National Republican., 1885-08-22

lhe cheapest ana mcancst device Tor
making personal or political capital has
been invented and practiccd by the burolu
of pensions under the administration of
Commissioner Black.
Inasmuch az Gen. Black was g111 sol
dier In the Union army, taking his full share
Of danger and getting more than his quota
Of wounds, 1t is painfully surprising that
he shows himself capable Of resorting to the
eSpcdiont which THE REpuBrIcAS is com
rcllcd to characterize Ms above.
II is always n source OF sincere pleasure
to THE REPUBLICAN, to speak kindly of any
man, Of any party, who did a PATRIOTS duty
when treason throttlod the government
and tried to choke the life out Of the re-
public.
It Is equally n source Of pain to this jour
nal to be compelled to use harsh, condcmna-
tory words in referring TO acts of men who
stood by the old flag and the cause OF the
Union in those dark and dolorous days.
Therefore In sorrow, not in anger, We say
that II is cheap and mean device to at
tempt to make either personal glory or party
capital by the publication Of such matter as
has on several occasions been given out by
the bureau Of pensions.
II will be remembered that two or three
months ago newspaper IN this city,
mislcd by false representations Of the pen
sion bureau, printed several hundred names
Of dead soldiers and soldiers widows who,
by death or remarriage, had ceased to be
pensioners, and charged that they had been
fraudulently drawing pensions until their
rascality had been detected by the vigilance
Of the new commissioner.
1t will be remembered, too, that THE RE-
PUBLICAN Immediately exposed the infamy
OF such publication, showing that not n
cent OF money had been or could possibly
have been fraudulontly drawn by any of the
persons whose names were thus held up to
the scOrn Of the world.
But the original and infamous charge went
all over the country, and is still on its trav-
els, while the refutation could not find q
place in any Democratic newspaper.
We repeat with emphasis, that the annals
Of human meanness may be ransacked in
vain for parallel to this vile trck-this
giving TO the world the names of dead sol
diers and soldiers widows coupled with
charges Of felonious character.
One would naturally have supposed that a
single effort of that kind would have suf-
feed, but IL did not A few days agoit was tel
| egraphed to the press Of many cities that a
| great nest Of rascality had been unearthed
In the Chicago pension Office. Democratic
papers are now asserting and reasserting
that $50 names of frauds have just been
| 1ntnctp1 nm tho Tbicoorn ro1ls aud that tl,o
| pension commissioner has won new lauresl
THE REPUBLICAN exposed this infamy
| yesterday, but II is too serious n matter to
Ee dropped at once. We intend to follow
it up until the rascals howl. They shall
not malign dead soldiers and slander living
women and go unwhipped.
We printed yesterday telegram from
Chicago to the New York Tribune referring
to the lie telegraphed from this city to Chi
cago In the Tribune telegram Miss Ada
Sweet, the Chicago pension agent whose
place Mr.. Black wants, explains that
1t is the system of pension offices to carry OF
the roll the names of all persons entitled tC
draw pension. The law directs that IL per
son fails to claim his pension for three years tn,
name shall be dropped, so that If q pensione
dies or his widow remarries, and 1t is reported
we drop the name at once. Now, great man!
of these cases are not reported, as the law doe
not regard the allowance OF pension to b.
footed up among n dead persons assets and /
is therefore of no interest to the relatives {,
| inform the department. OF course, / know
nothing about 1t unless the name Is reported
According to law We carry the name three
years and then drop 1t. Recently Commits
sioner Black very properly sent ont an office
to inquire into the matter. The man cam,
here In June last, and furnished him with
list ofthe names ofpersons who had not draw
their pensions up to within six months.
suppose he inquired into 1t and found that
large number were dead or had remarked
Miss Sweet then picked up n list which ha,
been drawn up and said at is n curlou
coincidence that my report, which has jus
been finished, contains the names of $40 per
sons whose names are to be dropped from th
rolls"
That is the whole story. In Chicago
just as was the case In Washington, Their
was not an iota of irregularity, not hint
or suspicion Of dishonesty. All was clean
fair, and square. The law was faithful,
carried out. Not cent had been improp
erly paid to any man or woman.
bureau inspired the telegram on which tn,
New York World exclaimed that the com
missioner OF pensions "finds the pension
rolls throughout the country speckled will
the names Of people who have no earthly
right to draw money from the government
In Chicago $50 persons are receiving pen
sions who have no lawful claim. Money Il
being drawn for men who are dead and fol
soldiers widows who are now married."
We desire to be understood as meaning
just all that the words imply when we refel
to this as the most brutal diabolism of tn,
period. The pension bureau dlsgraces 1t
self, smirches the administration, outrage
decency, and grossly insults the soldiers o
the country when It charges the honoret
dead with robbing the government.
II 1t shall be deemed necessary to take VI
this subject again we shall do so, but it 4
hoped that this flagellation Of lash-deserV