from the bill, and I assured bim it appear what the bill was against which I voted and against that there should be time allowed to the bill for the purpose of which a very large majority of the House voted. In our absence its passage. Not only so, but the Speaker of the House had ex­ we are tried, condemned, and held up to the scorn of the Grand pressly given his consent to the assignment of time for the pas- , Army of the Republic upon a garbled and false statement of what sage of the bill if that provision was eliminated. Now, what the question before the House of Representatives was. It ap­ would have been the effect of that provision? It would, in my pears that there hado been introduced in the Senate of the United judgment, if you will read the whole of it carefully and take the States a bill entitled "A bill (Senate bill No.-)." I will supply rules of the Civil Service Commission, operate to put in front, to that blank in the number later. Like everything else in the re­ use an expressive term, of the old soldiers of 1861-1865 the quarter port it is ignorantly framed, ignorantly put together, and igno­ of million of men, young men, many of whom had served a few. rantly presented. It is entitled "A bill to amend section 1754 of months in the camps of the country, and exclude practically hy the Revised Statutes of the United States," relating to preference the operation of it all future preferment to the old soldier. in civil appointments of ex Army and Navy officers. And here is I did not believe then, nor do I believe now, that the time has the section as it was reported in the Senate: come when it is necessary that the young men who went for a few SEc. 17M." Officers &nd enlisted men who served in the Army or Navy of months into the service of the country in the Spanish war shall be the United States between April 12, 1861, and August 25, 1865, being honor­ placed bodily in a position of that kind, and I urged that upon this ably discharged therefrom, shall be preferred for appointment to and reten­ distinguished representative of the soldier here; and I only regret tion in civil offices and employments as also for promotion therein, provided they are found to possess t he business capacity necessary for the proper dis­ that he is not living, as he could testify to every word I am stat­ charge of the duties of such office or employment. ing. I appealed to him, pointed out the mistake which, in my When that bill came .into the House of Representatives, or a judgment, had been made, and asked him to get up on this floor similar bill, it is said, on the 17th of December, one year ago last and withdraw the bill temporarily until an amendment could be December, I was amazed, however much anybody else may have made, and then we would pass the bill if it was thought best to been surprised, to find injected into the bill, a.s an amendment do so. But he would not consent, and so the bill came to a vote. 'proposed by the Committee on Reform in the Civil Service, a cer­ Then, with reference to Mr. HEPBURN, they have seen fit to garbl6 tain proposition. At the conclusion of my remarks I shall ask his remarks. They have given not one word-and I point it out the gentleman from New Hampshire [Mr. SULLOWAY] to state if to you· that yo:u may understand the unfairness of this whole re­ he knows how this a;mendment came there and where it came port-they have given a little extract from his speech and given from. no connected sense, so that you could understand distinctly what Mr. SULLOWAY. It was not framed in our committee. he meant. They say: Mr. GROSVENOR. No, I believe it was reported from the A quotation or two in support of the foregoing statement will suffice. For Committee on Reform in the Civil Service. In the interior por­ instance: Mr. HEPBURN, of Iowa, a comrade, said: tion of the bill we found the following: "I do not believe that anybody has the right to speak for those inen who might be benefited by this law and say that he represents them." And first after the aforementioned veterans of the civil wa~l those honor­ "I do not believe that those men who served from 1861 to 1865, or the masses ably discharged soldie~~.sailors, and marines who served in tne recent war with Spain or in the Pnilippine Islands . of them, ask for this legislation." "' * * "* * * Under-the law as it is to-day, preference is required in matters I was amazed that such a proposition could have come from of appointment, other things being equal, to the old soldier." * * * Mr. GROSYENOR (Ohio), a comrade also, said: any committee. "Mr. Speaker, I greatly desire the passage of some legislation"- Mr. SULLOWAY. If the gentleman will allow me, I want to say again that no such bill was ever referred to our committee Thereby confirming my present statement in regard to this or Teported by our committee. matter- · Mr. GROSVENOR. I presume it must have come originally "upon this subject, but I join the gentleman from Iowa [Mr. HEPBURN] in from the Committee on Pensions, or else· it was offered by some the criticism which he has made." * * * one here in the House of Representatives. What I am trying to Then they state: get at is that this alleged committee, whose report I hold in my Sharing in the debate, besides Speaker HENDERSON, were: BROMWELL and hand, did not offer nor procure to be offered in the Senate any GROSVENOR, of Ohio· RICHARDSON and Srns, Tennessee; FOWLER, New proposition such as we found when the bill came up in the House. Jersey; HEPBURN and LACEY, Iowa; TALBERJ'J South Carolina; B. INGHAM, Pennsylvania; WHEELER, Kentucky; MOODYJ .mcCALL, and GILLETT, Massa­ I wai taken greatly by surprise, and sought to inquire f1·om chusetts; CLAYTON and SULZER, New Yorx; LIVINGSTON and FLEMING, whence that provision came. I looked npon it, as I will make Georgia, and MONDELL, Wyoming. 622 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. JANUARY 13,

And here is the strange part of this proposition: ing a sum nearly equal to our total annual receipts from Of these, BROMWJU.L, BINGIIAM, LA.CEY, MooDY, CLAYTON, and SULZER internal revenue under such conditiollB as prevailed from 1894 to sz>oke, favoring the bill. Speaker lln"'DERSON appeared also to do so. 1897, and being a sum more than equal to the assessed valuation ·. Speaker IlENDERSON did not speak on the bill that I recollect of several of the States of this Union. It seems to me that these of. I have never known him to speak on any bill since he has conditions deserve consideration, and are sil:fficient to make of been Speaker of the House, and I do not believe he has. some importance the pension question of to-day. After the civil The others opposed it. war, n·om the time that the first general pension law was passed, Speaking of my honorable friend and gallant · comrade, :Mr. to the present day, not a law providing for pensions has been re­ BINGHAM, with rebel bullets inside of him, and with a long service pealed. Scarcely a session has passed when new laws were not of honor and distinction in favor of the soldier, he is classified enacted. The Pension Office prints a synopsis of them, and it here as a man who stabbed the interest of the soldier in this requires a book of nearly 200 pages to accommodate them. Here House; and here are given the names of men who were in the is the title of some of them, given only as a sample, and no act is Army and those who were not in that Army, both men upon the mentioned twice. Democratic side of the House and men on the Republican side of An act to ~ualize pensions. in cert.ain: cases. the House all classified as enemies of this relief to the old soldier. · · An act to mcrease the pension of soldiers and sailors who have been totally ' , disabled. . . . . Preceding the debate on the demand for a second, the vote by tellers was An act tom~ pe~ons m ce~m cases: W7 ayes to 34 noes. Following the debate, the vote on the motion to suspend An act g'!&nting pens1ons to th~ Widows, ~dren, dependent mothers and the rulE!l> and pass the bill, as announced by the Speaker, was 51 in the affirma- fathers, or orpha~ brotJ:ter~ an? SlSters , 23>. 00 speaking in opposition to the bill now before us, nor in any spirit 1902- -··------~------·------1~,245. Zll. 00 of objection to a liberal policy along this line by our Government, 1903- --·------139, 84.6, 480.00 because I believe every n~tion should pursue a liberal pension To~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~·-- ______------______$76,075, lm. 00 policy toward men who become disabled and lay down their lives in her defense, yet, at the same time, I believe that extravagance and fraud should be guarded against as much in thls department as in any other department of the Government, hence I desire to submit a few general remarks upon pension legislation and to call t'):le attention of the House and the country to present conditions. While much is being said about the income and outlay of other departments of the Government, in this department alone hun­ l!!~::~!!l-J:ll!l~~-l!:::~:::-:~l~!il-i~~~!i::::~ ~lil:l dreds of millions are spent with little or no attention being paid i::::: :::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::_-:::::::::::::::::_-.-::: .i~: F: m: ~ to it. It is to this fact that I desire to call attention especially. The maintenance of the military pension system of this coun­ civil !=~=-~:~::::: ~ ~~~~ ~-==~~ ~=~=~~~~~~=~~=~ ~~-=~~~~~~:::~~~~~ ·t~ ~ i: i try, since the close of the war, has cost something over two Amount in this bill.------139,842,200.00 and a half billion dollars, getting into the neighborhood of three billions, and at present nearly one million names are borne upon In 1873 James A. Garfield in the House, in a speech on .the floor the national pension roll, making about one for every seventy-five pleading for pensions for the old soldiers, said that the high­ of the population of the United States. Then comes the annual water mark had been reached, and from then on the pension rolls expenditure of about one hundred and forty million dollars, be- •Including deficiencies. 1902. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 623

:would decrease, but he was woefully mistaken. He placed the Now, I am glad that the time has come when this great country maximum at about $30,000 000-alittle over one-half of what it of ours stands united once more under one flag and one destiny, took to run the Government under Buchanan in 1860. The bill [applause] with "E pluribus unum" written upon its forehead so under consideration carries nearly $140,000,000, exclusive of any plainly that anyone may read it, so that we can discuss this pen­ new schemes that this Congress may adopt. Let us compare this sion question, as well as other great questions, without bitterness item with the average cost of the standing armies of the Old or prejudice of one section against another, recognizing no North, World for several years pa-st, and we find Great Britain spending .South, East, or West in the matter, with Old Glory finding as in one year 7,403,944; France, with an army of 500,000 men in congenial a climate among the palmettoes of South Carolina as 1897 spending 118,291,430; Germany, with an army of nearly in the frozen regions of the North. All disabled soldiers ought 600 000 men, spending 110,187,020; Italy, $51,778,040; Russia, to be well cared for by the Government they fought to uphold, $176,84'\600; Austria, 67,280,255, and so on. So that it will be but it must be apparent to all close observers that on our immense seen that Russia alone of all these countries, with nearly twice pension ro!ls of nearly 1,000,000 men there are some who do not the population of the United States, pays more for her immense deserve the bounty of the Government and others who are enjoy­ standing army than the United States pays in pensions. ing an extravagant allowance. Then, let us look at this question Mr. PRINCE. Will the gentleman from South Carolina allow not from a partisan or s~tional, but from a business, standpoint. me an interruption? I believe if the people could be made to realize the extent of this Mr. TALBERT. Yes, certainly. burden, there would be protests against it and relief would be de­ Mr. PRINCE. Would you not prefer to pay a large pension to manded-at least they would demand that extravagance be cur­ the citizen soldiery of this country than to have in this country a tailed and fraud exposed and those perpetrating this fraud be standing army of 500,000 men? punished. The present Commis ioner of Pensions has repeatedly Mr. TALBERT. I agree with the gentleman; I am not criti­ called upon Senators and Representatives to assist him in expos­ cisinO' or objecting to this bill, and I am proud of our American ing and preventing these things and has frequently received soldiery. I am using these figures only for comparison, and to snubs and rebukes for it, but he is right. call the attention of the House and the country to the enormous From the Revolutionary war up to the civil war the pension expenditures that a1·e annually made in the Bureau of Pensions policy of this Government has been one of liberality, and ought in order that some investigation, some regulation may be made to to have been and ought sill to be. But after the civil war a new cut down the expenses and ferret out the frauds in _the interest era dawned. Up to the beginning of this war the United States of the old soldiers, in the interest of those who deserve it against Government had expended for military pensions about $90,000,000 those who do not deserve it, and in the interest of those who pay and had granted 65,500,000 acres of bounty land in recognition of the taxes. Before I get through I desire to suggest something that military services. The pension list at this time consisted of some will go far toward curing the defects that I point out, as I under­ 10,700 persons, of whom 63 were soldiers of the Revolution and stand the matter. 2,278 widows of such soldierB. For the fiscal year ending June The United States pays more than England and Italy combined, 30, 1861, $1,092,000 was paid out for pensions. Under the laws $30,000,000 more than Germany, and $22,000,000 more than France, then in force the number of pen~ioners was decreasing at the rate and I will add just here a statement prepared by the Hon. H. Clay of 500 or 600 each year. Seventy-five or eighty persons were suffi­ Evans, Commissioner of Pensions, showing in part the operations cient to carry on the work in the Bureau. There would have of the Pension Bureau during the last fiscal year, most o-f the been from this time a constant decrease in the annual pension data being embodied in his annual report, which shows that the payment. The civil war checked this tendency and opened the pension roll is growing larger from year to year. way to an expenditure for military pensions unsurpassed any­ It shows that the number of pensioners on the rolls June 00, 1901, was where in any country upon the face of the earth, above the earth, W7,735, a net gain of 4,206 over last year. The total net loss to the roll during or under it, and the war with Spain has only accentuated this the year was 43}):86, which includes 38,153 by death, 853 by remarriage~ 1,582 by minors reacning the age of 16, 158 by failure to claim pension, ana 1,460 tendency, having up to ®te from that war 50,000 applications for from other causes. pension, of which about 5,000 have been passed, and of course A comparative table shows tbat the roll for the year just closed is the these deserve the same consideration and we1·e just as brave and "high-water mark" in the history of the Pension Bureau1 the next highest bavmg been reached in 1898. Of the gains to the rolls durmg the year, 3,849 patriotic as any other soldiers of any of the other wars. were from the war with Spain. Heretofore pension laws were disability provisions~ restricted­ The losses include 2 from the Revolution, 215 from the wa.r of 1812, 826 from in their operations and allowances, but the scope of all these laws. the war with Mexico, and 5«: from the Indian wars. The gains to the roll sjnce 1 98 were 13,334 widows of the wa.r between the States and 5,60! from the was soon broadened. In 1818, thirty-five years after the Revolu­ .Spanish war; total, 1 ,938. The net gain to the rolls in the four years was 4,021. tionary war, service pensions were granted to indigent soldiers of Pensions granted to widows under the act of June '0, 1890, during the year that war. Fourteen years later a surplus in the Treasury, due to numbered 16,610, or nearly !.500 in excess of those granted the previous year. The pensioners on the rolls are classified a.s follows; a high tariff on imports, opened the way for a fm-ther grant to Survivors, 8,655: invalids, 739,994: widows, 249,086. These co~prise 13,124 the survivors. In 1832 a puJ:e service pension law was passed. widows and the 8,655 survivors on account of old wars prior to 1!S6l, 697,675 in­ The civil war prevented the granting of service pensions to the valids, and 88,802 on account of disability originating while in service, mostly in the civil war: 438,114 invalids and 1A5Jll widows on account of the June survivors of 1812 at as early a day as would have been, but the_ 1890, act, civil-war disability not due to service: 650 army nurses, a.nd 3,555 in~ law was passed in 1871, supplemented by another act in 1878. In valids and 2,049 widows on account of the war with spa.ln_ 1887 a limited service pension law was passed for soldiers of the The total amount paid to pensioners as first payments on the allowance of their claim during 1901 was $9,934,764:, or $106,238 more than the first payments Mexican war, and in 1892 for the soldiers of the Indian wars. But during 1900. This amount represents the arrears of pension, aggregating 675 all pension legislation prior to 1861 is now of slight importance ex­ claims allowed, to ~n average of nearly 1,500 each. cept for comparison. The pension policy of the Government, SPANISH WAR CL.A.IMS. instituted anew since that time, was done at a time when feeling The fees paid to attorneys amounted to $591.,24,5, an increase of almost $7 4,00>~ ran high, and all along from then up to now the two parties have due to the Spanish war. At least 100,00> of the medical examinations bela during the year resulted unfavorably to the claimants. The amount paid to vied with other in declarations of devotion to the old soldier and p ensioners under the general law during the year was $67,867,233, a decrease have rushed headlong over each other in adding to the pension of $1700,253from the amount paid last year. It is believed that during the roll and increasing pensions and allowing arrearages. fiscal year of 1902 the payments under the general law will be exceeded by those to~ensioners under the act of 1800. The ~.P.~nish war pensioners re­ This practice has gone on now for over thirty-six years. From ceived 175,225 an increase over last year of $1ID',,320, and the pensioners first to last the burden is increased. New laws providing for in­ under t e act of 1 00, as amended May 6, 1oo::l, recetved $!i6,007,481, an in- crease of pensions, and besides the laws providing for increase in crease over last year of $1,ro7,402. • During the laSt thirty years the survi-vors of the war of 1812 and their wid­ bounty there have been passed laws reducing the evidence re­ ows have received $4.4,841,648; of the Mexican war, $30,201,187, and Indian wars, quired to obtain pensions, and at the same time adding new $5,400,054 .. and easier conditions fot obtaining pensions and increasing The total disbursements for pensions from July 1, 1790, to J una 00 of this yea1· aggregate $2,763,350,033. There were 45,860 claimants for pensions during them. Year after year the safeguards have been removed and the year. the way to get a bounty smoothed and made easy, number of ONE SURVIVOR OF 1812. witnesses reduced, disability made less, and the gates gener­ The pension rolls still contain the names of 1 survivor and 1,5'0 widows on ally opened wider. Southern members, as a general thing, account of the war of 1812; 1,086 survivors and 3,479 widows on account of In­ dian wars, and 7,568 survwors and 8.109 widows on account of the Mexican thought it useless to interpose objections and said nothing rather war. The Bureau issued 109,668 certificates of all classes during the year, than to give a pretext to some waver of the bloody shirt and 44.-,225 being for original pensions. The number of claims pending July 1, last, stir up strife against his people. And thus it is that this plun­ was 403,56!1. The statement ~ives the following amounts of money paid pen- sioners under d.ifferent administrations: · dering of the Treasury has gone on with scarcely a remon­ President Grant's first term., $11~136 275; average per year, $29,00-!,069. strance from anyone until the country has probably become in­ President Grant's second term, $114,390,357; average per year, $28,598,839. different to the extent and enormity of the, to say the least of it, President Hayes s administration, $145,322,489; average per year, $38,1m,622. extravagance on one hand and fraud on the other. President Garfi.eld.'sadministration, $237 ,825,070· a verageper yea.r ,$59,456,268. President Cleveland's first term, $005,636,662; average per year, ,6,409,166. As I said in tlie outset, this is our common country, and the President Harrison's administration, $519,707,726; average per year, 129,- time has come when a member from the South may entar his pro­ 926,931. test against these evils without the suspicion of disloyalty. The Pre ident Cle-reland's second term, $557,950,4.{)7; average per year, $139,487,- 602. people of the North and South are ready to listen to discussion. President McKinley's first term, $560,00>,547; average per year, $1!{),00>,137. They are beginning to feel the burden of taxation and can be 624 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. JANUARY 13,

