I would like to use this Blog Posting to point out that, in addition to the zany happenings in our present day Congresses, there have been other periods of Congressional Folly.
Way back in President Grover Cleveland’s terms in office (he had two terms in office separated by 4 years out of office) Congress went over the edge about awarding Individual Pensions…
Ø Congress had started passing Private Relief Bills by giving out Individual Pensions on a grand scale.
Ø On many a Friday afternoon they would take bunches of these bills and pass them with a single vote.
Ø We should count our blessings because our modern day Congresses do not work on Fridays because this is proof they can do a lot of damage on Fridays.
Ø Incredibly, 55% of all bills introduced in the senate in its 1885 to 1887 session were such Private Pension Bills.
Ø President Cleveland started vetoing these Private Pension Bills right away.
Ø In his first term he vetoed 220 of them.
Ø He still holds the record for the largest number of vetoes by a President.
Ø Congress probably attacked him for being heartless but you and I know better...Or do we?
Ø I pecked out, “Or do we?” above because I just heard 12 of you say, “That sounds like a good thing to do!”
Ø One pension that he vetoed was for a widow who claimed that her husband had died in the Civil War.
Ø Cleveland pointed out to Congress that the dead husband had become dead in 1882 and the Civil War had ended in 1865. (We should not be too hard on these past Congresses because they did not have the ability to Google Civil War Facts like our present day Congresses can.)
Ø It was later discovered that the dead husband had died choking on meat while gorging himself during a drunken spree.
Way To Go Grover!
Do you feel better now that you know that other Congresses were as bad as our present Congresses?
I do feel a little bit better but I’m still scared.
Would I kid u?
Smartfella
