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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