made to observe wherein the trouble comes. Southern members it around." His father wanted toknowwhathemeant. "Why," may venture to criticise the present mode of granting pensions he says, "you just will all your goods to Uncle Jim and make me and expose iTI'egularities wherever existing. When the plain facts executor,andletmewind up the estate." [Laughter.] So that I are brought face to face with the people, they will demand of their think this pension policy ought to be reversed by giving money representatives some regulation of the loose way of doing busi­ to the poor soldier and medals to the rich. I shall ever raise my ness. You ask me for a remedy. I believe there ought to be a voice and cast my vote for the men who stood in the trenches, in thorough revision and codification of all pension laws passed since the forefront of the battle, bearing always the heat and burden 1861, with the great mass of rulings and decisions thereunder, of the day. comprising you might say, two systems, viz, the general law and I suspect that if our pension rolls were carefully examined the · the law of June 27, 1890. Under the first there are fewer pen­ fapt would be developed that names of many would appear who sioners, dealing with disability and death resulting from service, have wealth, drawing large salaries, and yet drawing pensions for applying to the future as the pat. total disability. I read somewhere some years ago a statement in It includes the war with Spain, Philippines, and any future one of our daily papers to the effect that at that time a chief jus­ war. Its beneficiaries are disabled soldiers, widows, orphan chil­ tice in one of the Northwestern States was drawing a pension of dren, dependent fathers and mothers, and orphan brothers and 2 per month for total d.Lsability, with a salary of $4,000 a year, sisters. The rate rea~hes as high as 100 a month for certain dis­ saying nothing of arrearages and property. I don't know as to abilities. This general law embodies a whole lot of laws passed the truth of it. In cases like this and others of like nature it is for the 1a t thirty years, too numerous to mention in a speech of my humble judgment a medal would be just as honorable, and at only thirty minutes. No moregenerositywas ever shown by any the same time more agreeable to the taxpayers. Then it might nation upon the face of the earth, and it is not the law I oqject be asked what remedy could be applied. As I have already said, to, but the abuse of it, as has been so plainly shown in the the laws upon the subject ought to be revised and codified. In very able report of the Commissioner of Pensions. The other the next place, I believe and have long thought that a list of all system is the law of June, 1890, with its subsequent acts leading persons drawing pensions from the Government ought to be pub­ from it, more generous than the other system and embraces lished in book form, if it took dozens of volumes, stating the within its scope more pensioners than.are enrolled under all other amount drawn and their disability, condition, and so on. · laws taken together, pensioning soldien:~, their widows and chil­ This would enable the public to better judge about the e incon­ dren where disability is not traceable to service origin, thus open­ gruities and inconsistencies. This might develop the fact that a. ing the way for nearly everyone who heard a gun fired during the good many are drawing large salaries and large pensions at the war to get a bounty. . same time, and then it might show up some who are drawing Thlnk·of it! Since 1866 the number of pensioners has increased pensions for total blindness who are acting as night watchmen, from 126 722 to nearly 1,000,000 in 1901, and the expenditure from or some who are drawing pensions for total deafness who are $15,000,000 to 140,000 ,000 since that year. During the present running telephone lines, and many other things might ·appear year the pension roll may be expected to exceed 1,000,000 names. along that line. I only speak of these as a sample. And I want There has been paid out ·since 1866 in the neighborhood of to say just here, that of the thpusand pensions granted by special $3,000 000,000. We have yet on the pension roll4 widows and 5 acts, a large majority of them are without merit or justice. daughters of the Revolutionary war, 1 survivor and 1,527 widows Then, again, it might do some good to abolish pension attorneys, of the war of 1812, 1,686 survivors and 3,479 widows of the Indian or sharks, as they are sometimes called, some of whom I notice wars, and 7,568 survivors and 8,109 widows of the Mexican war. are mentioned in the Commissioner's report as using fraudulent Now, then, if we are paying pensions to widows and daughters of means to obtain a. pensio~ for another. The causes which led to soldiers of the Revolutionary war one hundred and eighteen years the disbarment, suspension, and dropping for cause number 24, after peace was made with Great Britain, if we are paying pen­ and are as follows: sions to soldiers and widows of the war of 1812 ninety years after Receiving illegal fees. the end of the war, if we are paying pensions to soldiers and Knowingly prosecuting false claims. widows of the Indian and Mexican wars over fifty years after the Acting in collusion with disbar1·ed attorney. Preparing and filing false testimony. end of the wars, must it not follow that we must expect to con­ .dia~~nverting to his own use pension money of his ward while acting as gua.r- tinue to pay pensions to the soldiers and widows on account of the civil war up to at least 1970 or later? And then begin with Gross incompetency. Postdating pension vouchers. the Spanish war veterans, as I have said, who were as brave, as Im.pro~rly coaching witnesses. true, and as patriotic as the soldiers of other wars, and we will Comm1tting perjury before a special examiner. be paying them pensions up to 2000 or later. Knowingly filing fraudulently prepared papers. Filin~ fraudulently prepared peDBlon vouchers. It will be a conservative estimate to say that we will pay in the Writing letters to Collllllissioner of Pensions couched in improper lan- next fifty years, at the rate we are. going now, in the neighbor­ hood of 5,000,000,000 . . Adding this to what has already been paid g~blishing misleading advertisements. Im.personatin~ a notary public. we have a sum nigh on to $8,000,000,000, far exceeding the cost of Making false Jurats to pension papers. the civil war. I believe in standing by the old soldiers who were Falsely representing to be a Government officer. true and brave, and their families after them, but however praise­ Attempting to procure a claimant for pension to commit perjury. Forgery. worthy and deserving they may be, these sums of money seem to Contracting for illegal fees. me to be extravagant and improvident from a business point of Writing letter toclaimantcontainingfalseandmisleading statements rela­ view. England has a standing army of nearly200.000 men, to say tive t.o his claim, and making false statements in relation thereto to a special examiner. nothing of her 100,000 in the navy. She has had wars, small or Fugitive from justice. · great, practically for fifty years past; she is the creditor nation of Failure to refund fees improperly certified. the world, and treats soldiers disabled in her service with great gen­ Refusing to disclose information called for by Bureau. erosity, yet in the estimates for several years past her outlay for . Insanity. . pensions for one year has never exceeded, in round numbers, These items are only a. small number of such instances men- 6,000,000, or, you might say, one twenty-sixth of the sum we pay. tioned in the Commissioner's report this year. . It may be asked, Why this difference? Let's see. Then provide that no one having adequate means of support Of course, the United States is the greatest nation of all the should receiv~ a pension, except where total disability existed or nations, and lam proud of her standing. And I rejoice to know where a. leg or an arm was lost; prohibit aTI"earage to remarried that the American soldier has outstripped all others in deeds of widows and to children after maturity except where idiocy exists; daring, heroism, and braverytheworld over. But one reason as­ and prohibit young wpmen who marry an aged pensioner es­ signed for it is said to be that the custom in the Old World is to give pecially for his pension from getting it; and last, but not least, a medal to the rich who are disabled in their country's service. forever prohibit the granting cf any more pensions by special Our custom seems to be to give the rich ex-soldier cold cash, and acts, except in only a. few extreme cases, and never again remove the richer he is the more cash he gets. In the Old World I am the charge of desertion against a man who has waited till this told that the poor, disabled ex-soldier gets the cold cash, and the late day by special act. poorer he is the more cash he gets. Here a poor private or his Mr. SULLOWAY. Will the gentleman allow me an inter­ widow gets a mere pittance, while the rich brigadier or his widow ruption? must have even more than the law allows him or her, and when he Mr. TALBERT. Certainly. or she fails at the Bureau, comes directly to Congress as a court of Mr. SULLOWAY. Is not the gentleman aware that under appeals and gets heeled. This is not right and ought to be changed. the law as it exists to-day no one of the ladies that he alludes to This reminds me of a rich father who called his only son up as marrying an old soldier would be entitled to a pension under and told him he was going to make his will and will him all his the act of 1890? That act provides for those who married prior goods, but would make his Uncle Jim executor to the will to wind to that date. . up the estate. The son listened to his father attentively till he Mr. TALBERT. The gentleman says that no woman will do finished, when he asked his son how he liked it. "Well, father," thus and so. Why, Mr. Chairman, no living man can tell what saitl the son, " I like it all right if you will reverse the thing-turn some women around those Homes will do. [Laughter.] It hRS 1902. CONGRESSIONAL REOORD- HOUSE. 625

been said there is only one kind of a woman that will not marry, persons Ca.n be got to testify about eventS that happened and conditions that existed years ago is well known. The statement is made without fear of con­ and that is a dead one. [Laughter.] A good woman I admire tradiction that if the ordinary rules of evidence were enforced in pension more than anything in the world, and I will assist any deserving cases as they are enforced in courts of record the pension rolls would contain widow to get a pension. I have been speaking of those only who fewer names of "survivors" and "widows" by more than a. hundred thou­ sand than they do now. So much for the pensions that are granted by gen­ visit these Soldiers' Homes, as I have learned. eral laws and by the dependent act of June 27, 18!)(). Mr. SULLOWAY. The law does not allow a pension to a widow who marries since 1890, living or dead. This article speaks for itself. I do not vouch for it. Mr. TALBERT. Yes, but the law is avoided and is abused. Mr. GROSVENOR. I want to say to the gentleman from They get around it in some way, and they go to the general law South Carolina, if he would not feel interrupted, that Congress and get the pension by unscrupulous actions, false affidavits, etc. has been very liberal in the matter of soldiers with charges of I will read the gentleman a clipping from the Chicago Tribune of desertion against them. Congress passed a bill in 1889-I know December 22, 1897, which speaks of the conduct of some of these it wa.s after I came here-in which the largest liberality was ex­ ·"" tended to soldiers who had been mustered out with any dis­ women at the Soldiers' Home: credit on their records. PERJURY .AND FORGERY. • All they had to do wa.s to apply to the War Department with How did the cheats and swindlers get on the lists? The answer made to their evidence of mitigating circumstances, etc., and they were that question by a pension official of whom it was asked was that they got discharged with the utmost liberality. on chiefly by perjury. They could get on in no other way. With most of the perjury there was forgery. In a rural community, where everybody Mr. TALBERT. I alluded to that act. knows everybody else, the Government is an easy mark. There are many Mr. GROSVENOR. Now, when the four years' limitation of persons who believe it is all ri~ht to cheat a railroad. If the conductor of a that statute has expired some of these ca.ses are coming up. train does not ask them for a ticket they will not give it up. If they go to a store offer a bill in payment for goods, and get more change than thej" are Mr. TALBERT. I alluded tothatveryact. I think there was, . entitled to receive they pocket tlie change. If a bank clerk overpays them however, another and later act. I may be mistaken on that point. c.n a check they pocket the overpayment. There are many persons who By doing these things I am sure some good will come, and no think it is all right to do these th.bigs. There are more who think it is all right to cheat the Government if they can, and a fair proportion of such honest, true, patrjotic old soldier will in any way suffer by it. persons live in the rural districts. These are the persons who are chiefly While we all desire to do justice to the old soldier who stood by responsible for the swindle and the cheats in the pension rolls. Here is an the flag in the past, some provision oug:P,t at least to be made for interesting page from one of the reports of Pension Commissioner William Lochren. It is headed "Popular feeling corrupted." those who are to save the COlmtry in the future. The pension In some of these cases of systematic frauds and criminal practices by at­ roll should be a roll of honor. No deserving old veteran should torneys having each many thousands of pension claims the result has been to be neglected. Extravagance and fraud should be guarded against procure large numbers of fraudulent pensions and of undeservedly high rat­ mgs for persons in the neighborhoods of these attorneys, bringing every three as much for the old soldier as the taxpayer. I insert here a clip­ months large amounts of money from the United States Treasury into-these ping showing the number of pensioners now enjoying our bounty communities, which naturally passed into business channels and constituted in foreign lands: an apparently large factor in the local prosperity. The fear that the convic­ tion of these attorneys and their confederates and investigation of fraudulent There are 4,062 pensioners of the United Stn.tes living in foreign countries, pensions would lessen the influX of pension money has been manifested in and the total amount paid them ·last year was $619,945. Canada has nearly popular rancor against the special e:xaminers whose investigations secured one-half of them-1,981-who draw nearly one-half the tota.l-$301,507. There the convictions of the criminals and endangered the vested rights of the are 788 in Great Britain, to whom 118,548 is paid annually; 621 in Germany, fraudulent pensioners. who received $94,547 last year; 99 in Mexico, receiving $15,198; 68 in Switzer­ In Howard County, Iowa, Mr. E. F. White, the special examiner whose land, 57 in France, 41 in Sweden,39 in Norway,3S in Australia, 28 in Italy,27 successful investigation brought Van Louven and Dr. Kessel to conviction and in Austria, 21 in Denmark 2! in Hawaii 15 in China, 12 in the West Indies, to confession of their crimes and to punishment, was prosecuted and, by a How­ 11 in Japan, 9 in Chile and New Zealand, 7 in Bermuda, 6 each in Argentine ard County jury, was convicted, on testimonywholly unworthy of credit, of Republic, Peru, Turkey, and Madeira, 5 each in Cuba and Guatemala., 4 each • thefalsechargeofhavingthreatenedawitness, whileDr.KEissel, who had just in Costa. Rica, Greece, Russia, and the South African Republic, 3 each in the pleaded guilty to an indictment for receiving bribes in pension cases and been Azores, Brazil, Colombia, Danish West Indies and Honduras, 2 each in Al­ punished by a large fine, was indorsed bythe same community by a substan­ giers, Bahama Islands,_ Dutch West Indies, Ficland, India, Malta, Nicaragua, tially nnarumous election as mayor of the city or borough where he resided. Seychelles Islands, ana Siam, and 1 each in British Guiana, Bulgaria, Comoro Mr. Ayres, the special exammer at Buffalo N.Y., whose investigation Islands, Ecuador, Egypt, Korea, Mauritius, Portugal, Roumarua, Tahiti, and brought W. Bowen Moore to conviction and the penitentiaryi was, upon a Uruguay. false charge of malicious prosecution of one of Moore's emp oyees, found Now, it will be seen by this article that we are paying tremen­ ~uilty by the jury and damages were assessed against him at $5,00}, although 1t appeared that the plaintiff had been prosecuted upon the advice of the dous bounties to foreigners, many of whom we hired to fight, and Umted States attorney after a full and fair statement of the facts to him by were fighters, as Paddy said, for " diJ.·deen dollars a month." Ayres, which prosecution had been abandoned, not because the plaintiff was not guilty, for the guilt was fully shown, but through some misguided sym­ Now I want to say that if we can not reform our pension sys­ pathy. 'l'he verdict against Ayres was promptly set aside by the court. tem in some or all of the ways enumerated, there is one thing we Dishonest attorneys who ftnd themselves being investigated by special can do, and that is, put a stop to private special pension legislation examiners of the Pension Bureau usually strive to protect themselves by making charges against the special exammers, and asking to have them re­ in this House. It is a common phrase if a man can not get on the moved or otherwise discredited, enlisting the influence of prominent citizens, pension roll under existing law, he gets a special act passed put­ so far as they can impose upon persons of that class, and when they fail in ting him on; or if he fails to get an increase at the Bureau, why he that attempt they have not iilfreqnently sought to annoy and drive away such special examiners by having some person bring suits or prosecutions gets it by special act. There are very many of them that are un­ against them in the local courts. worthy, brought by Congressmen fi·om everywhere. I insert THE "WIDOWS." here a list showing number of special acts from 1861 up to 1901:

Communities lost to shame such as Mr. Lochren describes in this page of Special pension acts passed by each Congress fmm Marek 4, 1861, to Marek 41 his report, are not rare, offiClals1 of the Pension Bureau to-day say. Here, 1901. then, are three shameless abuses, tb.rough the agency of which the Govern­ ment is annually robbed of millions of dolla~ and the pension rolls are Congress. ' Number Congress. !Number padded with thousands of fraudulent names. Tnere is another abuse more passed. passed. vicious even than the first two of these three that have been told about. ------: This one is the pensioning of "widows" of veterans. It is a national scan­ Thirty-seventh (1861-1863) __ 12 Forty-ninth (1885-1887) --·-- 855 dal that Soldiers' Homes are the camping ground for females who seek pen­ Thirty-eighth (1863-1865) ___ _ Fiftieth (1887-1889) ______sions. They lru·k about these Homes as wild animals lurk about the foot of a 27 1,015 Thirty-ninth (1865-1867) ____ _ 138 Fifty-first (1889-1891) ____ . __ _ 1,388 tree where their intended victim has taken refuge. This is no overdrawn Fortieth (1887-1869) _----- ___ _ 275 Fifty-second (1891-1800) ____ _ 217 picture either. These females catch a veteran and run him away to a min­ Forty-first (1869-lSTI) ______85 Fifty-third (1893-1895) ------119 ister, who marries them. He is landed then back at the Home and the female Forty-second 1871-1873) ______167 Fifty-fourth (1895-1897) ____ _ departs in triumph. She need never see the man again. She has only to 378 wait for him to die, when she assumes a widow's weeds and takes her place Forty-third (1873-18'i5) ------182 Fifty.fifth (1897-1899) ------694 Forty-fourth (1875-1877) ____ _ 98 Fifty-sixth (1899-1!XXJ) ______619 among the worthy widows of soldiers who lost their lives fighting for their ·:m Fifty-seventh (1!ro-1901) __ _ country, though tbe veriest harlot she may be. Forty-fifth (1877-1879) ------718 Forty-sixth (1879-1881) ______96 :------She IS not pensioned under the act of June 27; 1890, but under the general Forty-seventh (1881-1883) __ _ 216 8,128 pension law. The act of 1890 provides that widows shall benefit who married Forty-eighth (1883-1885) ____ _ ToW------~ the pensioners previous to the date of the passage of the act. The general pen­ 598 sion law does not set any date for the marria~e of a couple to enable a sur­ viving widow to get her husband's pension. It IS sufficient that she was mar­ As I have already said, these spe~ial acts are usually passed to ried to him and IS his widow. So notorious has this business of marrying veterans become that scarcely a month J)&sses but something about it gets into allow claims which have been rejected by the Pension Bureau, the papers. Recently the Sun printed a dispatch from a town in the interior of often because they are absolutely without merit. It is the habit Maine where the race for veterans was hot. Women scoured the woods for them and hunted them as a hunter pursues wild game. In Washington the of both Houses to set aside certain days-the night session having Sun r eporter was informed by an official of the Pension Bureau wlio knew been abandoned by my obstructive tactics and persistent efforts­ that matters were almost as bad. " These women," said the official to the for private pension bills, passing special acts. Very f~w mem­ Sun reporter, "hover about the Home as hawks hover over a fish pond or a chicken yard, and they pounce upon the veterans on sight." bers pay any attention to the bills, and they are generally When these women claim the pensions of their deceased husbands and the passed without a quorum. Occasionally some member does Government consents to pay those pensions, the Government consent.<; to insist upon the presence of a quorum. I have endeavored to do plain, unvarnished robbery, made possible b.f an omission in the law. The letting down of the bars to enable "widows' to feed at the public crib has what I could against this reckless way of doing business, and been as scandalous as has been the letting down of the bars to enable the let­ believe that I have blocked the way to the passage of many un­ ting in of fakers and swindlers. It has come to that pass that a marriage worthy claims and finally succeeded in breaking up the Friday­ certificate is no longer necessary to prove a marriage. The law says that a sufficient proof of marriage is the assertion of a woman that she was married night sessions, where bills were poured through a hopper some­ and the testimony of neighbors that she had lived with the man as his wife. times like corn at the mill.. President Cleveland attempted to Was ever the common-law marriage idea carried so far? The ease with which put a stop to this abuse by the use of his veto power. In his first .XXXV--40 626 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. J.ANU.ARY 13,

