The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-02
COMMISSIONER BLACK.
His Pension of SiOo a Month, and How 1t
Was Obtained.

His Pension of 500 a Month, and How 1t
Was Obtained.
Washington Special to New York Tribune.
General Black, the rev Commissioner of Pen
sions, is a striking illustration Of the great RE
form" movement now carried on under the
auspices of the Cleveland administration. His
appointment was hailed when it was made, as
one of the best that could have been determined
upon to allay apprehension, which the selection
of a rebel as the head of the Interior Depart
ment excited in the minds of all loyal men. He
had been gallant soldier during the war. it was
said. He had been desperately wounded He
was the pattern of an upright and high minded
gentleman He occupied. so his friends asserted,
among Democrats much the same position that
General Logan enjoys to-day among Repub-
licans. He was the idol of the Democratic SOL
diers. In his keeping the interests of the
manned veterans and the widows and the
orphans would be safe There was good deal
of this sortof talk, say, when General Black
first assumed the duties of his office, He came
here. the expectations of everybody having been
raised to a high point as to the things he was
going to accomplish. and almost the first thing he
did was to try and dismiss from Office without
assigning any cause or giving any reason for his
action the daughter of a brave and faithful SOL
der The storm of indignation which the pro-
ceeding aroused all over the country. and the
determination which Miss Sweet displayed on
this occasion, caused the administration to call a
reluctant halt" General Black was restrained.
but for short time only. The dismissals and
discharges in the Pension Office soon became the
talk Of the town again. For the last week or two
changes have been made Wholesale scale.
Examiners, clerks, messengers and doorkeepers
have been made to walk the plank at furious
rate In no case does the Commissioner deign
to assign a reason for the dismissal A clerk who
is bold enough to brave the lion in his den is told
in as many words to go to Jericho The manner
of the Commissioner is emphatic. He wastes no
words He is reform itself. Curiously enough,
this brave and gallant soldier, this high toned
gentleman, this representative of the simon
pure article of reform las profeSsed by the ad
III inistrationl is willing to dos thing of which
many common soldier and private would be
ashamed.
General Black is to day the only man who
draws monthly pension of 800 on the general
pension list. There is no other, and there is no
higher paid man. If it is taken into considera
ton that the next highest pension paid is $12 a
month and that this is paid only to men who re-
qure the assistance of an attendant to walk
about who are blind or crippled to such an ex-
tent that they have to be wheeled in chairs who
have become insane by reason of the suffering
which their wounds caused them, or who are
otherwise heavily aff1icted--then, | say, General
Blacks pension needs some explanation. 1t will
be remem bered that when the thought of selling
The Department carriages struck Mr. Lamar,
that dreaming reformer also insisted that Mr..
Black should dispose of his. This Mr. Black re-
fused to do. on the ground, it was said ae the
time, that he had been wounded in the leg, that
he was lame, had some dificultyin walking etc.
HG has been, therefore, riding about town in it
ever since, pitied by everybody and admired by
some for his refusal to join in the performance
of cheap deInagogues trick. I am sorry to be
compelled to spoil that illusion by saying that
General Black was never wounded in the leg.
y have before me the committee report upon
which Congress granted him an increase of pen
sion. 1t is Senate Report 1897 Forty fifth Con
gress, second session quote from ii, because
it tells better than could perhaps, the represent
tations upon which General Black secured his
pension:
In March, 1862, at the battle of Pea Ridge,
Lieutenant colonel Black was shot in the right
forearm, the bullet passing between the bones,
about three inches below the ulna and iniurne
the elbow Joint In December 1862, at the
battle of Prairie Grove, he was shot in the left
upper arm. The bore being shattered, resection
became necessary, and from that time the arm
has been permanently disabled. The wound
inflicted at Pea Ridge apparently healed. but in
December following reopened and caused great
suffering. After. he left the military service,
General Black resumed his professional studies
was soon admitted TO the bar, and almost imme-
diately upon his admission entered upon a large
and lucrative practice, which he continued to
enjoy until the year 1874, when, in consequence
Va tuC SActtb SuASi4bS CauSco ny Tue NOuIu III OlS
right arm, his health became much impaired, his
person emaciated and be was constrained to
abandon his profession From the year
1874 until this day he has been an invalid.
The wound in his arm has caused the
most Intense suffering, and in 1876. in order
TO save his life, the elbow joint was
resected. He is now physical wreck manned
and diseased, incapable of any effort and much
of the time confined to his bed. From August
1865, until 1877, General Black was paid a pen
sion of $50 month. based upon the injury to
his left arm. In 1877 this was increased to $50 q
month because of the loss of the use of the other
arm He now asks that the right to $50 per
month be recognized from August, 1865. The
committee is convinced that the claim is well
founded. srrong healthy man. possessing
fine talents and great ability, who would have
gathered fame and wealth, has been stricken in
his countrys service. He asks the country he
served so we'll TO give bread to himself and an
opportunity To educate his children. The com
mlttee, however respectfully submit that in
stead OF granting arrears of pension. Congress
should recognize the distinguished claims sof
General Black and grant him pension of 500
month, and therefore they recommend the
passage Of the accompanying bill"
Here, then, is a soldier gentleman reform
err drawing pension larger by over 25 per cent.
ihEn that paid to DO 0G0 and odd disabled veter-
ans-and for WHAT The report states it, "Be.
eause Of impaired health, because his person
became emaeiated, because he was constrained
10 abandon his profession, because he is TO this
lay al invalid, because be is physical wreck,