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oduces　congressional　action。　Benjamin　Harrison　himself　had　been　a　member　of　the　ruling　group　of　Senators；　and　as　he　was　fully　imbued　with　their　ideas　as　to　the　proper　place　of　the　President　he　was　careful　to　avoid　interference　with　legislative　procedure。　Such　was　the　party　harmony　that　an　extensive　program　of　legislation　was　put　through　without　serious　difficulty；　after　obstruction　had　been　overcome　in　the　House　by　an　amendment　of　the　rules。

In　the　House　of　Representatives；　the　quorum　is　a　majority　of　the　whole　membership。　This　rule　enabled　the　minority　to　stop　business　at　any　time　when　the　majority　party　was　not　present　in　sufficient　strength　to　maintain　the　quorum　by　its　own　vote。　On　several　occasions；　the　Democrats　left　the　House　nominally　without　a　quorum　by　the　subterfuge　of　refusing　to　answer　to　their　names　on　the　roll　call。　Speaker　Reed　determined　to　end　this　practice　by　counting　as　present　any　members　actually　in　the　chamber。　To　the　wrath　of　the　minority；　he　assumed　this　authority　while　a　revision　of　the　rules　was　pending。　The　absurdity　of　the　Democratic　position　was　naively　exposed　when　a　member　arose　with　a　law　book　in　his　hand　and　said；　〃I　deny　your　right；　Mr。　Speaker；　to　count　me　as　present；　and　I　desire　to　read　from　the　parliamentary　law　on　the　subject。〃　Speaker　Reed；　with　the　nasal　drawl　that　was　his　habit；　replied；　〃The　Chair　is　making　a　statement　of　fact　that　the　gentleman　from　Kentucky　is　present？　Does　he　deny　it？〃　The　rejoinder　was　so　apposite　that　the　House　broke　into　a　roar　of　laughter；　and　the　Speaker　carried　his　point。

Undoubtedly；　Speaker　Reed　was　violating　all　precedents。　Facilities　of　obstruction　had　been　cherished　by　both　parties；　and　nothing　short　of　Reed's　earnestness　and　determination　could　have　effected　this　salutary　reform。　The　fact　has　since　been　disclosed　that　he　had　made　up　his　mind　to　resign　the　Speakership　and　retire　from　public　life　had　his　party　failed　to　support　him。　For　three　days；　the　House　was　a　bedlam；　but　the　Speaker　bore　himself　throughout　with　unflinching　courage　and　unruffled　composure。　Eventually　he　had　his　way。　New　rules　were　adopted；　and　the　power　to　count　a　quorum　was　established。*　When　in　later　Congresses　a　Democratic　majority　returned　to　the　former　practice；　Reed　gave　them　such　a　dose　of　their　own　medicine　that　for　weeks　the　House　was　unable　to　keep　a　quorum。　Finally；　the　House　was　forced　to　return　to　the　〃Reed　rules〃　which　have　since　then　been　permanently　retained。　As　a　result　of　congressional　example；　they　have　been　generally　adopted　by　American　legislative　bodies；　with　a　marked　improvement　in　their　capacity　to　do　business。

*　The　rule　that　〃no　dilatory　motion　shall　be　entertained　by　the　Speaker〃　was　also　adopted　at　this　time。


With　the　facilities　of　action　which　they　now　possessed；　the　Republican　leaders　had　no　difficulty　in　getting　rid　of　the　surplus　in　the　Treasury。　Indeed；　in　this　particular　they　could　count　on　Democratic　aid。　The　main　conduit　which　they　used　was　an　increase　of　pension　expenditures。　President　Harrison　encouraged　a　spirit　of　broad　liberality　toward　veterans　of　the　Civil　War。　During　the　campaign　he　said　that　it　〃was　no　time　to　be　weighing　the　claims　of　old　soldiers　with　apothecary's　scales；〃　and　he　put　this　principle　of　generous　recognition　into　effect　by　appointing　as　commissioner　of　pensions　a　robust　partisan　known　as　〃Corporal〃　Tanner。　The　report　went　abroad　that　on　taking　office　he　had　gleefully　declared；　〃God　help　the　surplus；〃　and　upon　that　maxim　he　acted　with　unflinching　vigor。　It　seemed；　indeed；　as　if　any　claim　could　count　upon　being　allowed　so　long　as　it　purported　to　come　from　an　old　soldier。　But　Tanner's　ambition　was　not　satisfied　with　an　indulgent　consideration　of　applications　pending　during　his　time；　he　reopened　old　cases；　rerated　a　large　number　of　pensioners；　and　increased　the　amount　of　their　allowance。　In　some　cases；　large　sums　were　granted　as　arrears　due　on　the　basis　of　the　new　rate。　A　number　of　officers　of　the　pension　bureau　were　thus　favored；　for　a　man　might　receive　a　pension　on　the　score　of　disability　though　still　able　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　Presiden