term he vetoed over 200 of the e bills. Grant was the only other ity of that committee consented to the amendment. This amend­ President who used the veto power in this direction, he haviiig ment, however, before it was finally reported to the House, was vetoed four or five unimportant measures. I submit again that submitted to Mr. Kay and the gentlemen who were with him and Congress is not the proper place to consider these matters. The met their approval, or perhaps I should qualify that remark by pressure of general business is too great. There is no time for a saying they felt that, in order to get the bill through, it was nec­ discus ·ion of these private claims. Again, I maintain that under essary to accept this amendment of the Committee on Civil Serv­ our present system of pension laws, with their liberality, there ice Reform, and to that extent they did accept the amendment and are a very few meritorious claims that do not fall within their were satisfied to have the bill in that foiiD. come before the House. scope. Then· I want to appeal to the members in. all conscience Mr. HEPBURN. Let me ask the gentleman whether he un­ 'to put a stop to this custom of passing special acts to suit special derstood from that committee of the Grand Army of the Republic individuals. It is not right it is not fair to the old soldier per­ that they claimed they were authorized to accept that amendment sonally, and robbery to the taxpayers. or were authorized to urge the passage of a bill with that amend­ Now, Mr. Chairman, in conclusion let me say that what I have ment in it? said on this occasion has not been said from a feeling of section­ Mr. BROMWELL. I will answer the gentleman by saying alism Ol' prejudice, but from a sense of duty. I wanted to call that it was the impression of those members of the Civil Service the attention of the country and this House to the enormity of Reform Committee, of whom I was one-and the gentleman is the expenditures to which this department has reached, and to well aware that it was I who introduced the bill in the House­ ask that an investigation might be had in order to fen·et out we did understand from that committee that their action would the extravagance and fraud and lop it off. meet with the approval of the Grand .Army although the bill as I know you can not accuse me of sectionalism when you con­ presented, or mther as reported with the amendment, was not the sider that the late war with Spain has enlisted so many of our original bill indor ed by the Grand Army. brave boys from the South, who will many of them some day Mr. HEPBURN. Now, Mr. Chairman, I have some serious need the bounty of the Government, and some of whom are objections to this bill as it was presented to this House. All gen­ already justly enjoying it. Ten thousand privates and .500 o.ffi.cers tlemen who are familiar with the facts will recognize this as the have perished in that war, and it has cost, in round numbers, truth, that in the competitive examinations the soldier who is now $300,000:000. I am ready to stand by the true, brave, patriotic given preference by law is required only to reach a standard of soldier boy who, in the pride and vigor of youth, wasted his 65. If he reaches65 in competition with a man not a soldier who health and shed his blood for freedom's cause, or who laid his may have reached 99 or 100, the name of the man with a rating life down upon his country's altar. But what I want to say of 65 must be sent up in response to a requisition. again is that I will stand up against giving a bounty to bum­ Now, I was unwilling to add 275,000 men to the list of those mers camp followers, co.ffee coolers, deserters, and cowards. who might have that advantage. Some men who were engaged [Applause.) in the late war are, in my judgment, entitled 'to the recognition Mr. HEPBURN. Mr. Chairman,forthefirsttimeinmy life Ide­ that was properly given to the soldier of the war of the rebellion, sire to say something of a personal nature. In common with other but I am not willing that 225,000 men who were never beyond members of the House I have been the subject of an attack made the limits of the United States and never heard a hostile gun fired by .five gentlemen, named Joseph W. Kay, Charles Burroughs, should stand as a prefen-ed class, from which for the next twenty­ Isaac F. Mack, H. H. Cummings, and W. W. Eldridge, in a paper five years (if this bill should become a law) the entire civil serv­ dated Cleveland, Ohio, September 12, 1901, in which the Speaker ive could be from year to year recruited. • of this House, the gentleman upon my left, and other Republi~an You put this legislation on the statute books of the United members of this House are seriously criticised because they failed States, and what chance has any young man to get in the civil to vote for House bill5779, which I desire the Clerk to read. · service who was not a soldier in one or the other of these wars? The Clerk read as follows: Mr. Chairman, I was unwilling that that species of legislation Be it enacted, etc., That in every Executive Department of the United should be enacted. I do not believe in it. I know of no service States Government and in each and every branch thereof, whether reached by competitive or noncompetitive examinations under the civil-service laws rendered by the great majority of the soldiers enlisted in the Span­ (in which case the rules and regulations affecting the same shall so provide), ish war and in the Philippine war that entitled them to that kind honorably discharged soldiers, sailors, or marines who served as such be­ of recognition. . Those men who were actually in the service, those tween Aprill2, 18611 and August 26, 1865, and first after the aforementioned men who actually rendered service, who underwent the hardships veterans of the civil war those ho~rably dischar~ed soldiers, sailors, and marine!; who served in the recent war with Spam or in the Philippine belonging to the service and who faced the perils and..su.fferings Islands, they being otlferwise qualified, shall be certi.fl.ed and preferred for connected with the service, as men must endure who participate appointment to and retention m employment in the public service a.n.d for in active war in theArmy-I saythatiwasperfectly willing that promotion therein. Age, loss of limb, or oth.e!'.Phy_sical impairment which does not in fact incapacitate shall not disquali:ry them, provided they pos­ they should have the advantages of this law. I thought and still sess the business capacity necessary to discharge the duties of the position think that they were entitled to it; but the other 225,000 men that involved; and persons thus preferred shall not be removed from their posi­ tions except for good cause, upon charges, and after a hearing. were never beyond the limits of the United States and 1mew noth­ S.Ec. 2. That all laws or pa.rt

1902. OONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 627

efficiency of the service he now renders. And I do not believe Mr. BROMWELL. .Mr. Chairman, I do not disagree to any that the Grand Army of the Republic at large have asked for this. great extent with the criticism which the gentleman makes on I think it was legislation sought by certain interested persons now the question of the promotion of those who might under this bill, in office who were in the war, and who were afraid they were if it became a law, be benefited, I think, with him, that the going out, and wanted to anchor themselves in new places while first consideration wlrich should address itself to members of this the opportunity presented itself. And I believe that th~y spoke House is tbe good of the service, the public good, rather than the or pretended to .speak far the Grand Army of the Republic with­ private benefit to the old soldier or anybody else; and therefore, out authority. so far as that provision of the bill relating to giving preference in I do not think it is necessary for me, Mr. Chairman, to say in promotion is concerned, I will say to the gentleman that it neYer. this presence that I have on every occasion in all proper ways met with my hearty approval. I believe, after we have once been the friend of my "Comrades. I simply speak now because of opened the door to the old soldier and have given him a preference the studied effort of these five men I have named, who perhaps which places him in a position enabling him to secure a place, ignorantly, who perhaps not understanding the effect of the legis­ that he should hold that place and should receive his promotion lation, or perhaps for the purpose of justifying themselves in a from any place to wb:ieh he is first appointed by reason of his ca­ failure through a mistake of their own in lugging in this-the pacity and fidelity. So that I fully agree with the gentleman in amendment quoted-have attempted to screen themselves by his criticisms upon that clause of the bill. tbrowing dirt on their comrades. Now, as to the status of a person ·holding a civil position rmder Mr. BROMWELL, Mr. Chairman, I had not intended to take the Govermnent, who is held in his place by law and can not be any part j.n the debate upon this bill, and would not now occupy discharged without trial, charg~. ere., the gentl~man from Iowa the time of the committee except to reply in part to some of [Mr. HEPBURN] is quite as capable as I a.m. to answer as to what theremarksofthegentlemanfromiowa, who.hasjusttakenhiBseat. the -effect .of su~h .a law would be. I do not believe in holding in TM bill as originally introduced and referred to by the gentle­ any pnblie position a man who has become disqnalified, either by man was a bill which had been prepared by the Grand _Army of reason of his habits or his mental, moral, or physical character­ the Repubfu of the United States. ·A committee was sent here istics. I would be glad if there was a provision in the law by to have the bill introduced and to attempt to secure its passage. which either in the Civil Service Commission or in a separate It went to the Committee on Reform in the Civil Service, and, as board there should be reposed the power of calling every em­ I said before, was in that committee amended so as to .include the ployee 'Of the Government in a civil capacity before it for the soldiers and .sailors of the Spanish war. purpose of making an examination upon his :fitness and if found Personally I was opposed to the amendfnent. I recognized the unfitted for the public service that he should be summarily dis­ same difficulties to which the gentleman from Iowa has referred, missed. If the civil-service law is to remain in force, I hope that that it meant the creation of a civil-service list with an immense some day we may have such a provision. These Departments in number of eligibles, and that it would block the .filling of civil Washington and the public offices all over the country are filled places in the Government for many years to come. with barnacles, with men who are incapacitated or unfitted to do But the Committee on Civil Service Reform insisted npon the the work, -and until we get rid of them and put into their places amendment and the bill was so reported. Now, the gentleman has men who are competent the civil service will always be a re­ truly stated that this bill came up under suspension of the rules, proach to the country. and that it was impossible to amend it "Ullder the .rules of the Mr. Chairman, I do not know what may be the fate of the bill House. It had to be taken as it was or rejected as it-was. It was to which the gentleman referred. I hope that it may be reintro­ no fault of the member of the Civil Service Committee who had duced in this House. I am informed that it is probable it will be; this bill in charge thai it was not reported and acted upon by the but I hope that it will come in as it was originally prepared and House before the days nnder which suspension conld be had. We that it may pass the Committee on Civil Service Reform in that endeavored to secure the consideration of this bill by the House shape, so :as to address itself to the conscience of this House and in the ordinary way, but it was impossible to do so, and the only to show whether or not in this day and generation the soldiers of way in which we could get it before the House was under sus­ the civil war sball be treated generously, as they should be, by pension of the rules. That was attempted, and, as gentlemen this great Go-vernment. who were members of the last Oongress.k:now,it failed in the last .Mr . .RIXEY. Mr. Chairman, in the consideration of the gen­ days o:f the session. eral appropriation bill we have to-day heard a gr~at deal about I see no reason why this bill as originally presented might not be the" old .soldier." I want to talk about another class of old sol­ enacted into law. The old veterans of the civil war are rapidly dis­ diers, and I shall take the time at my disposal for the ronsideration appearing. Their numbers are becoming fewer every year, and of a bill I have to--day introduced on a subject closely allied to the of the few ~ho a.re left a still smaller number would probably appropriation bill now under consideration, and will say here that aver take adv.antage of this law if it were passed. Very few ever no one but myself is responsible for the bill or for what I shall say would be in a position where theyeould make the application for in its advocacy. this examination, and very few of those who make the application The first section of this bill is a duplicate of the bill I intro­ will probably be .able io attam the 65 per cent. Now., if they duced in December, 1898, providing for the opening of Soldiers, could do so afteT the lapse of all these years, if they could make Homes to disabled Confederate soldiers; and the second section application for positions which they eould fill, and the bill so pro­ provides that the National Government shall extend to State vided, I see no reason why all the old soldiers of the civil war Homes at the South the same financial assistance now extended to might not have the preference that now under law is given to the State Homes at theNorth and West. The following is the bill: those same old soldiers who are crippled m disabled. The law as Be it enacted 'by the Smate and House of Rep1·esenta-tives of the United States it stands to-day gi"V'es a preference to those who have been dis­ of .America in Congress assembled, That from and after the passage of this act abled. We wanted to extend the law so as to give to the Gov­ all Soldiers' Home and other institutiom maintained bythe Government for the disabled soldiers and sailors of the United States shall be open to all sol­ ernment service .a better class of men by inL rofound interest to me. Hoping that you and your family are DEAR Sm: I think_ your bill for the admission of Confederate soldiers (dis­ well, and wishing you a prosperous and happy New Year. abled) into Soldiers' Homes for United States soldiers was introduced at an opportune time and came from a proper source, notwithstanding the fact I now give several letters from other sections of the country: that some of the newspapers think that we ought to have waited for some CHESTERTOWN, MD., Decem.be1· 19, 1898. movement of the sort from our Northern friends. DEAR Sm: I notice in the columns of the Baltimore American the intro­ The truth is that while I have not a. word to say but in commendation of duction by you of a bill for the admission of Confederates, as well as all that the President said in his Southern trip, * * * still I have not much Union soldiers and sailors, to all Soldiers' and Sailors' Homes and Gov­ appreciation of sentiment that does not manifest itself in some practical way. ernment institutions maintained by the Government, and have to say in con­ It IS all very well to look after the graves of our dead, but it is a matter of nection therewith, as a Republican and an ex-Federal soldier of l&il, that! much deeper concern to us of the South to provide for the poor, old, crippled, heartily approve ofdour measure. * * * I regret, deeply re~ret, that you maimed Confederate soldiers and to make their last days comfortable as pos­ were not anticipate in this matterbysomeNewEngland Repuolican states­ sible. I wish you success in your measure but I am afraid that it will prick man fifteen years ago. • * * I would not have you think that this is a new the bubble of sentimentalism and develop the fact that there is nothing in it idea of mine, suggested by the recent utterances of President McKinley. when it costs anything. I have a. kind of personal interest in the measure. For years I have advocated it. I do not know but that I may have to go there myself some of these days, and No other prompting in this than a. desire to do your people good, to show I would like to fight the battles over again with the old fellows on the other to you the friendly feeling of an ex-Federal soldier and the kind regards of side. I don't know of anything so well calculated to relieve the burdens a true American. incident to the last days of a man in life as to bring the old fellows together and let them fight over with canes and crutches, the battles of their youth. Really, * * * if the 1dministration and party in power mean to do anx­ COALVILLE, UT.A.H, Dece111ber 19, 1898. thing this is the most sensible practical thing for them to do; but you will DEAR Sm: I see by the papers that you have introduced a. bill in Congress find that in getting your bill passed you will have a. rough rood to travel. providing that all ex-Confederat-e soldiers, disabled from infirmity, etc., be admitted to the National. Soldiers' Homes the same as ex-Union soldiers. Another letter, which is from a Union man, I give in full. It Permit me, a son of an ex-Union soldier who fought under the command of breathes the true spirit of brotherly love: the gallant Dick Oglesby and the gallant John A. Logan, to say that I hope DECEMBER 19, 1898. such a bill will soon become a. law. I have been thinking of this very matter DEAR SIR: I am pleased to observe that you have introduced a bill in Con­ now for sewra.l weeks, and when the people of Atlanta gave President Mc­ gress to ov.en the National Soldiers' Homes to Confederate disabled soldiers. Kinley such an ovation a few days ago, I could wait no longer, but wrote to I indorse It heartily. My sym:pathy was stirred a year or two ago by seeing General Henderson, of Iowa., and suggested that he 1 .~:Bathe most promi­ an old Confederate ~l4ier earned p~st my house on to the co~ty poorho~~ nent ex-Union soldier in the House, introduce a. bill · r to the one you and I have been thinking of the action you have taken ·ever smce. I was au seem to have introduced. I congratulate you on the introduction of this bill, through the war an ardent Union man, and ev-ery pulsation of my heart was and sincerely hope it or a similar one will, before the expiration of the life a. prayer for success of the Union arms and a Republican always since the of the present Congress, become a law. war, but I want to see the last tinge of bitterness engendered by that ~trife eliminated and your bill made a law by the unanimous vote of Republicans I can only give a few of the comments by the newspapers on the and Democrats alike. bill. As an exponent of the criticism, I give what the Richmond 1902. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 629

