Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-03-26
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

ueDalc OH papers IL nON NOii a."
vanced and there are no indlca-
tons yet of the end. Every day
some Senator makes a contribution
to the fight. Senators Cullom of
Illinois and Dolph of Oregon are
among the latest Republican Sena-
tors who have spoken this week,
while Senators Wilson Of Mary
land, and Brown, the old war gov
ernOr of Georgia, have presented
the Democratic point of view.
The most interesting episode OF
the debate so far was the caustlc
exchange between Senators Ed
munds of Vermont and Beck of
Kentucky, in which the latter was
called to order for talking Senate
secrets in open session. Both
Senators became much excited, and
Senator Beck, who is blunt and I'M
polished, rent the air with his arms
and pitched his voice to a dizzy
height. Senator EdmOnds never
forgets his dignity, but his face
paled more than usual, and 1t was
evident that he was determined to
maintain composure while he told
the Senator from Kentucky what
he thought of a Senator's violation
of his "oath7 and "hOnOr" by be-
traying the Senate's injunction OF
secrecy.
The President has been much
vexed over the storm Of indigna-
/ ton raised by his nomination OF
James Mathews. a cOlOred lawyer
Of New York for Recorder OF Deeds
of the District Of Columbia. lie
thought as he had given the mar
shallship of the District to a
District man when he might
have selected q stranger for that
position, there would be no Oh
lection to his paying off a po'
/ htical debt by giving the office of
Recorder to a partisan Democrat
of Albany, especially since Fred
erick Douglass, the present in
cumbent, is a colored man.
The District Democracy still
clamsr that the Office is a purely
local one aud should be filed by
local man. They say if the Presi-
dent wanted to select a negro, he
could have found a number OF
colored residents of the District
competent to fill the place. No
petitions or protests have been filed
AGAINST Mathews confirmation,
but citizens of the District have
visited the committee which will
formally dispose Of his nomina-
ton. and have assured it that the
people Of the District, without re-
gard to politics, object to any
stranger as their recorder of deeds.
! Since the committee is disposed to
act in accordance with the wishes
Of the people here, as it now stands,
the chances are that it will report
Mr.. Mathews adversely.
The Forty.Ninth Congress has
at last passed one wise and bene.
ficient measure, the good results OF
which will be felt in many humble
homes. 1t was the bill increasing
widows pensions from IS to Sl2
month which passed the Senate
lust as it came from the House,
and will soon be made law by
the signature of the President
-Four dollars a mOnth-forty- eight
dollars years. a small sum to
rich man. 1t would hardly pay fol
the champagne at an evening
entertainment. But to a poor
widow it means bread for q whole
year, aud bridges the chasm be
tween pinching want and comfort
Speaking of pensions reminds
me that Gen. Black, the COmmls
sioner Of Pensions under the new
Administration, was unprepared t
substantiate his allegations Will
regard to the official acts of hi
predecessor. When the Senate com
mittee investigating these charge
+ called upon him to produce name
and. numbers Of any claims tina
had been allowed or rejected b.
ex Commissioner Dudley on &C
, count of the politics Of the claim
! ant, he could not, and asked 70
time to prepare his papers.
S BY special act of Congress Con
= missioner Black himself is tn
recipient of the unusual pension {
800 a month, it having bee
|, granted on the representation tina
be was a "mental and physica
- wreck lie also draws from tn
L. S. Treasury the sum of $500
- per wear as Commissioner of PEI
o siOns.
e Much complaint is being mad
q agldst him that as COMMISSIONS
}. he is constantly revOking pension
Il granted to disabled Union soldier
d on the ground that the dlsabillt
h under which their pensions wei
e granted has ceased to exist. An
! II is claimed that if Gen. Black
q the "mental and physical wreck
Is upon which his pension was gran
n ed, he is unfit for the duties OF h
): present position.
'e IL is suggested that Congress /
/ called upon to order an examln'
,, ton Of the mental and physics
e condition Of Commissioner Blacl
e and that it be made by the su