the cleveland era-第24章

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　to　hold　office　and　draw　its　salary　and　emoluments。　For　example；　the　sum　of　4300　in　arrears　was　declared　to　be　due　to　a　member　of　the　United　States　Senate；　Charles　F。　Manderson　of　Nebraska。　Finally；　〃Corporal〃　Tanner's　extravagant　management　became　so　intolerable　to　the　Secretary　of　the　Interior　that　he　confronted　President　Harrison　with　the　choice　of　accepting　his　resignation　or　dismissing　Tanner。　Tanner　therefore　had　to　go；　and　with　him　his　system　of　reratings。

A　pension　bill　for　dependents；　such　as　Cleveland　had　vetoed；　now　went　triumphantly　through　Congress。*　It　granted　pensions　of　from　six　to　twelve　dollars　a　month　to　all　persons　who　had　served　for　ninety　days　in　the　Civil　War　and　had　thereby　been　incapacitated　for　manual　labor　to　such　a　degree　as　to　be　unable　to　support　themselves。　Pensions　were　also　granted　to　widows；　minor　children；　and　dependent　parents。　This　law　brought　in　an　enormous　flood　of　claims　in　passing；　upon　which　it　was　the　policy　of　the　Pension　Bureau　to　practice　great　indulgence。　In　one　instance；　a　pension　was　granted　to　a　claimant　who　had　enlisted　but　never　really　served　in　the　army　as　he　had　deserted　soon　after　entering　the　camp。　He　thereupon　had　been　sentenced　to　hard　labor　for　one　year　and　made　to　forfeit　all　pay　and　allowances。　After　the　war；　he　had　been　convicted　of　horse　stealing　and　sent　to　the　state　penitentiary　in　Wisconsin。　While　serving　his　term；　he　presented　a　pension　claim　supported　by　forged　testimony　to　the　effect　that　he　had　been　wounded　in　the　battle　of　Franklin。　The　fraud　was　discovered　by　a　special　examiner　of　the　pension　office；　and　the　claimant　and　some　of　his　witnesses　were　tried　for　perjury；　convicted；　and　sent　to　the　state　penitentiary　at　Joliet；　Illinois。　After　serving　his　time　there；　he　posed　as　a　neglected　old　soldier　and　succeeded　in　obtaining　letters　from　sympathetic　Congressmen　commending　his　case　to　the　attention　of　the　pension　office；　but　without　avail　until　the　Act　of　1890　was　passed。　He　then　put　in　a　claim　which　was　twice　rejected　by　the　pension　office　examiners；　but　each　time　the　decision　was　overruled；　and　in　the　end　he　was　put　upon　the　pension　roll。　This　case　is　only　one　of　many　made　possible　by　lax　methods　of　investigating　pension　claims。　Senator　Gallinger　of　New　Hampshire　eventually　said　of　the　effect　of　pension　policy；　as　shaped　by　his　own　party　with　his　own　aid：

〃If　there　was　any　soldier　on　the　Union　side　during　the　Civil　War　who　was　not　a　good　soldier；　who　has　not　received　a　pension；　I　do　not　know　who　he　is。　He　can　always　find　men　of　his　own　type；　equally　poor　soldiers　who　would　swear　that　they　knew　he　had　been　in　a　hospital　at　a　certain　time；　whether　he　was　or　notthe　records　did　not　state　it；　but　they　knew　it　was　soand　who　would　also　swear　that　they　knew　he　had　received　a　shock　which　affected　his　hearing　during　a　certain　battle；　or　that　something　else　had　happened　to　him；　and　so　all　those　pension　claims；　many　of　which　are　worthless；　have　been　allowed　by　the　Government；　because　they　were　'proved。'〃

*　June　27；　1890。


The　increase　in　the　expenditure　for　pensions；　which　rose　from　88；000；000　in　1889　to　159；000；000　in　1893；　swept　away　much　of　the　surplus　in　the　Treasury。　Further　inroads　were　made　by　the　enactment　of　the　largest　river　and　harbor　appropriation　bill　in　the　history　of　the　country　up　to　this　time。　Moreover；　a　new　tariff　bill　was　contrived　in　such　a　way　as　to　impose　protective　duties　without　producing　so　much　revenue　that　it　would　cause　popular　complaint　about　unnecessary　taxation。　A　large　source　of　revenue　was　cut　off　by　abolishing　the　sugar　duties　and　by　substituting　a　system　of　bounties　to　encourage　home　production。　Upon　this　bill　as　a　whole；　Senator　Cullom　remarks　in　his　memoirs　that　〃it　was　a　high　protective　tariff；　dictated　by　the　manufacturers　of　the　country〃　who　have　〃insisted　upon　higher　duties　than　they　really　ought　to　have。〃　The　bill　was；　indeed；　made　up　wholly　with　the　view　of　protecting　American　manufactures　from　any　foreign　competition　in　the　home　market。