Dispatch, one of the leading papers of Virginia and of the South, The Fredericksburg Free Lance, under date of January 12, had to say on the subject under date of December 22, 1898: 1899, said: - Ex-Congressman Gaines, of the Petersburg (Va.) district, Republican, is OUR TRUE POSmON. now a department clerk here-.1-.-appointed, it is said, by order of the President, The Dispatch can not approve the course of those Southern members of with whom he served in the House.-Washington correspondent Alexandria Congress who have made moves looking to Federal aid for disabled Confed­ Gazette. • erate soldiers. They mean well, but err in judgment, we think. This accounts for the milk in the cocoanut. Mr. Gaines is out in a letter If there is anr. substantiality in the PreSident's fraternity policy, it is for opposing the pensioning of Confederates. Mr. Gaines, it seems, has a Gov­ him and his political associates to inaugurate it. It would be· foolish and un­ ernment job and does not feel the need of such a law. When those who are gracious, too, for us to interfere with their plans. An unsolicited gift is of poor needy, and deservin~ oppose such a law, the Free Lance will be dis­ far more value than one obtained by hinting or actual begging. posed: possibly, to change 1ts_opinion on the subject. In last Sunday's Dis­ As yet the President has committed himself no further than to express the :Q&tch Grand Commander Williams, of Winchester, of the Confederate belief that the time has come when the Government may well join the people Veterans, says: of the South in caring for the graves of the Confederate dead. Precisely "In a recent letter to me from one of your distinguished past grand com­ what he means, or how far he would go, we do not know; but no doubt his manders occurs this passage: 'Our comrades are getting old, and many poor, utterance upon this subject was well considered before he left Washington. with the sharp competition of life hard to meet. This makes me sad.' To We presume that the help he would have the Government offer woufd be it I replied: 'Like yon, my dear Colonel, it makes me sad when I consider in the way of providing money to inclose and keep in order, for all time, the how <>ur comrades, especially those who, naving so bravely struggled against cemeteries where our dead lie buried; in other words, that our cemeteries adverse fortune to make their own living so long as health and strength suf­ should be put upon nearly the same footing as national cemeteries. If so1 ficed, are fast becoming dependent.' " our scattered dead would be gathered into such cemeteries as Oakwood ana The foregoing is a powerful indorsement of Congressman Rixey's bill to Hollywood, and the "soldiers' sections" of those cemeteries would become put these old, deserving, and dependent ex-Confederates in the United States the objects of the countr_y:'s care. . Soldiers' Homes, which the Dispatch opposes, and yet The Free Lance does The spirit of the President's speech forbids the idea that he thinks we of not understand that the Dispatch points out any better or more pr-actical the South have been derelict in any wise-in our duty to our fallen heroes, but modeofprovidingforthem. Thisappealissues, too, from Winchester, where it seems that he would have the Government show its appreciation of the its Turner Ashby Camp if we mistake not, opposes the Rixey bill. valor of our men by helping us in some way in our work. How he does not Well may the poet call. for "strength to bear his portion of the weight of say. Therefore.,. Southern Congressmen woUld better await the unfolding of care that crushes into dumb despair one-half the human race." Scratch an his plans. No aoubt he first wishes to test public sentiment in the North, opponent of putting the old Confeds in Soldiers' Homes and you'll be apt to and this he may soon do, as we see that some Grand Army of the Republic find someone who has not felt the fierce pang of hunger or the depression of posts M.ve already taken action approving his suggestion. There are, how­ ~ a'lt, and Commander Williams's appeal seems to indicate a growing lack ever, some notes of discord. Some of the New England papers emphatically of interest in and attention to the Confederate camps on the part of the vet­ antagonize the President's proposition. On the other hand, Corporal Tanner erans themselv-es. and others are ready to go further than the President has gone, and would have the Government extend its aid also to disabled Confederate soldiers. Many other comments by the journals of the country for and In our opinion, for the present at least, no action on the part of Southerners against the measure could be given, but I think the foregoing is called for. Let us first see what·the President and his Grand Army associ­ ates are goin~ to do. It may be that after they have had "cooling time," af­ from the Dispatch very fairly represents the criticism against it. ter the joviality of the ChriStmas season has passed, they will be glad to drop Several Confederate camps passed resolutions against the bill. the subJect. Or it may be that they will then be more firmly resolved than Old Confederates took opposite sides, for and against. One com­ ever to carry out the hints and suggestions made by President McKinley on his Southern tour. munication, in a local paper, signed" Confederate," said: So, upon a review of the whole situation, our true policy would appear to No doubt this move was partly brought about by the beautifully expressed be one of mast~rly inactivity. The press of the South has quite unanimously words of the President in his tour of the South, where he was received with given Mr. McKinley credit for kind intentions, and it is generally believed all the hof?Pitality of a warm-hearted and generous :people and who gave him that for Congress to adopt and develop his suggestions would be beneficial to a most flttrng rece:ption in. honor of his exalted position as President of the both sections of the Umon. But everything depends upon the spirit shown United States. His words have already met with condemnation from his by our Northern friends in doing what they propose to do. Therefore, we own party press, for one Republican member of Congress expressed himself, repeat, it is better that they should be left to act unhampered by our impor­ "Before! give my vote for the bill I will wait to see if the President was in tunities or suggestions. earnest and honest in his remarks." I felt it proper to reply, under date of December, 1898, this There has been a good deal of sentimentalism expressed in the last five or to six months in praise of the South, but go North and you will find the same editorial as follows: old fee"ijng about our people. Now that we have worked out our own salva­ Editors R.ichmond Dispatch: , tion in these thirty years since the war, let us continue to do so unto the end, for with us it can not be long before we will answer the last roll call, and the Your comments upon the bill recently introduced providing for opening bounty of aid is offered too late for good. Soldiers' Homes to disabled Confederates, as well as Union soldiers, tempt In this communication I think I have expressed the views of many of my me, contrary to my usual custom, to reply. You deprecate a Southern mem­ comrades of the South, and am sure when they come to reflect they will echo ber taking any steps in that direction. You say "an unsolicited gift is of far the same sentiment of no mingling in the same Homes. greater value than one obtained by hintin~ or actual begging." Evidently you and I look at this matter from vastly different standpoints. You say it CONFEDERATE. 1s a gift. I say that it is a right. Upon your prelnises it lnight be well to wait the donor's pleasure, if you never got it. From mine it is our right not Another communication in the same paper; and also signed only to suggest, but demand. Citizens of a common countrv, with equal "Confederate," replying to the above, held that the bill was right before the law and the last discriminating statute as to nolding office right, and said: having been repealed, the ex-Confederate is required to pay taxes and has the right to vote and to represent his people in the highest offices under the Yes, sir, Mr. Rixey, "the goodness of your heart" prompted the bill, and Government. Is he to be classed as a be~gar if he insists on equal privileges many an old Confederate soldier and sailor would thank you the balance of in other respects? Why give him the right to represent his people in the their days if yon can be so fortunate as to effect its passage and give thetn a halls of legislation, as ministers to foreign countries, upon the Federal bench, chance to "avail themselves of such a vrivilege." and yet class him as a beggar if he insists that Soldiers' Homes supported by Confederate says: "They would pomt out to him the trophies of their the Government should likewise be open to him? valor, etc." Could not the honest Confed point out to him or to them\ as the Summing up the situation, you say in conclusion, "So, upon a review of case may be, the tracks they left behind them (with their heels towara Rich­ the whole situation, our true policy would appear to be one of masterly in­ mond) from the battles of Bull Run and Manassas toward Washingt<>n, and activity." ask them where their "valor" was in those days? And were there no guns This has been our policr for thirty-three yea~J and more than the life of nor standards captured from them as trophles at that and at many other a generation has passed smce the close of the civil war. battles the Confed could think of if his memory was jogged a little? How long is this "masterly inactivity" to continue? For another genera­ CO:NFEDERATE. tion? Who then could be benefited? These Soldiers' Homes are supported by taxes paid as well by the South as .And so it went. It is unnecessary to make further citations by the North-by the Confederate a-s by the Union veteran. from the many comments of that time. It would only make Since the declaration of war with Spain, it has been the favorite cry that ''confusion worse confounded.'' The question, after all, is, Is the sectionalism was dead and that the ex-Confederate should receive the same consideration in appointments to the Army as the Union veteran. Wheeler, bill meritorious, and does it deserve favorable Congressional action? Fitz Lee, and others h:l.ve been accorded high positions by the President in The Federal Government provides '' Homes '' for the disabled the Army of the United States volunteers. The people of the South requested volunteer soldiers under laws passed by Congress, the organi­ this should be done, and it was understood at the very outset that fair treat­ ment would be accorded the South. zation being known as the "National Home for Disabled Volun­ Why is it becoming in us to insist that our ex-Confederate generals should teer Soldiers," which is now made up of eight separate" Homes," be given high commands in the United States Army, and yet preserve a known as "Branches of the National Home," the requirements "masterly inactivity" as to the men who really appeal most to our sympa­ thies-the crippled, the maimed, and disabled? Why should it be unbecom­ for admission to which are, first, an honorable discharge from the ing or in bad taste for a Representative in whose district many of these United States service; second, disability which prevents the ap­ men live to su~gest by bill that it would be an act of justice and an evidence plicant from earning his living by labor, with· a proviso that a of fraternity, mdeed. to throw open the closed doors of the Government Sol­ diers' Homes to the disabled ex-Confederates? pensioner who gets as much as $16 per month can not enter ex- It is right that it should be done. It should have been done sooner and, cept for special reasons. · . being right, I do not see any impropriety in its introduction by a Southern1 Representative. Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. Will the gentleman allow me The bill was not introduced without consideration. During the summer to ask him a question? reces.!J, after consultation with a few friends, I decided to introduce a bill for Mr. RIXEY. Yes. the p~. It was actually prepared before the delivery of the President's speech rn Atlanta. Upon reading what he had to say, I thought it an oppor­ Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. You were referring to a bill tune time to call the attention of the country to this matter, and I therefore that you introduced in 1898, were you not? promptlY. introduced the bill. • Mr. RIXEY. Yes. The bill importunes no one, as yon seem to fear. It is not a "gift" that we ask only fair equality and justice. Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. That bill provided, did it You may rest assured, however, if the leading journals of the South, sup­ not, for receiving Confederate soldiers into the Homes? posed to represent public opinion, are opposed to any agitation on this line Mr. RIXEY. The bill simply provided that the Soldiers' Homes and in favor of the status q,uo of the ex-Confederates of the past thirty-three years, and of a "masterly(?) inactivity" for the future, we will have that, should be opened to the Confederate soldiers as well as the Union but only that, and nothing more. soldiers. 630 c·oNGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. JANUARY 13,

Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. By what fneans were the Mr. RIXEY. I think the gentleman from Alabama is right; Confederate soldiers to be admitted-upon what test, and who and I will also say that each State in the South is taking care of was to apply the test? the disabled Confederate soldiers to the best of her ability, and I Mr. RIXEY. Upon the same test that is applied to the Union believe in the wisdom of the suggestion of the gentleman from soldiers: First, that they were unable to maintain themselves- Alabama in contradistinction to the position of the gentleman that was the chief requisite-and then that they had been honor- from Tennessee. • ably ·discharged soldiers, either of the Confederacy or the Union. Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. I do not think there has ever Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. Have you such a bill before been any trouble between the old Confederate soldier and the Fed- Congress? eral soldier. There never would have been any friction if they Mr. RIXEY. That bill died with that Congress. had been allowed to control. There has always been the great- Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. It has not been reintroduced est cordiality and friendly feeling between the soldiers who met in this Congress, has it? on the battlefields of the great war between the North and the Mr. RIXEY. It was not reported from the committee, but I South. have prepared another bill, which I introduce to-day, which pro- Mr. RIXEY. Mr. Chairman, in addition to these, another vides that Soldiers' Homes shall be opened to Confederate as well Branch of the National Soldiers' Home is now being established as Union soldiers, and provides furthermore that the Government at Johnson City, Tenn. For the maintenance of these Homes will give to State Homes at the South the same financial assi~t- there has been paid by the National Treasury $40,796,723.34, and ance that it gives to State Homes at th~ North and "Yf est; t?at IS, for construction and repair . 10,274.714.25. . $100 for every inmate of the State.Soldiers~ Home, .Just as 1s n?w In additional to these National Homes, 9 in number, the Fed­ given for the support of the "!Jmon soldier. This would ~ve eral Government, by law, contributes 100 for every ~ate of every disabled Confederate soldier the benefit of a Home to which all the State Homes for United States soldiers. According to the he could go. report of the president of the Board of Managers, there were in Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. If the gentleman will par- 1900 30 of these State Homes in 27 States of the North and West! don me for interrupting him, of course I very cordially indorse . 8 of which Homes were establish d within five years, and for the that kind of a bill, and I do it as an ex-Confederate soldier. My support of which the Federal Government contributes $100 per first official act as a member of the Fifty-sixth Congress was to annum for each inmate, less one-half of the amount which may be introduce a bill for a Home at Huntsville, Ala., for both Confed- deducted from pensions. erate and Union veterans, and I have reintroduced into this Con- The average cost per capita is lowest in Illinois, $105.03, where gress the same bill, heartily indorsed by the post of the Grand the Home had 1,528 inmates. Army of the Republic at Huntsyp.Ie, Ala:·' and by the Confed~r- For the year ending June 30, 1902, the estimate of appropria­ ate organizations of the same City, and mdorsed by a memonal tionsis$3,087,694fortheGovernmentHomes,and$950,000foraidto from the general assembly of Alabama. StateorTerritorialHomes, makingatotalfortheyearof 4 037,694. Mr. RIXEY. I am glad to Imowthe gentleman has introduced Twenty-nine thousand five hundred and seventy-eight1 mem- such a bill. bers were cared for in 1900 in the 8 Branches of the National Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. And I believe the time will Home, and 16,701 in the 30 State Homes. A total of .W,279. come in the history of this country when the passage of such an The annual cost per capita for maintenance in the National act will procure the sincerest consummation of reconciliation be- Homes is $123.97, as against an average of $159.37 in the State tween the two sections of the country. Homes. Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. Does the gentleman object to the It is presumed that the greater portion, if not all, of the inmates States doing as they are doing now all over the South for the Con- of the Homes draw pensions, a portion of which, in some of the federate soldier? State homes,·is covered into the Treasury. Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. I do not object to the States Mr. Chairman, no one can deny that the Federal Government of the South doing what they are able to do; but I do believe, in has been and is generous to her soldiers and sailors. accord with the sentiment Mr. McKinley expressed at Atlanta, Out of a possible 965,313 survivors, it is estimated that about 80 that the time will soon come when the Federal Government per cent are now carried on the pension rolls, and that nearly will take care of the graves of the Confederate soldiers; and, if $150 ,000,000 is annually appl'Opriated for pensio~, mak:i.J;g a total the gentleman from Tennessee [:1\Ir. GAINES] will allow me to sug- since the close of the war of $3,222,808,116.26, wh1ch has mcreased gest it if the Federal Government can take care of the graves from the yearly average expenditure of 28 ,651 273.02 in the first of our'honored and lamented dead Confederate soldiers, it can year of Grants Administration to $140,000,136.81 in the last year also provide that those who are disabled by age and wounds and of McKinley's first Administration. honorable poverty be taken care of in the Soldiers' Homes of the In addition there are, as I have stated, 8 Soldiers' Homes sup- Government. ported entirely by the Federal Government, and 30 State soldiers' We pay our part of the taxes to furnish the brave Fede!al homes, for the support of which the National Government con- soldiers their pensions. Why not let the Government proVIde tributes $100 for every inmate. · for our aged comrades of the South? Without stopping now to question or criticise this great ex- Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. Will the gentleman yield to me a penditure of money, which does not seem likely to grow less in little further? Will the gentleman from Virginia allow me to ask the near future, because of our large standing Army, foreign the gentleman from Al:abama a question? wars, and military establishments, I desire to call attention briefly Mr. RIXEY. Certainly. to what is done for the Confederate soldier. ' Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. I gather from what you ~ay-- The National Government, of course, contributes nothing to Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. I do not want to mterrupt his support or maintenance, but the several Southern States have, the gentleman from Virginia. . . . . to the extent of their ability, contributed to the comfort of those Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. The gentleman from Vrrgmm unable to maintain themselves. yields to me to ask yon this question. I gathered from what the (1} Maryland has no general pension law for the qonfederate gentleman from Alabama said a few.minutes ago ~hat if sue?- a soldier, but appropriates $9,000 for a Confederate Soldiers' Home, bill as this became law, it would bnng about a friendly feeling which is further assisted by private contributions. such as has not been before between the different sections. (2) Virginia maintains a Soldiers' Home at an expense of $35,000 Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. I think so. . and appropriates $135,000 for pensions. The highest pension for Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. Am I to infer from this that there total disability from wounds is 30 per year. is an unfriendly feeling betw~n the ~o secti~ns of the ~ountry (3) North Carolina maintains a Soldiers' Home upon an appro· when there is none and that if there IS not a_fr1endly feeling ~ow priation of $10,000, and·by a special tax of 3t cents on the $100 of that that can be re~edied by giving these old Confederate soldiers property provides a pension fund of about $112,230, disbursed as a place in the Soldiers' Homes? What objection does the gentle- follows: man see to the Confederates being taken care of as they are in the States of the South now? 111 first cla-ss. at $58 per annum----·------·------·------S6, 438 . ttoth Fed a1 358secondclass,at$43.50perannu.m .•...... ••.... ------15,573 Mr. RICHARDSON of Alab ama. D oyou ob Jec e .er 619 third class, at $29 per annum ______·-··--·------17,951 Government taking care of the old disabled Confederate soldiers? 2 326 fourth class, at $1!.50 per annum ___ , __ ------.---·-_------.----- 33, m Mr. GAINES of Tennessee. I have not decided on that. I have 2:658 widows, at$14.50per annum---·------·----·------·------38,541 not fully considered the question. With the lights before me now 6,072 112,200 I do not think I am in favor of it, nor have my people asked me to act one way or the other; but I am in favor of the South taking Here we see that out of a total of 6,072 pensioners, 4,984 draw care of their Confederate soldiers, the same as the Sta~ of Ten- only $14.50 as an annual pension. It is only paid to those who nessee is doing, and as it is being done in Alabama, I think, and I have no other support. Can mortal man exist on it? It is a fair aided all I could in the passage of that law. . sample of pensions in other States, as I believe. :Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. Alabama is doing it to the ( 4) South Carolina has no Soldiers' Home, but appropriates extent of its financial capacity. $1~0,000 for pensions.

J 1902. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 631

(5) Georgia appropriates $20,000 for a Soldiers' Home and Physical condition of all the inmates foJ· the same pe1·iod, $800,000 for pensions. Blind.-----_-----_------.. ------.------ll Partially blind.. ______------_-·------·------.-·------_-·---_----- 12 (6) Florida maintains a Soldiers' Home and appropriates about 16 $8,250 for pensions, which is provided for by a special tax on prop­ g~ef~~t~~~~ ===~:::::~:::::::: ~::::: ::::=:::::~: :=:=:::: :::::: ::::~: =::::::::: 2 erty. If the amount collected is insufficient, pensions are pro­ G-eneral paralysis.-~---·_-----_------.--.------5 Partial paralysis ______---- ____ ---- __ ------•. _.------.----.------lD rated. One arm. ___ --- __ .... ____ -.------.....• --··------·.------·-·------· 7 {7) Alabama provides no Soldiers' Home, but has a special tax One useless arm------_------·-···------·---·------___ _ 8 to be used as a pension fund for those who are unable to earn Some form of heart disease ...... ------16 00 their living and have not as much as $400 worth of property or an ~~· -~~~~~=: ::::: ==~==== ::::-_:::::~::::::: ::::·_:::::~:::::::=: :::=: 6 income of that amount, the fund being prorated if insufficient. Chronic bronchitis_------·------______------10 (8) Mississippi maintains no Soldiers' Home, but appropriates Gunshotand other wounds to dress ______------20 Diabetes militis______-----· _---·------______---- _------· ------___ _ 2 $150,000 ~ually for pensions for those unable support them­ to Ca.rdiac dropsy.------2 selves and who have not as much as $400 in property. 4 (9) Louisiana maintains a Soldiers' Home, with 140 inmn.tes, ~~=:::: ~=~:: ::::: ===~= :::::: =::::: :::::::::::: =::::::::::::::::: == :::-::::: ,6 Other constitutional diseases ______------: ______12 upon an annual appropriation of $18,200, and appropriates $50,000 Gall stones. __ ---_-----.-----_----·------··------·------·------2 for pensions. Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver_____ ------____ ------______6 (10) Texas maintains a Soldiers' Home. with about 300 inmates, Morphine habit.------_------.------··------12 Opium habit------___ _ "2. upon an annual appropriation of about $40,000, and now appropri­ hnbeciles. ______---·----- ______------_. ------____ • _. ·-- _____ ----- __ .. --- 3 ates $150,000 for pensions. No person can draw a pension who is an Aneurism of theaorta ______------1 inmate of the soldiers' Home or who is able ''to earn a support.'' Chronic rheumatism ____ ------40 Stricture of the urethra, usingcath.etel'S.. ------6 (11) Arkansas maintains a Soldiers' Home and provides pen­ 2 sions of the maximum amormt of $100 in a single case, provided ~~~l~~~ni 'Oi

