New-York tribune., 1885-08-13
PENSION OFFICE "REFORM."
GENERAL BLACK ON EXAMINING BOARDS.
purr1yo OUT REPUBLICAN SURGEONS AND PUTTING
IN DEMOCRATS.
INV rprroRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE

rDnn
tbs country which indicate strong probability that
Pension Commissioner Black will be called to account
Inv Congress next winter for his disregard Of the in
trests and rights both OF pension claimants and the
Government The chief cause Of complaint thus far
ssem, to be the reorganization partisan bass OF
the boards Of examining surgeons and the appointment
NJ men unfit and incompetent simply because they are
Democrats For fifteen years at least before Generai
Bock took charge of the Pension Bureau no man was
appointed an examining surgeon or dismissed from
that Office on account Of his politics. Hundreds OF the
examining surgeons were Democrats, simply because
,v ware found TO be the abest and most experienced
surceons in the places where their services were re-
ou;red But no applicant ever asked whether
ne was Democrat or u Republican and an examina-
tou of the applications file in the Pension Office
when General Biack took charge would show that in
few cases. indeed did applicants say that they
Republicans or Democrats
like examination of applications fled during the
r,s, Eve months would show that nearly ali the appi
cants took care to state that they were Democrats.
One Of them. to make his case sure, not only
s,o,od that he was Democrat but that his wife and
ali his children were Democrats too ii Is true that
when Commissioner Black took charge. majority of
the examining surgeons was composed OF men Swho
var Rennblieans This state of things due TO
rue of selection which prescribed that IN all cases
where they could be found cap able surgeons VINO had
ferred large majority of the men who possess the
latter qualification happen to he Republicans Onc oil
Commissioner Blacks first acts was to issue procln-
nation of his intention to reorganlze the examining
boarJs on partisan basis 10 have each one COM
posed OF two Democrats and one Republican. In
majority of eases he has probably adhered to ths pIr m
pose but good mauy o the new ooarus are saia 10 oe
composed wholly of Democrats
Bnt this alone would be a matter OF small conse-
ouence comparatively. The serious grounds Of
complaint are first; the sudden removal of all the
hers of many boards aud the appointment OF incapable
or inexperienced men in their places and second the
failure TO have boards promptly organized. In
ali there are about four hundred examining boards,
each Of which consists OF three members. In ONO,
there are twenty-five, all OF which have been " re-
orqanizedn In eleven every one Of the old mem
hers was suddenly removed and ncw men appointed
who are wholly without e1pcrerce. Most OF these new
men are Democrats and were appointed Tor no better
reason than because they are Democrats and Demo-
cratic politicians urged their appointment In each
of the other eleven cases and inexperienced
men were appointed In the places OF experienced men,
II will be observed that long experience does not save
even some Democrats from removal under this brave
scheme of " reorganization For example. there Is
the case of DIR. John u. Orton. OF bnghninion New
York who had been for many years "a member oi the
examining board at that place He II u Democrat ana
during tue last Presidential campaign an effort was
made his removal Tor that reason vi course
failed because OF his superior qualifications and long
expei ience which made his services valuable to the
Government we'll To honest pension claimants hut
since Commissioner Black came In Dr. orton has been
uncercmoniOusly kicked out and new aud mex
pertnc6d man fills his place.
Another case is that of the examining board in Baii,
more where three faithful. capable and experienced
surgeons-one Of them. DIR. Dodge, Is an Army eN-
surgeon who himself draws pension on account OF
disabilities incurred in the Union Ser' lee were dis
missed and their places led with three lo1ng mex
p.renced doctors Who icstly incapable Ia pio-
iect the interests OF the Government, ot o honest
pension claimants. The new men weie appointed at
the instance of Senator Goman aud other Denooiauc
leaders and of course all OF them are Democrats.
