Democratic Sentinel, Volume 10, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 August 1886 — CLEVELAND’S PENSION VETOES. [ARTICLE]

CLEVELAND’S PENSION VETOES.

The Executive Warmly Defended by Mr. Springer, of IllinojN. During the debate in the House of Repre sentatives, on the motion to refer the message of the President vetoing the bill granting a pension to Joseph Romiser to the Committee on Invalid Pensions, Mr. bpringer, of Illinois, said he would not discuss the pendiug bill and the veto message of the President thereon, except to call attention to the fact that it was first vetoed in the Pensiou Office in 1882 by Commissioner Dudley. But gentlemen on the other side of the chamber had taken advantage of the discussion to attack the President and the Democratic partand to charge that they were opposed to granting pensions. Nothing could be further from the truth. During the entire eight years of General Grant’s administration, only .542 private pensions were granted. During the Forty-seventh Congress, which was Republican in both branches, only 151 private pension bills were passed, but during the last, or Fortv-eighth Congress, which contained a majority of Democrats in this House, ami when the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Matson) was Chairman of the Committee on Invalid Pensions, 552 of such bills passed and became laws, and during this sessii n. since December last, Congress had pas-ed 665 priva e pension bil.s, of which about 575 had either been signed by President Cleveland or had become laws without his action. He h d vetoed about rinety private pension bills; but thirty-three more had passed aud become laws during his administration up to this time than wore pa-sed during the eight years oc Grant s administration. Gee. Black, Commissioner of lei sious, had granted over 110.010 certificates to pensioners since he assumedtbe duties of 1 i< office, being 10 per cent, more than h d ever before been issued by any of his predecessors during the same length of time. 'J he Treasury of the United St ites attested the effect of Gin. Black’s in<rinsed efficiency in the administration of the Pension Office. The paymen s to pensioners during the fiscal year just, eneleel txc eeled those of the previous sis al year by $8,600,01,0. But notwithstanding thii increase in pen ioa payments, there had been a net reduction of expend tares during the last fiscal year of over $16,090,00.) as compared with the fiscal year of 1885. Exc udii g pensi: ns the reduction of ordinary expenses for 1886 as compared with 1885 amounted to $24,500,000. This statem nt was made from the Treasury Department. Mr. Springer asserted that the Pension Office had been, previous to General Black’s administration, run in the inteiest of the Republican party. During the last Presidential year the number of claims of applicants for pensions considered by the examining surgeons iu certain States was very significant. In Maine, a contested State, there were 779 cases considered in each Congressional district. In Massachusetts, reliably Republican, where no special political efforts were required, the number so considered was only 291 in each district. Iu Pennsylvania, reliably Republican, there w 7 ere ouly 332 considered in each district, but in Ohio, where there w 7 as a great contest, the number was 605 in each district. In Indiana the number considered was 821 in each district, w'hile in Illinois, rel ably Republican, the number so considered was only 460 in each district. Thus it would be seen that where there were great politii al contests during the last Presidential year, the business of the Pensiou-Office was concentrated, to the neg ect of worthy applicants who happened to reside iu IS ates reliably Republican or hopelessly Democratic.