four times, once by a sabor cut a~ross the face, once by a bullet Mr. RIXEY. To some extent it does. I. say that the restric­ breaking the bone below the knee, and twice by bullets in the tionagainst Confederates voting and holding office having been re­ body, one of which lodged there and has only within the past moved, and the restrictions against Confederates holding com­ eighteen months worked its slow way through the flesh. He said miSsions in the Army and Navy of the United States having been the $30 which he received from the State of 'Virginia annually as removed, it is right to remove also the restrictions against admit­ a pension for total disability from wounds received in battle was ting the Confederate soldier, who is disabled, to the Soldiers' his sole support, and he was compelled to depend upon relatives Home. who were not able to care for him. As this man told me of his Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. Pardon me a moment. As troubles I could readily believe him when he said there was little to my service in the Confederate army (which I should not refer left of life for him. He had walked to my house from southeast to if the gentleman had not called attention to it), I receive com­ Washington, a distance of 2 miles, and said that he did not have pensation now for my service in this House, because I believe I money enough to pay his car fare back. am rendering a quid pro quo; but I can not come and ask the Mr. Chairman, when I think of cases like this I am ready to Government of the United States to pension me or to give me a say, Let those who draw salaries and live upon large incomes crit­ bounty, or to give me a bonus by taking care of me in a Federal icise this bill; I speak for these two men. Open the Soldiers' Soldiers' Home-because I fought to destroy the Union. And I Homes! Let them enter, to remain until, not many years hence, want to say, Mr. Chairman, that I do not agree with the argu­ they follow their great commanders, and cross over the river to ment of the gentleman who takes the position which has been " rest forever under the shade of the trees." taken in this discussion; and r am proud to say that no Confed­ For such as these it may be: erate soldier, so far as I know, ever asked to go in a Union Home The world may sound no trumpets; ring no bells; and never will, I hope. [Applause.] but I believe- Mr. RIXEY. . I have no doubt, Mr. Chairman, the gentleman The book of life the shining record tells. does~ all that is paid to him by the Government; but I have no In this matter- doubt that there are other gentlemen who could be found in his Let others hail the rising sun; section who would be equally able to earn the same compensation. I bow to that whose race is run. It was not necessary to remove his disability to have a Representa­ Nearly thirty-seven years have been added to the centuries of tive from his State. But the gentleman should remember that the past since the close of the great civil strife which came near, conflitions have changed very materially in the last few years. very near, rending in twain this great Republic. At the close of that war the gentleman from Tennessee could not It has long since been a favorite theme to declare that this is a have come here as a Representative from his State. He could reunited country. No one doubts the loyalty of any portion of not have received a commission to command in the Army or the the country. The man who alleges disloyalty is untruthful and Navy of the United States. Now all of these restrictions have a slanderer. Old Confederates can hold office, national as well as been removed. The gentleman is a member of this Congress. State; can hold commissions in this House and in the Senate of the He is participating in the lawmaking power of the Government. United States; can sit on the bench of the Supreme Court, and of And now, when the opportunity comes that certain restrictions . all of the subordinate courts of the United States; and now when can be removed and these disabled Confederates can receive some the last restrictions for military commissions in the Army and of the bounty of the Government, the gentleman raises his voice Navy have been removed; when it is safe and patriotic to give ex­ in opposition and says that no Confederate has ever asked such Confederates commissions to command in the Army and Navy, is bounty from the Government and his hope is that none ever it not safe and right on behalf of the private soldiers to open the will. Soldiers' Home:!! for the disabled and the needy? No harm or dam­ Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. That is precisely what I age can be done. Then why not have it done? The country at do hope. large would applaud it. Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. Will the gentleman from The sons of Confederate and Union soldiers march side by side Virginia [.Mr. RIXEY] aJ].ow me to ask the gentleman from Ten­ to battle, sometimes commanded by an officer who had worn the nessee a question in connection with what he has just said? gray, sometimes by one who had worn the blue. These descend­ Mr. RIXEY. Certainly. ants of Confederate and Union soldiers have equal right of access Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. Will the gentleman from to the National and State Homes. Tennessee yield for a question? Mr. SCOTT. I should like to repeat the question which was Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. Certainly. asked a moment ago on my right and not answered; that is, Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. I would like to ask the gen­ upon what principle the gentleman urges this matter. He under­ tleman if he thinks, as an ex-Confederate soldier, that in any way stands, of course, that ex-Federal soldiers are admitted to the such soldier would compromise his allegiance to the cause for Sol'diers' Homes in the North on the theory that they performed which he risked his life by accepting the bounty of the Govern­ service to their Government, and the Government is, therefore, ment and going into a Federal -Home? I ask him if he thinks under obligation to provide for them in their old age and their that he compromises it any more than when he receives a salary necessities. But I wish to ask the gentleman upon what theory for holding a position under the Federal Government? or principle he proposes to open these Homes to ex-Confederate Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. I do not think that they soldiers? · are parallel cases at all. · Mr. RIXEY. Well, I might reply by saying upon the same Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. Why? theory and for the same reason that ex-Confederates have been Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. Because in the one case tht granted commissions in the Army and Navy of the United States. man is rendering a service to the Government and undertakin~ Mr. SCOTT. Would not the same reason admit to the Federal to discharge the duties of- an office, for which he receives com­ Soldiers' Home any citizen of the United States who was uanble pensation. But you.seek now, under this proposition, to compen­ to~a~~ _ sate him for endeavoring to destroy the Union. That is an en­ Mr. RIXEY. Oh, no; it is only upon the condition upon which tirely different proposition, as the gentleman must see. the Union soldier is admitted, the only change in the condition Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. But the gentleman does being that the soldier who was a Confederate shall have the right not- . to enter as if he were a Union soldier. There are two conditions. Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee (continuing). And so far as The first requirement would be that he must be an honorably I am concerned, Mr. Chairman, I do not believe that tho e who discharged soldier or sailor of the Union or of the Confederacy; fought in the rebellion have a right to ask the Government to second, that he must be unable to earn his own living. compensate them in any degree whatever. [Applause.] I do Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. I still do not understand not think that they have the right to come in and ask any favor the point of the answer which my friend from Virginia makes to whatever of the Federal Government. the inquiry which has twice been propounded. The Federal sol­ Mr. RIXEY. I hope the gentleman from Tennessee will not dier is admitted to these Homes because he fought to preserve the continue to consume my time. He can make his speech in oppo­ Union. Now, are you going to admit the Confederate soldier sition in his own time. What I have said in this connection rep­ because he fought to destroy the Union? That is what he did; resents my views. I have stated that since all other restrictions Mr. RIXEY. I understand that. were remo-ved, I do not see why the Confederate veteran is not Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. Are you going to admit him as much entitled as any _other man who helps to pay the taxes of because he fought to destroy the Union? That is the question. the Government to some consideration from the Government by Mr. RIXEY. Let me answer my friend in this way: The gen­ at least giving him in his old age and disabled condition a home tleman from Tennessee fought to destroy the Union- in these Soldiers' Homes. ltfr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. I did. Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. I would like to ask the gen­ Mr. RIXEY. And yet you are here in the Congress of the tleman from Tennessee if he believes a Confederate soldier who United States legislating for the people of the United States. discharged his duty on the battlefield in favor of the South sur­ Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. Well, that does not answer renders or compromises any allegiance to the lost cause of the lDJ' question. · South by a

Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. That is not the question at Mr. RIXEY. lam glad the gentleman from Georgia does not all want to enter the Soldiers' Home. Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. But I would like the gentle­ Mr. BARTLETT. I said the Confederate soldiers. man to answer that question. Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. Have you heard any protests Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. I think the Confederate sol­ from the Confederate soldiers against the provision which has dier, having risked all by the wager of battle and having failed in already been made and can-ied out by the Federal Government his attempt, ought to be content, and not come to the Govern­ for the burial at Arlington of Confederate soldiers and the pay­ ment and ask to be taken care of in his old age. ment of the cost of the interment and placing headstones at their Mr. BARTLETT. And he is perfectly satisfied with his con­ graves? Have you heard any objection to that from Georgia, dition. Tennessee, or anywhere else in the South? Mr. RICHARDSON of Tennessee. And is satisfied, as the gen­ Mr. RIXEY. I think it is right that that should be done. tleman says, with his condition. :Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama, I think with thousands of Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama. Mr. Chairman, there is no others that it is right. gentleman on the floor of this House who is more willing to up­ Mr. LAMB. If my colleague will allow me, I know there are hold the honor and the glory of the Federal soldier than myself. I many Confederate camps in .hiB district. I have addressed them am willing to grant to him the most h'beral pensions. But at the myself. Have any of those gentlemen, who must voice the senti­ same time, when I recognize the condition of the man who fought ments of the people, asked him to favor this bill, or do they against him, of the situation that exists amongst them, then I say favor it? as a Confederate soldier, true to every tradition and memory of Mr. RIXEY. As I stated in the very beginning, there is no the battlefields of the South, that I do not see why a man would uniformity of opinion upon this subject. I stated that there were sacrifice honor by a.ccepting a place in one of the Federal Sol­ extremists who were against it. diers' Homes, just as President McKinley said in his speech in Mr. KLUTTZ. If the gentleman will allow me, how long does Atlanta, that the time would come when the Federal Govern­ he think it would be before there would be the liveliest sort of a ment would take care of the graves of the Confederate dead. racket in the old Soldiers' Home if ex-Confederates were admitted, Mr. POU. Will the gentleman yield? when they got to bragging on both sides about what they had Mr. RIXEY. Certainly. I yield to the gentleman from North done. [Laughter.] Carolina. · Mr. RIXEY. I think there would be less racket than my Mr. POU. Before the gentleman takes his seat I simply desire friend anticipates. · to correct some figures that he gave in reference to the State of Mr. Chainnan, I may add, in ~onclu.sion, I have felt the less North Carolina. The figures which he gave, and which will ap­ hesitation in urging this measure because the State which I have pear in the RECORD, were the appropriation made by the general the honor to represent in part upon this floor has, in common assembly of 1898. The general assembly of 1900 ·appropriated with her sister Southern States, contn"buted as she was able to $200,000 for the pensioning of Confederate soldiers. The mini­ the relief of the disabled Confederate. mum amount received by a pensioner under that appropriation Virginia, perhaps, more than any other State suffered from the was placed at $30, and the maximum allowed was $120. war. She was alone in having one-third of her tenitory taken from Mr. RIXEY. The statement I gave in regard to North Caro­ her; and now, with the largest State debt in the Union, she, to · lina was taken from the State auditor's report for 1900. I pre­ her credit be it said, contributes, as I understand it, a larger per sume that if the appropriation is not sufficient to go around, as it cent of her State revenues for public-school purposes than any rarely is, the pensions are to be prorated. other State. Besides this, a bill is now pending befo1·e her legisla­ Mr. POU. That is true; but,asamatterof fact, lam told that ture, having passed one branch of it, to increase the appropria­ the minimum amount received under this bill will be about $24 tion for pensions from $135,000 to $300,000 per annum. It is true and the maximum amount $120. there are those who doubt whether under the present rate of taxa­ Mr. RIXEY. I will say to my friend that practically all the tion the State can meet the increased rate of interest upon the States experience the same diffi~ulty, and pensions have to be pro­ State debt, continue the liberal care of the public schools, meet rated. The State of Virginia, which has been as liberal as it the growing demands of a great and progressive State, and annu­ could in regard to pensions, has been unable to appropriate a suf­ ally pay out one-thh·d of a million dollars to the disabled veterans. ficient amount for this purpose, and the pensions, I believe almost It is safe to say, however, that she will never forget but ever meet without exception, have to be prorated, many of the pensioners, and recognize to the extent pf her financial ability the solemn ob­ as I am informed, receiving less than 10 per year. ligation resting upon her to care for her disabled sons. Mr. SIMS. The gentleman is so kind that I hesitate about in­ Mr. Chairman, upon the plains of Abraham one single monu­ terrupting him. ment has been erected to commemorate the valor and the death Mr. RIXEY. I will yield to the gentleman. of .Wolfe, who led the victorious English, and of Montcalm, who J\fr. SIMS. I am not doing it in a critical spirit, but I would commanded the vanquished French. like to ask the gentleman if it does not resolve itself into this, Mr. Chairman~ at the close of the great struggle between the that this is simply a national charity, or a payment out of the States, when section haters and extreme men were demanding Treasury of the United States for the purpose of answering what radical measures, Grant was great enough to declare, "Let us would be a mere charity upon the part of the State; and I would have peace;" and the world applauded, and still echoes the noble like to ask him whether Confederate service is a matter of national sentiment. Can not this Congress, at this great distance from merit. for which the nation should undertake to give a reward? the close of that great struggle, rise to his plane and remove the Mr. RIXEY. I will answer the gentleman by stating that the barrier which stands across the path of the private soldier leading National Home is to some extent a charitable orgariization, which to justice, equality, peace, and brotherly love? [Loud applause.] takes care of those who are unable to support themselves; and I hold that as we of the South pay our proportion of the taxes, [Mr. GAINES of Tennessee addressed the committee. See the ex-Confederates are entitled, as a matter of justice and right, Appendix.] to be allowed to go into the Soldiers' Homes, simply for their Mr. BARNEY, I move that the committee do now rise. support and nothing else. The motion was agreed to. . 1\fr. BARTLETT. May I ask the gentleman a question? The committee accordingly rose; and the Speaker having Mr. RI.XEY. Certainly; I yield to the gentleman from Georgia. resumed the chair, 1\Ir. LACEY. Cllairman of the Committee of Mr. BARTLETT. If they ought to be entitled to go into the the Whole House on the state of the Union, reported that that Soldiers' Homes and receive care and attention there, why ought committee had had under consideration the bill H. R. 8581, the they not also to be pensioned by the General Government? pension appropriation bill, and had come to no resolution thereon. Mr. RIXEY. I think I have replied to that. I have not put it upon the ground of a charity. SENATE Bll..LS REFERRED. Mr. BARTLETT. I did not hear the gentleman's statement in Under clause 2 of Rule XXIV, Senate bills of the following titles that regard. were taken from the Speaker's table and referred to their appro­ Mr. RIXEY. I hope the gentleman did not understand me as priate committees, as indicated below: _putting it upon the ground that it was a cllarity. A bill (S. 1037) granting an increase of pension to Helen A. B. Mr. BARTLETT. The gentleman will peimit me, in his time, Du Barry-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. to say that the State of Georgia, and I believe all Southern States, A bill (S. 1146) granting a pension to Adela S. Webster-to the take care of their Confederate soldiers. Georgia appropriated Committee on Invalid Pensions. $750,000 last year. A bill (S. 382) granting an increase of pension to Louisa A. Mr. RIXEY. You appropriated more than that. Yon appro­ Crosby-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. priated three times as much as any other State. A bill (S. 2161) granting an increase of pension to A. Curtis Mr. BARTL.ETT. And so far as the Georgia ex-Confederate Steever Carpenter-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. soldiers are concerned, they do not want to go into Solgiers' A bill (S. 2012) granting a pension to Catherine Conroy-to the Homes. Committee on Invalid Pensions. 1902. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 635

A bill (S. 1197) granting an increase of pension to Mahale Leit- Edward Wooten and John R. Williams, administrators of estate ton-to the Committee on Inva.lid Pensions. of Jonathan B. Benson, against the United States-to the Com- A bill (S. 920) granting an increase of pension to Frances M. mittee on War Claims, and ordered to be printed. Reilly-to the Committee on Pensions. A letter from Hamilton & Colbert, transmitting annual report A bill (S. 232) granting a pension to Mary E. W. Morgan-to of the Georgetown Barge, Dock, Elevator and Railway Com- the Committee on Pensions. pany-to the Committee on the District of Columbia, and ordered · A bill (S. 201) grantinganincreaseof pensiontoJane K. Hill- to be printed. to the Committee on Pensions. A letter from the assistant clerk of the Court of Claims, trans- A bill (S. 194) granting a pensi<>n to Joseph W. Mulford-to mitting a copy of the findings filed by the court in the case of the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Joseph L. Motter, executor of estate of Isaac Motter, against the FISHING LAWS OF HAWAll. United States-to the Committee on War Claims, and ordered to . f be printed. The SPEAKER laid before the House the followmg message o A letter from the assistant clerk of the Court of Claims, trans- the President of the United States; which was read, ·referred to mitting a copy of the findings filed by the court in the case of the Committee on the Territories, and ordered to be printed: James A. McDaniel, ad.minisb.·ator of estate of James Warters, To the Senate and House of Representatives: against the United States-to the Committee on War Claims, and I transmit herewith, for the information of the Congress, a. communication d ed to b · t d from the Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries, forwarding a. preliminary re- or er e pnn e · port on an investigation of the fisheries and fishing laws of Hawaii, made in A letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting rec­ a.ccordance with the provisions of the act of Congress a:pp:roved April 00,1900. om.mendation as to a new light at Ashtabula Harbor, Ohio-to Your attention is called to the request of the CoiD.IIllSSioner that the sum the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, and ordered of $].0,00) be appropriated for the immediate use of the Commission in carry- to be pnn·ted. - ing out the ivl.shes of Congress. THEODORE ROOSEVELT. A letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, recommending a WHITE HouSE, JanuaMJ 1S, 1902. new light at Racine Reef, Wisconsin-to the Committee on Inter- ~ITISH STEA.ME.R LINDISFARNE. state and Foreign Commerce, and ordered to be printed. The SPEAKER also laid before the House the following message A letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting a from the President of the United States; which was read, refened copy of a communication from the Commissioners of the District to the Committee on Claims, and ordered to be printed: of Columbia submitting an estimate of deficiency appropriation To the Senate and House of Representatives: for the District of Columbia-to the Committee on Appropriations, I transmit herewith, for the consideration of Congress, a reP,

A letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, transmitting list By Mr. LACEY: A bill (H. R. 8728) authorizing the purchase of judgments rendered by the Court of Claims-to the Commit­ of additional land for public building purposes at Ottumwa, tee on Appropriations, and ordered to be printed. Iowar--to the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. A letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, canceling estimate By Mr. SUTHERLAND: A bill (H. R. 8729) to establish a fish for keeper's dwelling at Point Sur, Californiar--to the Committee hatchery and fish station in the State of Utah-to the Committee on Appropriations, and ordered to be printed. on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries. A letter from the Secretary of the Treasury, recommending an By Mr. NORTON: A bill (H. R. 8730) for the extension of appropriation for a light keeper's dwelling at Fort Pulaski, Ga.­ Twenty-fourth street northeast, and for othE>J purposes-to the to the Committee on Appropriations, and o:t:dered to be printed. Committee on the District of Columbia. By Mr. THOMAS of North Carolina: A bill (H. R. 8731) to ap­ propriate 10,000 to inclose and beautify the grounds and repair REPORTS OF COMMITTEES ON PUBLIC BILLS AND the monument on the Moores Creek battlefield, North Carolina- RESOLUTIONS. to the Committee on the Library. · Under clause 2 of Rule XIII, bills and resolutions were severally By Mr. BURKETT: A bill (H. R. 8732) authorizing construc­ reported from committees, delivered to the Clerk, and referred to tion of an addition to Government building at Lincoln, Nebr.-to the several Calendars therein named, as follows: the COmmittee on Public Buildings and Grounds. Mr. SAMUEL W. SMITH, from the Committee on the District By Mr. COOPER of Texaa: A bill (H. R. 8733) to enlarge the of Columbia, to which was referred the bill of the House (H. R. public building at Beaumont, Tex.-to the Committee on Public 2678) to incorporate the Eastern Star Home for the District of Buildings and Grounds. Columbia, reported the same with amendment, accompanied by Also (by request), a bill (H. R. 8734) to amend the law creat­ a report (No. 31); which said bill and report were referred to the ing the district of the Teche, Louisiana-to the Conimittee on House Calendar. Ways and Means. Mr. HILL, from the Committee on Banking and Currency, to By Mr. GROSVENOR: A bill (H. R. 8735) to apply a portion which was referred the bill of the House (H. R. 7645) to main­ of proceeds of sale of public lands to the endowment of schools tain the legal-tender silver dollar at parity with gold, and to in­ or departments of mining and metallurgy, and so forth-to the crease the subsidiary silver coinage, reported the same without Committee on Mines and Mining. amendment, accompanied by a report (No. 32); which said bill By Mr. SMITH of Arizona: A bill (H. R. 8736) ratifying the and report were referred to the Committee of the Whole House act of the Territorial legislature of Arizona, approved March 2, on the state of the Union. 1901, providing a fund for the erection of additional buildings for Mr. FLETCHER, from the Committee on Interstate and For­ the University of Ariz(mar--to the Committee on the Territories. eign Commerce, to which was refen-ed the bill of the House (H. R. By Mr. CUSHMAN: A bill (H. R. 8737) to establish gas buoys 200 ) to authorize the city of Duluth, Minn., to construct and at certain points in the waters and along the shores of Alaska­ maintain or cause to be constructed and maintained a car trans­ to the Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries. fer over the Duluth Canal, and for that purpose to occupy certain By Mr. CURTIS: A bill (H. R. 8738) to enable claimants of lands of the United States, reported the same with amendment, the Jose Manuel Royuela and John Charles Beales grant (com­ accompanied by a report (No. 33); which said bill and report monly called the Beales grant), lying within the territory ac­ were referred to the House Calendar. · quired by the United States from the Republic of Mexico by the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo on the 2d day of February, A. D. REPORTS OF COMMITTEES ON PRIVATE BILLS. 1848, to institute proceedings in the Court of Private Land Claims, and for other purposes-to the Committee on Private Under clause 2 of Rule XIII, Mr. OTJEN, from the Committee Land Claims. on. War Claims, to which was referred the bill of the House Also, a bill (H. R. 8739) to provide for the appointment of (H. R. 1937) for the relief of the owners of the barge Charlie, re­ certain officers in the Indian Territory, and for other purposes­ ported the same without amendment, a-ccompanied by a report to the Committee on Indian Affairs. (No. 34); which said bill and report were referred to the Private By Mr. GILLETT of Massachusetts: A bill (H. R. 8740) to Calendar. adjust the pay of certain officers of the Navy-to the Committee on Naval Affairs. CHANGE OF REFERENCE. Also (by request), a bill (H. R. 8741) for the appointment of a Under clause 2 of Rule XXII, committees were discharged superannuation commission-to the Committee on Reform in the from the consideration of the following bills; which were re­ Civil Service. ferred as follows: By Mr. CLARK: A bill (H. R. 8742) providingfortheerectionof A bill (H. R. 523) for the relief of J. G. Odell-Committee on a public building at Louisiana, Mo.-to the Committee on Public Military Affairs discharged, and referred to the Committee on Buildings and Grounds. Pensions. · By Mr. DOVENER: A bill (H. R. 8743) to provide for the erec­ A bill (H. R. 534) for the relief of Samuel Greenlee-Commit­ tion of a public building in the city·of Fairmount, W. Va.-to tee on Military Affairs discharged, and referred to the Commit- the Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds. tee on Pensions. . . By Mr. HEPBURN: A bill (H. R. 8744) to provide for the A bill (H. R. 3419) for the relief of Crosby J. Ryan-Commit­ purchase of a site and the erection of a public building thereon at tee on Pensions discharged, and referred to the Committee on Centerville, in the State of Iowa-to the Committee on Public Invalid Pensions. Buildings and Grounds. A bill (H. R. 8017) granting a pension to John Gibson-Com­ By Mr. SMITH of Iowa: A bill (H. R. 8745) authorizing the mittee on Invalid Pensions discharged, and referred to the Co.m­ Secretary of the Treasury to purchase additional ground for the mittee on Pensions. accommodation of the court-house, post-office, and other Govern­ A bill (H. R. 8021) granting a pension to Jonathan F. Martin­ ment offices in Council Bluffs, Iowar--to the Committee on Public Committee on Invalid Pensions discharged, and referred to the Buildings and Grounds. Committee on Pensions. By Mr. LITTLEFIELD (by request): A bill (H. R. 8746) au­ A bill (H. R. 8166) granting a pension to Mrs. S. E. Edwards­ thorizing the return of checks the stamps on which have been Committee on Invalid Pensions discharged, and referred to the canceled to the owners thereof-to the Committee on Ways and Committee on Pensions. Means. By Mr. MORRIS: A bill (H. R. 8747) to provide for aid to ves­ sels wrecked or disabled in the waters of Lake Superior and ad­ PUBLIC BILLS. MEMORIALS, AND RESOLUTIONS. jacent waters conterminous to the United States and the Domin­ Under clause 3 of Rule XXII, bills, resolutions, and memorials ion of Canada-to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. of the following titles were introduced and severally referred as By Mr. KAHN: A bill (H. R. 8748) to establish fog signal and follows: light on Southampton Shoals, San Francisco Bay, Californiar--to By Mr. BURKETT (by request): A bill (H. R. 8725) to permit the Committee on the Merchant Marine and Fisheries. the acquisition of lands ·for industrial plants and other pur­ By Mr. PRINCE: A bill (H. R. 8749) to limit the effect of the poses-to the Committee on the Public Lands. regulation of interstate commerce between the several States in By Mr. CRUMPACKER: A bill (H. R. 8726) to punish lynch­ goods, wares, and merchandise wholly or in part manufactured ing of aliens-to the Committee on the Judiciary. by convict labor or in any prison or reformatory-to the Commit­ By Mr. ZENOR: A bill (H. R. 8727) to extend the provisions tee on the Judiciary. of the pension laws to the Indiana State Militia, known and desig­ By Mr. VANDIVER: A bill (H. R. 8750) to charter the Order nated as the'' Indiana Legion,'' and to the widows, children, and of the American Eagle-to the Committee on the Judiciary. dependent relatives of deceased members of the Indiana Legion By Mr. COONEY: A bill (H. R. 8751) to limit the construc­ who rendered service to the United States during the war of the tion of section 4716 of the Revised Statutes-to the Committee on rebellion-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Invalid Pensions. 1902. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 637

