New-York tribune., 1885-07-09
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
COMMISSIONER BLACKS PENsION-MR. HIa
GINS AGAIN.

WASHINGTON, July "a further examination q
the methods employed BY Commissioner Black b
secure an increase of pension to 600 months sun
larger than that paid to any other the psnaoo
rolls-revssls some strange things. There ia on fls
now among the records of the Senate his petition upon
which he based bis claim for an increase Of psndos
II sets forth that as result of the wound In the eA
arm received on December z, 1852, ct the battle q
Prairie Grove, Ark, the left shortened snl
shrunk 80 az to be permanently disabled for manual
or other labor of any kind" Exactly nine months b.
FORE on March q 1862, at the battle of Pea Ridge
Ark, the memorialst was wounded BY bullet
wound in the right fore arm, and a. result Of thu
wound and two operations which it necessitated, there
is now permanent total disability of the right as there
was before and still is Of the left ar." These Nh.
Blacks own words Throughout 1t is made to appear
that the wound in the right Is the severer Of the
two 1t was received nine months before that In tie
lett arm but did net give any trouble, according 70
General Black, until he was wounded the second tme
This may seem strange to most people but may
possibly be explainediby General Black,
At any rate the memoralist says In his petition:
" 1t will be of necessity long time before he lthe
memoriaist can possibly resume business and eveot
his health should be far restored as to enable
him to engage again in the practice of his profession,
his ability to pursue his lite avocation Is permanently
imr aired by reason of the di ability Of both arms,
particularly of his right hand and arm incapacitatns
him from writing and rendering the employment OF an
ment made upon honor by soldier and gentleman
who at the present time signs hundreds OF letters and
warrauts with his right hand said that Mr. bls
laid great stress upon the fact tha. the wound IN be
right arm was the more serious of the two yet in
the same memorial to Congress and almost IN the same
breath he declares that he did not get an increase of
his original pension, at the time it granted In
August 1865, because Of his failure to mention tho
disability of his right That had such injury been
to n his TO
According this he forgot to mention the wound IN his
right arm How could that have been IL 1t was really
so serious The commissioner can explain It, perhaps.
But the most amusing part of the documents file
in the Senate is the testimony OF Senator voorhees,
given before the Pension Committee. cite from It:
" Owing to his General Blacks high intellectual
ability his most attractive personal manners and the
high social influence of his family aud friends there
not young man who entered the service az that
time anywhere OF brighter promise lie was IN tns
seyerest engagements and in the hottest places
He returned with splendid reputation. He was
afterward taken up by one OF the pohnca parties
tor Leutenant-t t-tiovernor. Atterward determined
effort was made to elect him to Congress-. His con;
sttu ton gave way under the poison which peryaded
his system as the result of his wounds and anybody
but him that ever knew would have died. His In
dornitable will alone kept him alive during folr
or five years. =. The inquiry among his friends
when they met him not werely how he was bu
whether he alive and how long he might live :.
He simply seccs: IN I bcth arm!
only question of how long he will live" This Is tho
Testimony OF Senator voorhees,.
the committee report accompanying Senate bill 1275,
XLyth Congress, second session, shows that in 1864
he re-enlisted that from November, 1854 until 1868
he commanded a brigade that in March, 1859. he
was made brigadier general and that he mustered
OF service in Aug st, 1869 10 sum up, he served
for nearU year after having been wounded was
able TO accept nomination tor Leutenant--Go,srn srno
run for Congress discharged the arduous duties OF
Commissioner OF Pensions became prominent as can
being physical wreck incapable Of any eiort,'
and . confined to his bed most OF the time. Pshaw.
who can believe such stun Generai BLACK can as
charge loyal soldiers simply becase they are HepaDn
cans and attempt TO bulldoze women into resigninz
office. but he isn't d" q physical wreck His appoint.
ment is insult to the manned veterans who hoobe
about the streets on the crutches the widows and
orphans who draw their quarterly pttance from the
Government and to ordinary people who know ths
difference between q hero and " PROFESSIONAL
soldier
Theodore F. Swayss has been the Chief Clerk Of the
Treasury Department tor sixteen years. He has
been aItahtu and eff q Mt employe trusted by success
sye Secretaries and Administrations. ie had occasion
the other day to visit the appointment Clerks ROOM
Mr.. Higgins in one of his amiabe moods. ne
Leered aud chicssd TO himself a. he saw the Chief
clerk enter don't know but what he made some
horrible grimace at him. ndi, sye OF the probability that
Mr.. Swayze's head might tail into the basket before
long. The chiet clerk paid no attention TO Higgins.
This rather Disconnected the latter. just as Mr.
Swayze turned to go away he called out
Say Mr.. Swayze there some serious charges on
file here against YOU Do you know any thing aboit itT
Swayze wasn't staggered at all by Mr.. Higginss
genial manner. He simply replied:
Mr. Higgins. IL would be strange II after sixteen
years. service there couldn't be found something in my
record upon which Democrat might base charge.
The difference between s though, that the charges
against filed after have been in the service
sixteen years while in yonr case they were chargedbe
fore you appointed. Good day..
The action of First Auditor Chenoweh In refusing to
give his assent to the redemption of compound in-
terest note which found to bear date different
from that under which its issue authorized by
Congress- mistake merely Of the eDgravers-leda
wel-known Treasury official to remark to-day: This
is characteristic manifestation Of the spirit Of repndi-
alton alive to-day ia every Southern Sta Chenoweh
of Texas gave only expression TO 1t. The note was
perfectly legal There fraud about IL. No
more were issued than Congress authorized. They
have been redeemed for years and no question was
ever raised about them. The Government got IT'S
money No one pret,nds - say that didn't
genuine one by Mr. Chenoweth himself. But tie
temptation to find preext tor not paying just debt
the desire to look for loophoe 10 evade the DIS
charge of contract perfectly legal In every respecs
except one small technical flaw too great Tor tho
average Southern man TO resist
/ was talking the other day with gentleman whe
attended the Saratoga Convention OF 1876, which
nominated Lucius Robinson Tor Governor, and William
Dorshtimer tfor Lieutenant-Governor. Dorsheimer
went there with the ull expectation OF becoming tho
leg atee of Governor Hlden. There no doubt 10
his mind but what he would be nominated Governor.
Well, everybo iy knows he wasn't. - So sure, how
ever. were no and his friends nay informant said
OF being successful that they brought banners 10 the
convention suitably inscribed which should be uninrie9
the minute the nomination was made. One OF these !
dug myself from out pile Of rubbish Ia the
Dorsheimer headquarters after the close OF the co,yen
t0n IL read in large leters: We will give William
DoIsheimer 10000 majority for Governor me
banner was the property, l believe. nj some Buffalo
city club. more sheepish looking set of fellows
never went home from convention than they"
RECENT wgDDTA0S
Professor Charles Roberts, jr., and Miss