Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-06-04
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

week has been a medley Of work
and war. Bankruptcy, District
Of Columbia, Chinese immigra-
ton, Military Academy, the Tariff
and Legislative Appropriation bills,
beside many other measures, have
been in the line Of action, while
some of the subjects talked about
and quarreled about are bogus but
ter and bogus pensions.
The Oleomargarine discussion has
been prolonged an unreasonable
time in order to give certain Rep
resentatives an opportunity to make
speeches for their rural cOnstitu-
ents. The knights of Labor are
beginning to take an interest in
this bill, and have sent protests
against its passage TO both the
Senate and the House. They, OF
course, favor any industry that vii!
give employment to wOrkmen. 1t
is thought the bill will pass the
House, but It's fate in the Senate is
a matter OF doubt. Certain mem
bers of the House who know and
acknowledge it to be wrong, say
they do not dare to vote against it.,
or to speak of it as "dirty stuff
"unfit for food and "freighted with
disease"
The bogus pension that provoked
a likely Senatorial episode was that
of Gen. Black, the Commissioner OF
Pensions, under the new regime
Since his assertion that his Repnb'
lican predecessor used the Pension
Bureau as a party engine, which he
has signally failed to prove before
the investigating committee, Re
publican Senators ana representa-
.ives have made life uncomfortable
for him.
Their criticisms took on new Wig
or with an attack made by Senator
Ingalls, Of Kansas. He sad Com
missioner Black was a monument
to the hbeTality of a Republican
Senate. He was enjoying a pen
sion of 800 per month, the highest
rate ever paid by the Governments
on the representation that he was
complete physical wreck, inca
FACILITATED by his wounds from max
ing his own living. His position
in this Government to-day, and his
large salary were a refutauon oil
the statements on which he re-
ceived his pension, and conclusive
proofs that it had been secured 10y
instrumentation. Mr.. ingalls, in
sisted that Black was not disabled
physically or mentally, and that II
he were a man Of honor he would
decline to receive the pension The
Senator closed his indignant speech
by protesting in the name OF all
the soldiers of the United States,
against the imposter who, while he
was drawing a pension to which he
was not entitled, was at the same
time interpOsing Infamous obstacles
against the claims of wounded and
disabled veterans. The man who
could run for Congress, 90 into
for Goyernorshlp, and
hold the Office of Commissioner Of
Pensions was not entitled to pen
sion for total disability.
The Pension Office is now admin
istered upon the idea that every
disabled soldier who applies for a /
pension is doing something feloni-
GUS and it is surprising that the eX- |
posure of Gen. Black, who has used |
his position ever since he has been
in 1t to SANDER his predecessor and
against the claims Of disabled vet |
Grams, did not come sooner Sena-
tor VOORHEES, warmly defended the |
Commissioner, described his condi-
ton when he applied for the PEN
sion and undertook to prove that |
be is, at present, physical wreck.
The rich people who come here |
10 purchase residences for them
selves always prefer to buy a place
that has been occupied by some
notable person and a President
would be able to sell his house for
louble or treble its value. Any
public man of prominence can have
A good home in Washington. He
IAN buy almost any place upon the
,redit of his name and IN a short
ime sell out at an advance sutli-
,ient to secure him a house free /
rom debt.