By Mr. SMITH of Arizona: A bill (H. R. 8752) authorizing the By Mr. BRISTOW: A bill (H. R. 8766) to remove charge of board of supervisors of Santa Crnz Connty, Ariz., to issue bonds dismissal standing agaipst Clarence Y. Beecher-to the Commit­ for the erection of a conrt-honse and jail for said county----to the tee on Military Affairs. Committee on the Territories. Also, a bill (H. R. 8767) paying certain claims of G. W. How­ By Mr. McCLEARY: A bill (H. R. 8753) to provide a commis­ land-to the Committee on War Claims. sion to select a site and secure plans and designs for a memorial Also, a bill (H. R. 8768) removing charges against the record arch in honor of William McKinley, late President of the United of James Delaney-to the Committee on Naval Affairs. · States-to the Committee oh the Library. By Mr. BROMWELL: A bill (H. R. 8769) for the relief of By Mr. HASKINS: A bill (H. R. 8754) to amend an a.ct entitled S. J. Bayard Schindel-to the Committee on War Claims. "An act to increase the nnmber of officers of the Army to be de­ By Mr. BROWNLOW: A bill (H. R. 8770) for the· relief of tailed to colleges,'' approved November 3, 1893-to the Commit­ Calloway Horton-to the Committee on Military Affairs. tee on Military Affairs. By Mr. CALDWELL: A bill (H. R. 8771) granting a pension By Mr. McLAIN: A bill (H. R. 8755) making an appropriation to J. Stebbins King-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. for dredging a channel from Ship Island Harbor to Biloxi-to the Also, a bill (H. R. 8772) granting an increase of pension to Committee on Rivers and Harbors. John A. Eaton-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. CLAYTON: A bill (H. R. 8756) to equalize the com­ Also, a bill (H. R. 8773) granting an increase of pension to pensation of district judges of the United States in certain cases­ Francis E. Wood-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. to the Committee on the Judiciary. Also, a bill (H. R. 8774:) to remove the charge of desertion By Mr. EDDY: A bill (H. R. 8757) to amend an act entitled "An from the record of Jacob Deardorff-to the Committee on Mili­ act for the relief and civilization of the Chippewa Indians of tary Affairs. Minnesota," approved January 14, 1889-to the Committee on Also, a bill (H. R. 8775) to remove the charge of desertion from Indian Affairs. ' the record of Henry Schwindt-to the Committee on Military Also, a bill (H. R. 8758) providing for the sale of pine timber Affairs. on White Earth and Red Lake (diminished) reservations, in the By Mr. COONEY: A bill (H. R. 8776) granting an increase of State of Minnesota-to the Committee on Indian Affairs. pension to Joseph A. McGuire-to the Committee on Invalid By Mr. BABCOCK: A bill (H. R. 875~) to require cases of ty­ Pensions. phoid fever occurring in the District of Columbia to be reported By :Mr. CUMMINGS: A bill (H. R. 8777) to correct the mili­ to the health department of said District-to the Committee on tary record of Ferdinand Levy-to the Committee on Military the District of Columbia. Affairs. By Mr. TONGUE: A _bill (H. R. 8760) to ratify an agreement By Mr. CURTIS: A bill (H. R. 8778) granting a pension to with the Indians of the Klamath Indian Reservation, in Oregon, James A. Davis-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. and making appropriations to can-y the same into effect-to the Also, a bill (H. R. 8779) for the relief of Isaac Morris-to the Committee on Indian Affairs. Committee on War Claims. By Mr. LITTAUER: A bill (H. R. 8761) to declare the inter­ By Mr. DEEMER: A bill (H. R. 8780) granting an increase of national railway bridge over the St. Lawrence River, near Hogans­ pension to Pierson L. Shick-to the Committee on Invalid Pen- burg, N.Y., a lawful structure-to the Committee on Interstate sions. · and Foreign Commerce. By Mr. FLETCHER: A bill (H. R. 8781) granting a pension By.Mr. UNDE.RWOOD: A bill (H. R. 8762) to repeal the tax to Mary E. Holbrook-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. on sparkling or other wines of domestic manufacture-to the Com­ Also, a bill (H. R. 8782) granting an increase of pension to mittee on Ways and Means. Myron C. Burnside-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. THOMPSON: A bill (H. R. 8763) to improve and to By Mr. GAINES of Tennessee: A bill (H. R. 8783) granting continue the improvement of the Coosa River-to the Committee an increase of pension to Thomas J. Stowers-to the Committee on Rivers and Harbors. on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. BURTON: A bill (H. R. 8764:) for the establishment of By Mr. GILBERT: A bill (H. R. 8784:) for the relief of the a light-ship on Southeast Shoal, Point an Pelee Passage, Lake heirs of John Moss-to the Committee on War Claims. Erie-to the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. Also, a bill (H. R. 8785) for the relief of J. J. Ramsey-to the By Mr. GARDNER of Michigan: A bill (H. R. 9033) to prevent Committee on Claims. . robbing the mail, to provide a safer and easier method of sending Also, a bill (H. R. 8786} for the relief of the'heirs of Archibald money by mail, and to increase the postal revenues-to the Com­ C. Hays-to the Committee on War Claims. mittee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads. Also, a bill (H. R. 8787) for the relief of Milton Newcomb­ By Mr. BURKE of South Dakota: A bill (H. R. 9034) to ratify to the Committee on Military Affairs. tm.agreement with the Lower Brnle band of the Sionx tribe of In­ By Mr. GREEN of Pennsylvania: A bill (H. R. 8788) grant­ dians in South Dakota, and making appropriation to carry the ing a pension to Jacob Weidel-to the Committee on Invalid same into effect-to the Committee on Indian Affairs. Pensions. By Mr. RIXEY: A bill (H. R. 9035) for the relief of veterans By Mr. GRIFFITH: A bill (H. R. 8789) granting a pension to of the Confederacy-to the Committee on Military Affairs. Susan E. Clark-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions_. By Mr. BROUSSARD: A bill (H. R. 9036) for the establish­ :Also, a bill (H. R. 8790) granting an increase of pension to ment of a light-house at the mouth of Oyster Bayou, near the Samuel H. Wilson-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Louisiana coast, in the Gulf of Mexico-to the Committee on In­ Also, a bill (H. R. 8791) for the relief of Allen W. Philips-to terstate and Foreign Commerce. the Committee on Claims. · - - By Mr. SMITH of Arizona: A joint resolution (H. J. Res. 117) By Mr. GROSVENOR: A bill (H. R. 8792) granting an in­ to authorize certain officers of the Treasury Department to audit, crease of pension to George C. Mueller-to the Committee on certify, and pay claims of certain counties of Arizona-to the Invalid Pensions. Committee on Claims. By Mr. HANBURY: A bill (H. R. 8793) to correct the mili­ By Mr. CURTIS: A joint resolution (H. J. Res. 118) tendering tary record of George C. Deininger-to the Committee on Mili- the thanks of Congress to Miss Clara Barton and presenting to tary Affairs. · her a gold medal-to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. By Mr. HAUGEN: A bill (H. R. 8794:) granting a pension to By Mr. MORRIS: ·A concurrent resolution (H. C. Res. 18) to Henry I. Smith-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. print 4,000 copies, in pamphlet form, of parts of Annual Report By Mr. HEDGE: A bill (H. R. 8795) granting an increase of of Geological Survey-to the Committee on Printing. pension to William J. Clark-to the Committee on Invalid Pen­ By Mr. ALLEN of Maine: A resolution (H. Res. 89) directing sions. the Secretary of War to transmit to the House a copy of all rec­ By Mr. HEMENWAY: A bill (H. R. 8796) granting an increase ords and papers bearing upon court-martial and military services of pension to George Kelly-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. of Capt. Hamilton H. Blunt-to the Committee on Military Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 8797) to remove the charge of desertion from By 1.-Ir. SMITH of Arizona: A memorial from· the legislature the military record of John-Ross-to the Committee on Military of Arizona, asking the ratification of its act relating to public Affairs. buildings-to- the Committee on the Territories. By Mr. HEPBURN: A bill (H. R. 8798) granting a pension to By Mr. OTJEN: A joint resolution of the Wisconsin legislature, Elizabeth Cox-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. favoring pas age of the Cullom bill-to the Committee on Inter- Also, a bill (H. R. 8799) granting a pension to John H. Miller­ state and Foreign Commerce. - to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8800) granting a pension to Theodore Shock­ PRIVATE BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS. ley-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Under clause 1 of Rule XXII, private bills of the following titles Also, a bill (H. R. 8801) granting a pension to Mary Jane were presentel and referred as follows: Crane-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. BATES: A bill (H. R. 8765) granting an increase of Also, a bill (H. R. 8802) granting a pension to Philander S. pension to Frank Schreck-to the Committee on Invalid J?ensions. Wright-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. 638 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. JANUARY 13,

A1so,abill(H.R.8803)grantingapensiontoWilliamLowery- By Mr. MICKEY: A bill (H. R. 8844) granting an increase to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. of pension to Henderson Rose-to the Committee on Invalid Pen- Also, a bill (H. R. 8804) granting an increase of pension to Wil- sions. liam R. Wilson-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8845) granting an increase of pension to Wil- Also, a bill (H. R. 8805) granting an increase of pension to Al- liam Flaig-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. bert Miller-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8846) to grant an honorable discharge to Also, a bill (H. R. 8806) granting an increase of pension to Christopher C. Cummins-to the Committee on Military Affairs. James M. Harrison-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8847) to grant an honorable discharge to Also, a bill (H. R. 8807) granting an increase of pension to W. H. H. Hardin-to the Committee on Military Affairs. Francis M. Adams-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. MIERS of Indiana: A bill (H. R. 8848) granting an in- Also,·a bill (H. R. 8808) granting an increase of pension to Mil- crease of pension to Mattie B. Davis-to the Committee on Invalid ton M. Ford-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Pensions. Also a bill (H. R. 8809) granting an increase of pension to Also, a bill (H. R. 8849) granting an increase of pension to Francis M. McMahan-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Mary Fields-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8810) to remove the charges of desertion By Mr. MOON: A bill (H. R. 8850) granting a pension to James against Howard Hazen-to the Committee on Military Affairs. J. Smith-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8811) to remove the charge of desertion from Also, a bill (H. R. 8851) granting an increase of pension to William McAleer-to the Committee on Military Affairs. Israel Rail-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. HOLLIDAY; A bill (H. R. 8812) granting an increase By Mr. NORTON: A bill (H. R. 8852) granting a pension to of pension to Henry Staff-to the Committee on.Invalid Pensions. Sarah Jane Lumbert-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8813) for the relief of George H. Gibson-to Also, a bill (H. R. 8853) granting a pension to John Ash, jr.- the Committee on Military Affairs. to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. HOPKINS: A bill (H. R. 8814) for the relief of Daniel Also, a bill (H. R. 8854) granting an increase of pension to Melley, alias Daniel Mentzer-to the Committee on Military Af- John F. Hoover-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. fairs. By Mr. OTJEN: A bill (H. R. 8855) granting an increase of Also, a bill (H. R. 8815) for the relief of Peter Clark-to the pension to Eva M. Kingsbury-to the Committee on Invalid Committee on Military Affairs. Pensions. By Mr. HOWELL: A bill (H. R. 8816) for the relief of James Also, a bill (H. R. 8856) granting an increase of pension to Willett-to the Committee on Claims. Leon King-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By MI·. HUGHES: A bill (H. R. 8817) granting a pension to By Mr. PATTERSON of Tennessee: A bill (H. R. 8857) for the Mrs. Annie E. Cherington-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. relief of the estate of Jesse L. Norman, deceased-to the Com­ Also, a bill (H. R. 8818) for the relief of J. R. Boggs's heirs- mittee on War Claims. to the Committee on War Claims. By Mr. PRINCE: A bill (H. R. 8858) to correct the military Also, a bill (H. R. 8819} for the relief of the trustees of the record of Oscar B. Knight-to the Committee on Military Affairs. Methodist Episcopal Church South, of Barboursville, W. Va.-to By Mr. RICHARDSON of .Alabama: A bill (H. R. 8859) for the the Committee on War Claims. relief of Mrs. Nancy Coffey-to the Committee on War Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 8820) for the relief of the heirs of Sidney B. Also a bill (H. R. 8860) for the relief of Joseph A. Hardwick- Day~to the Committee on Claims. to the Committee on War Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 8821) for the relief of John Morgan's heirs- Also, a bill (H. R. 8861) for the relief of Calvin S. Hill-to the to the Committee on War Claims. Committee on War Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 8822) granting an honorable discharge to .Also, a bill (H. R. 8862) for the relief of Xantippe Jackson-to Sylvester B. Miller-to the Committee on Military Affairs. 'the Committee on War Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 8823) granting an honorable discharge to Also, a bill (H. R. 8863) for the relief of the heirs of Sarah Joseph E. Insco-to the Committee on Military Affairs. Schrimsher-to the Committee on War Clai..ms. By Mr. IRWIN: A bill (H. R. 8824) granting an increase of Also, a bill (H. R. 8864) for the relief of Dan Walden-to the pension to Pauline A. Vaughan-to the Committee on Invalid Committee on War Claims. Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8865) for the relief of tha commissioners' Also, a bill (H. R·. 8825) for the relief of Anthony McAndrews- court of Limestone County, Ala.-to the Committee on War to the Committee on Claims. Claims. · By Mr. JACK: A bill (H. R. 8826) for the relief of James A. By Mr. ROBERTS: A bill (H. R. 8866) granting a pension to Fiscus-to the Committee on Military Affairs. Mary A. Armstrong-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By~· JENKINS: A bill (H. R. 8827) granting an increase of By Mr. ROBERTSON of Louisiana: A 'bill (H. R. 8867} for pension to John MoKeone-to the Committee on Pensions. the relief of Mary E. Palmtlr-to the Committee on War Claims. By 1\Ir. KEHOE: A bill (H. R. 8828) for the relief of Jeremiah Also, a bill (H. R. 8868) for the relief of Hyacinthe A.. Mor- Hunt-to the Committee on Military Affairs. gan-to the Committee on War Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 8829) for the relief of James C. Brickley-to Also, a bill (H. R. 8869) for the relief of Mrs. Jenny Maine- the Committee on Military Affairs. to the Committee on War Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 8830) for the benefit of St. Andrews Lodge, Also, a bill (H. R. 8870} for the relief of Sophia Brown-to the No. 18, Free and Accepted Masons, of Cynthiana, Ky.-to the Committee on War Claims. Committee on War Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 8871) for the relief of Louis Barron-to the By Mr. KERN: A bill (H. R. 8831) granting a pension to Eliza- Committee on War Claims. beth Agnew-to the Committee on Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8872) for the relief of Mrs. Mary J. Bondu- Also, a bill (H. R. 8832) for the relief of Edward Winders-to rant-to the Committee on War Claims. the Committee on Military Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 8873) for the relief of Clemons G. Caldwell- By Mr. KNAPP: A bill (H. R. 8833) granting a pension to Har- to the Committee on War Claims. riet Smyth-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8874) for the relief of :Mary C. Cleveland-to Also, a bill (H. R. 8834) granting a pension to Mary Florence the Committee on War Claims. Davenport-to the Committee on Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8875) for the relief of Belot Auguste Donato- Also, a bill (H. R. 8835) to correct the military record of John to the Committee on War Claims. Reary, alias John Reva-to the Committee on Military Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 8876) for the relief of the estate of Lucy J. By Mr. KNOX: A bill (H. R. 8836) granting an increase of pen- Boyle-to the Committee on War Claims. sion to William J. Bastian-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8877) for the relief of the estate of Pierre Also a bill (H. R. 8837) for relief of Julius A. Morrill-to the Saizan-to the Committee on War Claims. Committee on Military Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 78) for the relief of the estate of Alfred Also, a bill (H. R. 8838) for the relief of the heirs of Mark S. Duplantier, deceased-to the Committee on War Claims. Gorrill-to the Committee on Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 8879) for the relief of the estate of Mrs. E. J. By Mr. McLACHLAN: A bill (H. R. 8839) for the relief of Mrs. Penny, deceased-to the Committee on War Claims. Louise E. Ord-to the Committee on Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 8 0) for the relief of the estate of William By Mr. McLAIN: A bill (H. R. 8840) granting an increase of Burgess, deceased-to the Committee on War Claims. pension to J. H. Lanchley-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8 1) for the relief of the estate of Marcelin .Also, a bill (H. R. 8841) for the relief of Mrs. M. L. Holt, Mrs. Lafleur, deceased-to the Committee on War Claims. Jane E. Cannon, and Mrs. I. B. Shipp-to the Committee on War Also, a bill (H. R. 8882) for the relief of the estate of Jean Louis Claims. Malvean, deceased-to the Committee on War Claims. By Mr. McRAE: A bill (H. R. 8842) granting a pension to Also, a bill (H. R. 8883) for the relief of the estate Gf· George Amanda Chapel-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. . Redden, deceased-to the Committee on War Claims. Also a bill (H. R. 8843) granting a pension to John H. Lawless- Also, a bill (H. R. 8884) for the relief of the estate of Cyrus to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Ratliff. deceased-to the Committee on War Claims. 1902. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-HOUSE. 639