Still another case. and one which has already eX-
cited public attention. - That oi the eNanning
- at.ftar fIust FYnFU
this board by appointing DR. Gavin. reputable Demo
cratic Dhy sican rccOmmcndedby Congre..man collins
and Dr." Bartlett, whose attorney j. Hcnjamn r.
Butler. DR. Whittier the remaining men Der, % re
publican and Dr. Gavin 10th refused 10 serve on n
boarc with General Buffers client DIR. Whittier came
10 Washington aud gave Commissioner Black the
reasons for their refusal and begged him To ns eigaie
certain charges affecting Dr. Baitetts professional
standing and personal character Instead ct doing -,
General Black eff IL to General Buter 10 say nheihcF
or not Bartlett slould he retained ana decided IN the
Affirmative despite the objections OF Congressman
Collins and Drs. Whittier and GAVIN General BLACK
passed through Boston twice While the matter "A-
pending but did think IL worth his while to stop
and make personal inquiries lie then appointed Dr.
Morton Prince son OF eX- Mayor 7. %. Prince, place
of Dr. Gavin but the former discovered that
he " a. to lie associated with Bartlett he sent his
resignation 10 General Black by teegra and followed
IL with scahng letter rebukug The CommissioLcr inr
his persistence retaining Bartlett n tho face OF the
charges against him. One of the charges u that Bart
lett as a edioai examiner of mutual aid association,
passed the application OF man who was III with con-
eunipton and whO had agreed tD give The agent ote
half the amount Of the pocy-so. .OOO- Tor Keeping up
the premiums and assessments Papers IN TN. case n
well a. in another one showing that Bartlett had been
dismissed from bis position ~ examiner d inc nsuf
ance company tor reasons not croditabic 10 himself
were laid before Commssioner Black by Dr. Whittier.
Commissioner Blacks next step was to md two
doctors who willing 20 serve with Bartlett One
of them Is DR.. Roeth. According 10 statements made
by Dr. Whittier this IL the who Ia 1850
represented himself 10 Colonel Plynpton aud other
Butler managers in Boston as the editor and proprietor
of German newspaper published Ia that Stale the in
-A...f. a. - a.. n..sf.
cause for the sum OF $500. slight investigation by
Colonel Plympton IL l. said. dscosed the fact that DR.
oeth had nothing whatever to do with the newspaper
question, the editor and proprietor of Which were
both indignant when they heard OF his proncr.
Such a condition Of affairs as las eKised In the
Boston board for the last ELK weeks. J. Of
remey injurious 10 the interests Of the Government
well "a 10 pension claimants The board of examining
surgeons IL should be remembered fixes the degree Of
disability upon which pension 10 granted. The in
of the Government require and Justice to the
pensoncr demands, that the members Of tho examining
board shall be not only honest but capable.
But the pension claimants have suffered In another
way through lack OF efficiency in the administration Of
the Pension Office since Commissioner Black initiated
his new scheme OF reorganization" A claimant
after his case has been passed by the Pension Onice IL
ordered 10 appear before an examining board at
specified time and place 20 he examined To his de-
gree OF his disability Within the last three months
hundreds of pension claimants who have been so
ordered 10 appear and have appeared have found the
boards disorg ganized and no board In existenco and
have thereby been subjected 10 thousands Of dollars OF
unnecessary pcnse and To unwnrTantGblc delay in
the settlement OF their claims. The ST. LoGis board
In state OF disorganzaton for six weeks because
the warning Democratic factions III that city could
agree in respect certain Democratic IepI esentave
on the board and the whole wOik OF examining claim
ants that city had TO wait until the difficulty could
be composed because General Black lacked either the
courage or the inclination TO make appointment
which would not be satisfactory To both Of the Demo-
cratic factions In number of caies 1t IA asserted,
Comnss ionsr Black has moved every embcr of the
examining board ana has not appointed their sue
Tor several weeks thereafter, although claim
ants under the orders OF the Pension Office ap-
pcaring once and sometimes twice week to be
amned