As　passed　by　the　House；　not　only　did　the　bill　ignore　American　commerce　with　other　countries　but　it　left　American　consumers　exposed　to　the　manipulation　of　prices　on　the　part　of　other　countries。　Practically　all　the　products　of　tropical　America；　except　tobacco；　had　been　placed　upon　the　free　list　without　any　precaution　lest　the　revenue　thus　surrendered　might　not　be　appropriated　by　other　countries　by　means　of　export　taxes。　Blaine；　who　was　once　more　Secretary　of　State；　began　a　vigorous　agitation　in　favor　of　adding　reciprocity　provisions　to　the　bill。　When　the　Senate　showed　a　disposition　to　resent　his　interference；　Blaine　addressed　to　Senator　Frye　of　Maine　a　letter　which　was　in　effect　an　appeal　to　the　people；　and　which　greatly　stirred　the　farmers　by　its　statement　that　〃there　is　not　a　section　or　a　line　in　the　entire　bill　that　will　open　the　market　for　another　bushel　of　wheat　or　another　barrel　of　pork。〃　The　effect　was　so　marked　that　the　Senate　yielded；　and　the　Tariff　Bill；　as　finally　enacted；　gave　the　President　power　to　impose　certain　duties　on　sugar；　molasses；　coffee；　tea；　and　hides　imported　from　any　country　imposing　on　American　goods　duties；　which；　in　the　opinion　of　the　President；　were　〃reciprocally　unequal　and　unreasonable。〃　This　more　equitable　result　is　to　be　ascribed　wholly　to　Blaine's　energetic　and　capable　leadership。

Pending　the　passage　of　the　Tariff　Bill；　the　Senate　had　been　wrestling　with　the　trust　problem　which　was　making　a　mockery　of　a　favorite　theory　of　the　Republicans。　They　had　held　that　tariff　protection　benefited　the　consumer　by　the　stimulus　which　it　gave　to　home　production　and　by　ensuring　a　supply　of　articles　on　as　cheap　terms　as　American　labor　could　afford。　There　were；　however；　notorious　facts　showing　that　certain　corporations　had　taken　advantage　of　the　situation　to　impose　high　prices；　especially　upon　the　American　consumer。　It　was　a　campaign　taunt　that　the　tariff　held　the　people　down　while　the　trusts　went　through　their　pockets；　and　to　this　charge　the　Republicans　found　it　difficult　to　make　a　satisfactory　reply。

The　existence　of　such　economic　injustice　was　continually　urged　in　support　of　popular　demands　for　the　control　of　corporations　by　the　Government。　Though　the　Republican　leaders　were　much　averse　to　providing　such　control；　they　found　inaction　so　dangerous　that　on　January　14；　1890；　Senator　John　Sherman　reported　from　the　Finance　Committee　a　vague　but　peremptory　statute　to　make　trade　competition　compulsory。　This　was　the　origin　of　the　AntiTrust　Law　which　has　since　gone　by　his　name；　although　the　law　actually　passed　was　framed　by　the　Senate　judiciary　committee。　The　first　section　declared　that　〃every　contract；　combination　in　the　form　of　trust　or　otherwise；　or　conspiracy；　in　restraint　of　trade　or　commerce　among　the　several　States；　or　with　foreign　nations；　is　hereby　declared　to　be　illegal。〃　The　law　made　no　attempt　to　define　the　offenses　it　penalized　and　created　no　machinery　for　enforcing　its　provisions；　but　it　gave　jurisdiction　over　alleged　violations　to　the　courtsa　favorite　congressional　mode　of　getting　rid　of　troublesome　responsibilities。　As　a　result；　the　courts　have　been　struggling　with　the　application　of　the　law　ever　since；　without　being　able　to　develop　a　clear　or　consistent　rule　for　discriminating　between　legal　and　illegal　combinations　in　trade　and　commerce。　Even　upon　the　financial　question；　the　Republicans　succeeded　in　maintaining　party　harmony；　notwithstanding　a　sharp　conflict　between　factions。　William　Windom；　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury；　had　prepared　a　bill　of　the　type　known　as　a　〃straddle。〃　It　offered　the　advocates　of　free　coinage　the　right　to　send　to　the　mint　silver　bullion　in　any　quantity　and　to　receive　in　return　the　net　market　value　of　the　bullion　in　treasury　notes　redeemable　in　gold　or　silver　coin　at　the　option　of　the　Government。　The　monthly　purchase　of　not　less　than　2；000；000　worth　of　bullion　was；　however；　no　longer　to　be　required　by　law。　When　the　advocates　of　silver　insisted　that　the　provision　for　bullion　purchase　was　too　vague；　a　substitute　was　prepared　which　definitely　required　the　Secretary　of　the　Treasury　to　purchase　4；500；000　ounces　of　silver　bullion　in　one　month。　The　bill；　as　thus　amended；　was　put　through　the　House　under　special　rule　by　a　strict　party　vo