.By Mr. RUMPLE: A bill (H. R. 8885) granting a pension t.o Also, a bill (H. R. 8928) granting an inbrease of pension to Wil­ G. J. Shaffer-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. liam W. Morton-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8886) granting an increase of pension toRe­ Also, a bill (H. R. 8929) granting an increase of pension to Silas beeca Doolittle-to the Committee on Invalid PeDBions~ B. Irion-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. .Also a bill (H. R. 8887) granting an increase of pension to Also, a bill (H. R. 8930) granting an increase of pension toMah­ James S. Throop-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. lon B. Eckert-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. .Also, a bill {H. R . .8888) to remove the charge of desertion Also, a bill (H. R. 8931) granting an increase of pension to Lewis against Cornelius Cahill-to the Committee on Military Affairs. R. Gates-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. SCHIRM: A bill (H. R. 6889) authorizing the appoint­ Also, a bill (H. R. 8932) granting an increase of pension to Ed­ ment of William L. Patterson as a second lieutenant in the United ward C. Fitch-to the Committee on In-valid Pensions. States Army-to the Committee on Military Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 8933) granting an increase of pension to John ByMI. SHAFROTH: A hill (H. R. 8890) granting an increase of S. Honeywell-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. pension to John B. Hanna-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8934) granting an increase of pension toW. H. Also, a bill (H. R. 891) granting an increase of pension to Marble-to the Committee on In-valid Pensions. Thomas H. Rosman-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8935) granting an increase of pension to Bar­ .Also a bill (H. R. 8892) for the relief of Henry Smith-to the nabas A. Bonham-to too Committee on Invalid Pensions. Committee on War Claims. , .Also, a bill (H. R. 8936) granting an increase of pension to John .Also, a bill (H. R~ 8893) for the -relief<>f Boon, Bostwick&Co.­ .Hill-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions . to the Committee on War Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 8937) granting an in~rease of pension to Syd­ _By Mr. SHATTUC: A bill (H. R. :8894) granting a pension to ney Palen-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Helen Robinson-to the Committee on Invalid P-ensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8938) granting an increa-se of pension to Also, a bill (H. R. 8895) granting a pension to Cath€rine E. Homer C. McKuskey-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Bense-to the Committee on .Invalid Pensions. .Also, a bill {H. R. 8939) granting an increase of pension to Ma­ Also, a bill (H. R. 8896) granting a -pen.siml to George W. thias Stoffels-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions~ Lloyd-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions~ AlB

Also, a bill (H. R. 8967) for the relief of the estate of Pierre Also, a bill (H. R . 9009) for the relief of the estate of Valerie Jolivet-to the Committee on War Claims. Breaux, deceased, late of Lafayette Parish, La.-to the Commit- Also, a bill (H. R. 8968) for the relief of the estate of J. Aucoin­ tee on War Claims. . to the Committee on War Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 9010) for the relief of the estate of Pierre Z. Also, a bill (H. R. 8969) for the relief of the estate of FranQois Doucet, deceased, late of Lafayette Parish, La.-to the Commit­ Lagleize, deceased-to the Committee on War Claims. tee on War Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 8970) for the relief of Mrs. E. H. Briant-to Also, a bill (H. R. 9011) for the relief of Felicite Monette, of the Committee on War Claims. St. Mary Parish, La.-to the Committee on War Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 8971) for the relief of Gustave Neriaux-to Also, a bill (H. R. 9012) for the relief of the successions of the Committee on War Claims. Appoline Fournier, deceased, late of Iberia Parish, La.-to the Also, a bill (H. R. 8972) for the relief of the estate of Raphael Committee on War Claims. Segura-to the Committee on War Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 9013) for the reliei of Joseph D. Broussard­ Also, a bill (H. R. 8973) for the relief of the estate of Alexander to the Committee on War Claims. Roth-to the Committee on War Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 9014) for the relief of the estate of Prosper D. Also, a bill (H. R. 8974) for the relief of the estate of Mrs. Ellen Olivier-to the Committee on War Claims. Morrissey-to the Committee on War Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 9015) for the relief of the estate of FranQois Also, a bill (H. R. 8975) for the relief of the estate of William Herpin-to the Committee on War Claims. · Burgess-to the Committee on War Claims. By Mr. CUMMINGS: A bill (H. R. 9016) grantinganincreaseof Also, a bill (H. R. 8976) for the relief of Thomas C. Gibbons­ pension to Jane Brosnan-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. to the Committee on War Claims. By Mr. COOPER of Wisconsin: A bill (H. R. 9017) to grant a Also, a bill (H. R. 8977) for the relief of Kate Gibbons-to the pension to Fred Hugaboom, late of Company A, Fifth New. York­ Committee on War Claims. Cavalry- to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8978) for the relief of E. H. Flory-to the Also, a bill (H. R. 9018) to grant a pension to Ida M. Green-· Committee on War Claims. to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8979) for the relief of Leolede Le Blanca­ Also, a bill (H. R. 9019) granting a pension to David Hunter-· to the Committee on War Claims. to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Alsb, a bill (H. R. 89 0) for the relief of Prospere Lopez-to th& By Mr. GIBSON: A bill (H. R. 9020) granting a pension to . Committee on War Claims. Andrew C. Simpson-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8981) for the relief ofT. B. ffiger Bourgue­ By Mr. HOWARD: A bill (H. R. 9021) for the relief of the· to the Committee on War Claims. estate of Joshua Hill, deceased-to the Committee on War Claims. Also, abill (H. R. 89 2) for the relief of Jules J. Broudreaux­ By Mr. NEVILLE: A bill (H. ;R. 9022) granting a pension to to the Committee on War Claims. Benjamin D. Yates-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8983) for the relief of the estate of Dornville Also, a bill (H. R. 9023) granting a pension to Eugene J. Bob-· Fabre-to the Committee on War Claims. lits-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions . . Also, a bill (H. R. 8984) for the relief of Mrs. Victor Fabre­ Also, a bill (H. R. 9024) granting a pension to Walter L. Alli­ to the Committee on War Claims. son-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a. bill (H. R. 8985) for the relief of Mrs. Frank Deslonds­ Also, a bill (H. R. 9025) granting a pension to Capt. John J. · to the Committee on War Claims. .Adams-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8986) for the relief of William Rose-tO the . Also, a bill (H. R. 9026) granting a pension to William C. Couch­ Committee on War Claims. to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8987) for relief of estate of Romain Verdin­ Also, a bill (H. R: 9027) granting a pension to Mary L. Under- to the Committee on War Claims. hill-to the-Committee on Invalid Pensions. . Also, a ~ bill (H. R. 8988) for· the relief of the estate of F. 0. Also, a bill (H. R. 9028) granting an increase of pension to Darby-to the Committee on War Claims. Donald Smith-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8989) for the relief of the estate of Henry E. Also, a bill (H. R. 9029) granting an increase of pension to Ledet-to the Committee on War Claims. James R. Swim-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Also, a bill (H. R. 8990) for the relief of samuel Carey-to the By Mr. SIBLEY: A bill (H. R. 9030) granting an increase of Committee on War Claims. pension to Elizabeth A. Butler-to the Committee on Invalid Also, a bill (H. R. 8991) for the relief of Pierre Breaux-to the Pensions. Committee on War Claims. - Also, a bill (H. R. 9031) granting an increase of pension to Also, a bill (H. R. 8992) for the relief of the estate of Joseph L. M . Jackson-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Ign~ourita, deceased-to the Committee on War Claims. By Mr. SMITH of Iowa: A bill (H. R. 9032) to correct the mili­ Also. a bill (H. R. 8993) for the relief of Celestine Pecot-to the tary record of James A. Somerville-to the Committee on Military Committee on War Claims. Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R . 8994) for the relief of the estate of Joseph Boudreau, deceased-to the Committee on War Claims. Also, a bill (H. R. 8995) for the relief of Mrs. Celina Landry-to PETITIONS, ETC. the Committee on War Claims. Under clause 1 of Rule XXII, the following petitions and papers Also, a bill (H. R. 8996) for the relief of Mary H. Anderson_:_ were laid on the Clerk's desk and referred as follows: to the Committee on War Claims. By Mr. ADAMS: Petition of the Trades League of Philad~lphia, Also, a bill (H. R. 8997) for the relief of Mrs. Sidonie de la Pa., indorsing certain resolutions of the national reciprocity con­ Houssaye-to the Committee on War Claims. vention-to the Committee on Ways and Means. Also, a bill (H. R. 8998) for the relief of the estate of Francis Also, resolution of Trades League of Philadelphia, urging the· E. Harding-to the Committee on War Claims. creation of a department of commer~ and industries-to the · Also, a bill (H. R. 8999) for the relief of Lessin Guidry-to the Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. Committee on War Claims. By Mr. BARTLETT: Resolution of Board of Trade of Savan- . Also, a bill (H. R. 0000) for the relief of FranQOis Feray-to nah, Ga., for establishing a subtreasury at Savannah-to the the Committee on War Claims. Committee on Ways and MeaDS. Also, a bill (H. R. 9001) for the relief of Mrs. Eliza E. ~ebert­ By Mr. BOWERSOCK: Papers to accompany House bill 3283, to the Committee on Claims. for the relief of William Brown, of Kansas City, Kans.-to the Also, a bill (H. R. 9002) for the relief of Eli C. Brown, of East Committee on Military Affairs. Baton Rouge PariSh, La.-to the Committee on War Claims. Also, papers to a-ecompany House bill 356, for the relief of Also, a bill (H. R. 9003) for the relief of the estate of Charles A. Harry Hume Ainsworth, of Lawrence, Kans.-to the Committee Slack, deceased, late of Iberville Parish, La.-to the Committee on on Military Affairs . War Claims. . .Also, papers to accompany House bill361, for the relief of J. W. .Also, a bill (H. R. 9004) for the relief of P. Emil Arceneaux, of Parmeter, of Olathe, Kans.-to the Committee on Military .Affairs . Lafayette Parish, La.-to the Committee on War Claims. Also, papers to accompany House bill 311, for the relief of Also, a bill (H. R. 9005) for the relief of the estate of John A. Susan H. Stephens, of Fort Scott, Kans.-to the Committee on Rigues, deceased, late of Lafayette Parish, La.-to the Commit- Invalid Pensions. tee on War Claims. • Also, papers to accompany House bill 362, for the relief of Also, a bill (H. R. 9006) for the relief of George Henderson, of Augustus Schroeder, of Paola, Kans.-to the Committee on Mili-· Lafayette Parish, La.-to the Committee on War Claims. tary Affairs. Alsu, a bill (H. R. 9007) for the relief of estate of Mrs. Celestine Also, papers to accompany House bill 357, for the relief of Levi Vavasseur, deceased, late of Lafayette Parish, La.-to the Com­ Maxted, of Lawrence, Kans.-to the Committee on Military ILittee on War Claims. Affairs. Also, a bill (H. R. 9008) for the relief of Mrs. Raymond Riu, of Also, papers to accompany House bill 343, for the relief of Lafayette Parish, La.-to the Committee on War Claims. Emmett Gillooly- to the Committee on Invalid Pensi•>ns. 1902. CONGRESSIONAL REOORD-HOTJSE. 641

By Mr. BROMWELL: Petition of John E. Bruce and other Junior Order United American Mechanics and various other citizens.of Cincinnati, Ohio, and vicinity, for the suppression of organizations of Pennsylvania, for the reenactment of the Chinese­ polygamy-to the Committee on the Judiciary. exclusion act-to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. By Mr. BULL: Resolutions of Painters and Paper Hangers' Also, paper to accompany House bill granting a pension to Union No. 15, of Pawtucket, R.I., favoring the construction of Jacob Weidel-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. war vessels in Government navy-yards-to the Committee on By Mr. GRIFFITH: Petition of C. A. Downey, of Aurora, Ind., Naval Affairs. · relating to compensation of postal clerks in the Railway Mail Also, letter of Augustus T. Swift, Ph. D., of the English High Service-to the Committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads. School, Providence, R. I., in favor of any reasonable reciprocity Also, resolution and petition of Ben North Post, No. 94, Grand treaty with Cuba-to the Committee on Ways and Means. Army of the Republic, Department of Indiana, to accompany bill By Mr. BURKETT: Resolutions of Carpenters and Joiners' gt·anting a pension to Susan E. Clark-to the Committee on Invalid Union of Lincoln, Nebr., favoring construction of war vessels in Pensions. · Government navy-yards-to the Committee on Naval .Affairs. Also, resolution and petition of Thomas Post, No.' 515, Grand Also, resolutions of the Western Labor Union, of Butte, Mont., Army of the Republic, Department of Indiana, to accompany asking passage of an exclusion law that will apply to Asiatic labor House bill 7388, to increase the pension of Harvey McClanahan- generally-to the Committee on the Judiciary. to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. _ By Mr. BUTLER of Pennsylvania: Petition of Paoli Council, By Mr. GROSVENOR: Resolution of Hodcarriersand Tenders' No. 500, Junior Order United American Mechanics, concerning Union No. 8931, of Chillicothe, Ohio, favoring the construction of the Chinese-exclusion act-to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. war vessels in United States navy-yards-to the Committee on By Mr. CAPRON: Letter of Augustus T. Swift, Ph. D., of the Naval Affairs. English High School, Providence, R. I., in favor of any reason­ Also, resolution of the New York State Brewers and Maltsters' able reciprocity treaty with Cuba-to the Committee on Ways As ociation, favorable to repeal of war tax on beer-to the Com­ and Means. mittee on Ways and Means. By Mr. CUMMINGS: Petition of the Adams Cylinder and By Mr. HANBURY: Petition of United Housesmiths and Webb Press Printers' Association, the Amalgamated Society of Bridgemen's Union, of Greater New York, for an educational Plumbers and Gas Fitters, and United Housesmiths and Bridge­ test for immigrants-to the Committee on Immigration and men's Union, of Greater New York and·vicinity, asking for a Naturalization. further restoration of the immigration laws-to the Committee By Mr. HEPBURN: Petition of C. S. Hanley and 75 other citi­ on Immigration and Naturalization. zens of Page County, Iowa, and of the Women's Missionary By Mr. DALZELL: Petition of letter caiTiers of Braddock Society of the Presbyterian Church of Shenandoah, Iowa, and (Pa.) post-office, asking for increase of salary-to' the Committee oth~rs, in favor of an amendment to the Constitution prohibiting on the Post-Office and Post-Roads. the practice of polygamy-to the Committee on the Judiciary. Also, resolution of the Tri-State Medical Association and Pres­ Also, petition asking that a pension be granted to Theodore bytery of Allegheny, Pa., favoring the establishment of a psycho­ Shockley, late of Company K, One hundred and seventy-sixth physical laboratory in the Department of the Interior-to the Ohio Volunteer Infantry-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Committee on Appropriations. Also, petition of rural mail carriers of the Eighth Congressional · By Mr. EDDY: Petitions of numerous citizens of Ottertail district of Iowa, asking for an increase in compensation-to the County, Minn., and citizens of-Davidson, Minn., in favor of an Committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads. amendment to the Constitution against polygamy-to the Com­ Also, papers from Mrs. Alice A. Johnson, widow of William M. mittee on the Judiciary. Johnson, asking to be placed on the pension roll by special act of Also, resolutions by Leather Belting Manufacturers' Associa­ Congress-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. tion, in favor of the removal of duty on hides-to the Committee Also, resolutions of Iseminger Post, No.18, Grand Army of the on Ways and Means. Republic, Department of Iowa, asking that the name of Mrs. Also, resolutions by Bricklayers' International Union of Minne­ Alice A. Johnson be placed on the pension roll-to the Committee apolis, Minn., in favor of the reenactment of the Geary law-to on Invalid Pensions. the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization. Also, petition for special act increasing the pension of James Also, resolutions of George Washington Council, No.1, United M. Harrison, Company K, Forty-sixth Iowa Volunteers-to the American Mechanics, St. Louis, Mo., in favor of laws restricting Committee on Invalid Pensions. _ immigration-to the Committee on Immigration and N aturaliza­ Also, resolution and petition of the Union County Veterans' tion. Association, of Iowa, asking that a pension be granted to Philan­ Also, resolutions by the First Baptist Church, First Congt·ega­ der S. Wright, late of Company G, Twenty-seventh ·Regiment tional Church, and Methodist Episcopal Church, of Detroit, Minn., Iowa Volunteers-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. against the repeal of the anticanteen law-to the Committee on By Mr. HENRY of Connecticut: Petition of Retail Clerks' Military Affairs. Union No. 14, of New Britain, Conn., urging that the naval ves­ Also, resolutions by Minnesota State Forestry Association, for sels to be authorized in the naval bill be constructed at the navy­ the protection and preservation of forests on the public lands of yards-to the Committee on Naval .Affairs. the United States-to the Committee on the Public Lands. By Mr. HILL: Resolutions or Samuel Fessenden and others, Also, resolutions by Minnesota Federation of Labor, in favor of business men of the city of Stamford, Conn., concerning the the reenactment of the Chinese-exclusion law-to the Committee classification of post-office clerks and the eight-hour bills-to the on Immigration and Naturalization. Committee on the Post-Office and Post-Roads. Also, resolutions by W. W. Preston Post, Grand Army of the Also, resolutions of Hartford Central Labor Union, of Hart­ Republic, Department of Minnesota, in favor of building naval ford, Conn., concerning the construction of naval vessels in navy­ vessels in Government navy-yards-to the Committee on Naval yards-to the Committee on Naval Affairs. Affairs. Also, resolutions of the Connecticut State Board of Trade, fa­ By Mr. EDWARDS: Resolutions of Typographical Union No. voring the repeal of the bankruptcy act-to the Committee on the 255, of Anaconda, Mont., and of Montana State Trade and Labor Judiciary. . Council, uTging the reenactment of the Chinese-exclusion act­ Also, resolution of San Francisco Pressmen's Association, No. to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. 24, and indorsement of same by New Haven Pressmen's Union, By Mr. FITZGERALD: Resolution of the National Live Stock No. 74, favoring reenactment of Chinese-exclusion a~t-to the Association, protesting against the removal of the tariff on hides­ Committee on Foreign Affairs. to the Committ-ee on Ways and Means. By Mr. HOPKINS: Paper to accompany House bill to remove Also, petition of Cornelius V. Johnson and.16 other citizens of the charge of desertion against the record of Peter Clark-to the Brooklyn, N. Y., favoring amendment to the Constitution mak­ Committee on Military Affairs. ing polygamy a crime-to the Committee on the Judiciary. Also, paper to accompany House bill to correct the military By Mr. FOSS: PetitionsofUnionsNos. 49,130, 6, 7079,199,337,7, record of Daniel Melley, alias Daniel Mentzer-to the Committee 8851, 188, 78, 377, 6321, 206, 62, 67, 147, and 43, American Federa­ on Military Affairs. tion of Labor, State of illinois, for the construction of war ships By Mr. HOWELL: Petition of Good Intent Councii, Junior in the United States navy-yards-to the Committee on Naval Order United American Mechanics, of New Brunswick; Molly Affairs. Pitcher Council, of Manasquan, and Loyalty Council, of Mon­ By Mr. GAINES of Tennessee: Petition of J. N. Dunn, of mouth Junction, Daughters of Liberty, of New Jersey, favoring Cheatham, Tenn., for reference of war claim to the Court of the reenactment of the Chinese-exclusion law-to the Committee Claims-to the Committee on War Claims. on Foreign Affairs. By Mr. GIBSON: Petition of A. J. Bowman and other citizens By Mr. JACK: Petition of Mrs. J. C. Hasinger, H. E. Smith, of Woodbridge, Tenn., in favor of the reenactment of the Chinese­ and other citizens of Indiana, Pa., for the suppression of polyg­ exclusion act-to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. amy-to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. GREEN of Pennsylvania: Petitions and resolutions of Also, petitions of councils Nos. 300 and 366, Junior Order United XXXV-41 642 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD- HOUSE. JANUARY 13, ' American Mechanics, of Pennsylvania, for the reenactment of the Also, paper to accompany Honse bill for the relief of heirs of Chinese-exclusion act-to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Sarah Schrimsher-to the Committee on War Claims. Also, papers to accompany Honse bill to correct the military By Mr. ROBINSON of Indiana: Petition of E. J. Morley, of record of James A. Fiscus-to the Committee on Military Affairs. Brimfield, Ind., and L. W . Yeiser, of St. Joe, Ind., in favor of By Mr. JACKSON of Kansas: Resolutions of a meeting of citi­ rescinding an order against newspapers-to the Committee on the zens of Pittsburg, Kans., for the reenactment of the Chinese­ Post-Office and Post-Roads. exclusion law-to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. Also, petition of Pomona Grange, No. 33, of Whitley County, Also, resolutions of the Commercial Club of Topeka, Kans., Ind., for extension of trade between United States and Cuba-to favoring the establishment of a trans-Pacific cable-to the Com­ the Committee on Ways and Means. mittee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce. By Mr. ROBINSON of Nebraska: Petition of William A. Galt Also, resolutions of Lodge No. 293, International Association of and others, of Thurston County, Nebr., for the reenactment of Machinists, of Parsons, Kans., favoring a deficiency appropriation the Chinese-exclusion law-to the Committee on Foreign Affairs. for naval ordnance-to the Committee on Naval Affairs. By Mr. RUSSELL: Resolution of New London (Conn.) Lodge, Also, resolution of military board of the State-of Kansas, in re­ No. 454, of Waterford, Conn., favoring the construction of war lation to rifles and ammunition for the militias of the several vessels in United States navy-yards-to the Committee on Naval States to take the place of those now in use-to the Committee on Affairs. Military Affairs. Also, resolution of the Connecticut State Board of Trade, favor­ By Mr. KNAPP: Papers to accompany House bill granting a ing the repeal of the present bankruptcy law-to the Committee pension to Harriet Smyth-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. on the Judiciary. Also, papers to accompany House bill granting a pension to Also, resolution of Ekonk (Conn.) Grange, No. 89, favoring Florence Davenport-to the Committee on Pensions. legislation to prohibit the sale of imitation butter-to the Com­ Also, papers to accompany House bill to correct the military mittee on Agriculture. record of John Reary, alias John Reva-to the Committee on Also, resolution of Central Labor Union of Hartford, Conn., in Military Affairs. favor of the reenactment of the Chinese-exclusion act-to the By Mr. KNOX: Resolutions of the trades and labor councils of Committee on Foreign Affairs. Lowell, Mass., and vicinity in support of a national eight-hour By Mr. RYAN: Petition of Lake Seamen's Union, of Buffalo, day for women and minors in all manufacturing and mercantile N. Y., for the construction of war ships in the United States establishments in the United States-to the Committee on Labor. navy-yards-to the Committee on Naval Affairs. By Mr. LACEY: Petition of J. H. Merrill Company and other Also, resolutions of the Trades and Labor Council of Lowell, business men of Ottumwa, Iowa, favoring the repeal of the pres­ Mass., favoring a law prohibiting all manufacturing and mercan­ ent bankruptcy law-to the Committee on the Judiciary. tile establishments from working more than eight hours each day Also, petition of MI·s. D. M. Clark and others, of Martinsburg, or forty-eight hours each week-to the Committee on Labor. Iowa, in regard to the constitutional amendment defining mar­ Also, petition of New York State Brewers and Maltsters' Asso­ riage-to the Committee on the Judiciary. ciation, for the repeal of the tax on beer-to the Committee on Also, resolution of Davenport Clearing Honse Association, of Ways and Means. Iowa, in favor of reducing the requirements of population of re­ By Mr. RUMPLE: Resolutionof Bricklayers and Masons' Inter­ serve cities to 25,000-to the Committee on Banking and Currency. national Union, of Davenport, Iowa, asking that the naval dock By Mr. L.ANHA.M: Petition of First National Bank and citi­ at New Orleans, La., be built by union labor-to the Committee zens of Fort Worth, Tex., in favor of Honse bill to amend the on Naval Affairs. bankruptcy law-to the Committee on the Judiciary. Also, resolution of Cigar Makers' Union No. 172, of Davenport, By Mr. McLACHLAN: Papers to accompany House bill relating Iowa, favoring the construction of naval vessels at the navy­ to the burning and destruction of the property of Dr. James Lord yards-to the Committee on Naval Affairs. at Fort Grant, Ariz., and for his relief-to the Committee on By Mr. SIBLEY: Petition of F . G. Fuller and other citizens of Claims. Bellrun and of McKean County, Pa., for an amendment to the Con­ By Mr. MIERS of Indiana: Petition of W. C. Beaty and others, stitution against polygamy- to the Committee on the Judiciary. of Greene County, Ind., concerning the Chinese-exclusion act-to By Mr. SIMS: Petition of Mrs. M.A. Doak, administratrix of the Committee on Foreign Affairs. A.M. Doak, deceased, of Lafayette County, Miss., for reference By Mr. MOON: Papers to accompany House bill for the relief of war claim to the Court of Claims-to the Committee on War of Isra-el Roel- to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. Claims. Also, papers to accompany House bill for the relief of James Also, petition of W. H. Arnold, administrator of John Arnold, Smith-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. deceased, late of Benton County, Tenn., praying reference of wa1· By Mr. MOODY of Massachusetts: Resolutions of the New claim to the Court of Claims-to the Committee on War Claims. England Hospital Medical Association, favoring a psycho-physical Also, resolution of the Chamber of Commerce of Knoxville, laboratory in the Department of the Interior-to the Committee Tenn., urging the exclusion of Maclay's History of the United on Appropriations. States Navy from theNa val Academy-to the Committee on Naval By Mr. MOODY of Oregon: Resolution of Union No.2, Brick­ layers' International Union, Baker, Oreg., in relation to the em­ Affairs. ployment of union bricklayers and masons in the erection of the Also, resolution of a general meeting of the Memphis Merchants' naval dry dock at New Orleans,La.-to the Committee on Naval Exchange in relation to excessive freight charges on vessels ply-. Affairs. ing between the United States and ports in the United Kingdom By Mr. NEEDHAM: Papers to accompany House bill 7844, and Continent of Europe--to the Committee on Interstate and granting a pension to Alonzo Pendland-to the Committee on In- Foreign Commerce. valid Pensions. · By Mr. SMITH of Arizona: Resolutions of the Gila County Also, papers to accompany Honse bill, 7848, to increase the pen­ Teachers' Institute of Arizona, that the Commissioner of Educa­ tion be made a Cabinet officer-to the Committee on Education. sion of W. L. Vestal-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. By Mr. SMITH of Kentucky: Papers to accompany House bill Also, papers to accompany Hous~ bill, 7847, to~creas~thepen ­ sion of C. S. Wilson-to the Commlttee on Invalid PensiOns. for the relief of J. B. Me Whorter-to the Committee on Pensions. By Mr. NEVffiLE: Papers to accompany House bill No. 5172, By Mr. STARK: Papers to accompany House bill 7613, grant­ to correct the record of Robert Ellison, deceased-to the Commit­ ing an increase of pension to Mrs. Evaline Wilson-to the Com­ tee on Military Affairs. mittee on Pensions. Also, petition ofT. B. Harrison and other citizens of Blackbird, Also, papers to accompany House bill 7615, granting an increase Nebr., for amendment to the National Constitution relating to of pension to Daniel Bales-to the Committee on Invalid Pensions. marriage and divorce-to the Committee on the Judiciary. By Mr. SPERRY: Resolutions of Unite~ Bre~ery Workers' Also, petition of Joseph Bills and others, of Nebraska.t..!lsking Union No. 126, of Waterbury, Conn., favonng building war ves­ for a resurvey of certain townships in Boxbutte County, ..Nebr.­ sels in Government navy-yards-to the Committee on Naval to the Committee on the Public Lands. - Affairs. By Mr. NORTON: Statement relative to the extension of Six­ By Mr. THOMAS of Iowa: Petition of citizens of Ida Grove, teenth street, Washington, D. C.-to the Committee on the Dis­ Iowa, for constitutional amendment making polygamy a crime­ trict of Columbia. to the Committee on the Judiciary. Also, papers to accompany Honse bill. granting an. incre~e of By Mr. WHEELER: Paper to accompany Honse bill to correct pension to John F. Hoover-to the Conuruttee on Invalid Penswns. the record of Joseph A. Mayes-to the Committee on Military By Mr. RICHARDSON of Alabama: Papers to accompany Affairs. Honse bill for the relief of Dan Walden, of Morgan County, By~· WOODS: Papers to accompal?-y House bill 5754, ~ant­ Ala.-to the Committee on War Claims. ing an mcrease of pens10n to Eugene Stillman-to the Conuruttee Also, papers to accompany House bill for the relief of commis­ on Invalid Pensions. sioners' court of Limestone County, Ala.-to the Committee on Also, papers to accompany House bill7920, granting a pension War Claims. to Frederick Adams-to the Committee on Pensions. 1902. CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE. 643

Also, papers to accompany House bill 7922, granting an in­ ~~canal, with harbors which a~ord.protection to .ve~~ at all times a~d m crrcumstances·of war or peace1Justifies Congress m gwmg every COllSld­ crease of pension to R. G. Watkins-to the Committee on Pen­ eration to the unequaled clanns of this island as proper for a naval station: sions. Therefore be it By Mr. WRIGHT: Petition of wholesale grocers, jobbers, and Resolved, That the people of Porto Rico will cede possession to any prop­ erty, buildings, or appurtenances belonging to the government of Porto Rico impoTters of tea of Scranton, Pa., asking for the repeal of the as they may be required from time to time and necessary for the construc­ war tax of 10 cents a pound on tea-to the Committee on Ways tion of the naval station in whatever place shall be selected therefor within and :Means. the island, leaving adjustment of compensation for the title to subsequent legislation or a~rreement; and be it Also, petition of farmers of Susquehanna County, Pa., in favor JJlurther reso'ived, 'rhat all of the municipalities of the island be recom­ of the Grout-Tawney oleomargarine bill-to the Committee on mended to make similar offers for the cession of their rights of possession to property, buildings, or appurtenances for the_pll!J>Ose indicated. Agriculture. CHARLES HARTZELL, By 1\.fr. YOUNG: Petition of William H. Mallie, in support of a President Executive Council. proposed bill relating to the payment of postage on books, cata­ MANUEL F. ROSSY, Speaker of the House of Delegates. logues, and other printed matter-to the Committee on the Post­ Approved January 7,1902. Office and Post-Roads. WU.LIAM H. HUNT, Governor. Also, resolution of the Keystone Association, of Philadelphia, PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS. Pa., in opposition to the passage of House bill amending the law relating to copyright-to the Committee on);he Library. The PRESIDENT pro tempore presented a petition of the board Also, petitions of West Park Council, No. 108, Daughters of of directors of the Maritime Association of the Port of New York, Liberty, and State legislative board of railroad employees, for the praying for the extension of the breakwater at Point Judith, reenactment of the Chinese-exclusion law-to the Committee on R. I.; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce. Foreign Affairs. He also presented a petition of the executive officers of the Also, letter of Fayette R. Plumb, of Philadelphia, Pa., in rela­ Maritime Association of Philadelphia, Pa., praying for the estab­ tion to trade with Liberia-to the Committee on Ways and Means. lishment of a harbor of refuge at the entrance of Charleston Harbor, South Carolina; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce. Mr. PL.ATT of New York presented petitions of sundry citizens SENArrE. of Albany, Menands Albany, Voorheesville, Watervliet, and Hnrtsville, all in the State of New York, praying for. the adoption TUESDAY, January 14, 1902. of an amendment to the Constitution to prohibit polygamy; which Prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. W. H. MILBURN, D. D. were referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. The Secretary proceeded to read the J onrnal of yesterday's pro­ Mr. NELSON pTesented the petition of E. F. Coleman and ceedings, when, on request of Mr. SPOOl\~, and by unanimous sundry other citizens of Minneapolis, Slayton, Henning, Avoca, consent, the further reading was dispensed with. St. Peter, Plainview, Winona, and Luverne, all in the State of CONVENTION OF AMERICAN INSTRUCTORS OF THE DEAF. Minnesota, praying for the adoption of an amendment to the Constitution to prohibit polygamy; which was 1·eferred to the The PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate a com­ Committee on the Judiciary. munication from E. M. Gallandet, president of the Columbia He also presented a petition of J. B. Woolridge Post, No. 175, Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, Kendall Green, Washington, Department of Minnesota, Grand Army of the Republic, of Stew­ D. C., transmitting the proceedings of the sixteenth meeting of artville, Minn., praying for the enactment of legislation author­ the Convention of American Instructors of the Deaf; which, on izing the construction of war vessels in the navy-yards of the. motion of Mr. COCKRELL, was, with the accompanying papers, country; which was referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs. referred to the Committee on Education and LaboT,.and ordered Mr. KEAN presented a petition of the Baptist Association of to be printed. Trenton,. N.J., praying for the continuation of the present anti­ JOHN R. TAYLOR AND CHARLES F. TAYLOR. 1 canteen law; which was referred to the Committee on 1\filitary The PRESIDENT pro tempore laid before the Senate a com­ Affairs. .. munication from the assistant clerk of the Court of Claims, trans­ He also presented a petition of Boiler Makers and Iron Ship mitting a certified copy of the finding filed by the court in the Builders' Union No.16, American Federation of Labor, of Jersey cause of John R. Taylor and Charles F. Taylor vs. The United City, N.J., praying for the enactment of legislation authorizing States; which, with the accompanying papers, was referred to the the construction of war vessels in the navy-yards of the country; Committee on Claims, and ordered to be printed. which was referred to the Committee on Naval Affairs. MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE. He also presented a petition of Star Council, No. 56, Daughters of Liberty, of Milltown, N.J., praying for the reenactment of the A message from the House of Representatives, by Mr. C. R. Chinese-exclusion law, for a more restrictive immigration law, McKENNEY, the enrolling clerk of the Honse, announced that the and for fixing a severe penalty for attempt on the life of the House had passed the following bills; in which it requested the President, Vice-President, or members of the Cabinet, and to pro­ concurrence of the Senate: hibit the landing of anarchists in this country; which was re­ A bill (H. R. 3740) to confirm title to lot 1, square 1113, in Wash­ ferred to the Committee on Immigration. ington, D. C.; He also presented petitions of Prospect Council, No. 257, of A bill (H. R. 4372) to regulate the collection of taxes in the Newark; of Dumont Council, No. 266, of Dumont; of Newton District of Columbia; and Council, No. 259, of Newton; of Pioneer Council, No. 58, of A bill (H. R. 5814) to provide for the execution in the Philip­ Boundbrook; of Starry Flag Council, No. 158, of New Provi­ pine Islands and in Porto Rico of deeds for land situate in the dence; of Sussex Council, No.171, of Millburn; of Winfield Scott District of Columbia. Council, No. 53, of Elizabeth; of Mount View Council, No. 189, The message also communicated to the Senate the intelligence of Mount View; of Morris Council, No. 86, of Dover; of Old Glory of the death of Hon. J. WILLIAM STOKES, late a Representative Council, No. 255, of Jersey City; of Tuckahoe Council, No. 267, from the State of South Carolina, and transmitted resolutions of of Tuckahoe; of Protection Council, No. 145, of Magnolia; of / the House thereon. Diomede Council, No. 249, of Morris Plains; of Federal Rock NA. V A.L STA.TIO!'i IN PORTO RICO. Council, No. 164, of Pompton Lakes; of Hope Council, No. 3, of The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Chair lays before the Sen­ Bridgeton; of Jenny Jump Council, No. 97, of Hope; of Bridge­ ate a communication from W. R. Bennett, acting chief clerk, port Council, No. 238, of Bridgeport; of Good Intent Council, No. executive council of Porto Rico, transmitting a joint resolution, 234, of New Brunswick; of West Grove Council, No. 273, of adopted by the legislative assembly of Porto Rico and approved West Grove; of Flemington Council, No.191, of Flemington; of by the governor, concerning the establishment of a naval station Osceola Council, No. 186, of Livingston; of Laurel Council, No. in Porto Rico. The Chair suggests that the joint resolution be 96, of Lakewood, and of Round Top Council, No. 273, of Bernards­ printed in the RECORD, and that it be referred to the Committee ville, all of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, in on Pacific Islands and Porto Rico. the State of New Jersey, praying for the reenactment of the Chi­ There being no objection, the joint resolution was referred to nese-exclusion law; which were referred to the Committee on the Committee on Pacific Islands and Porto Rico, and ordered to Immigration. be printed in the RECORD, as follows: He also presented petitions of sundry citizens of Freehold, South C. J. R. No.1. In the executive council of Porto Rico, January 7,1902. Orange, Orange, Chatham, Plainfield, Elizabeth, Little Silver, Mr. Brioso introduced the following joint resolution: Red Bank, .Arlington, and Oceanport, all in the State of New Be it resolved by the executive council of Porto Rico (the house of delegates Jersey, praying for the adoption of an amendment to the Con­ concurring), That the following petition be forwarded to the President and Con~ess of the United States: - stitution to prohibit polygamy; which were referred to the Com­ Whereas the naval station projected by the Federal Government in the mittee on the Judiciary. waters of Porto Rico is absolutely essential, useful, and necessary to the best Mr. CLARK of Montana presented a petition of Typographical interests of the United States, including Porto Rico; and Whereas the situation of Porto Rico, lying as it does between the main­ Union No. 255, American Federation of Labor, of Anaconda, land of the United States and South America. and on the routes to the isth- Mont., praying for the enactment of legislatio!l authorizing the