The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-07-19
Ghn ~Ga&dGgamGer
wnEELlNG, W. va july 10, lSS0'


Oommissloner OF Pensions Black when
he cemo into Office wa8 like Secretary
Whitney, a little fresh, He made violent
assertions about the frauds perpetraIed by
hiS PREDECESSOR Mr., Dudley, His wild
rawlings were OF such character that the
Senate was induced to appoint a commit
teetoiuyestigato the matter. When asked
to be specific in his charges the Commits
siopcr said that 1t would be no trouble to
accommodate the committee, aRdtheresult
has bseu nothing but q mares nest A
report Of the investigation states that in
most cases tho Commissioner has had to
acknowledge himself thatthe investigation
showed him that he had no reason either
to believe or ssy that his Republican pre-
dccessor had been ~wrongtully inlluencedin
making the order that the pensions be
granted. A dispatch relates:
The utterly pitiiul nature of his ease is
shown by tue fact tina! tho Democratic
~newgnaptrs. wonderfully eager for any
Thing 10 bs said against tho Republican
administrations, have given up entirely
nubljshing reports oil the committees
meetiugg, 1t was only yesterday, when
tLe shsTp talk took place, that they really
puye any sign again that they knew the
AFFAIR was goiug on. The difficulty yester-
day crew out oi tho absolutely uninter-
psiibv condition into which tho inVCatigR-
tion Isd fallen. Senator Plumb wanted
eoms doruments read which the pomTous
Commissioner had brought with him,
and old Senator Beck, who would much
rather have been AZ = Kentucky horse
race, wanted to avoid any such trial oil his
endurance. Tie said rather Rngrlly, III
the broad Scotch dialect which the blue
Qrass living has not yet Contrived to break
down, that he thought such reading only
took IN time and that hO was hall iu'
cliped TO think that something oil that
kind waa the purpose oil It.
Mr.. Plumb protested, but Mr.. kenna,
the shuuK.he2ded, smooth'iaced Senator
from West Virginia, joined in, and by care
fully encouraging one another, both sue:
Ceeded in getting angry. Beck wanted
gome afidayits read WhlCh increased the
difficulty, Mr.. Plumb said he would pre-
fer TO see the Witnesses, instead OF their
writing, because he would then get a
ClMaCo 10 rruss.tXarninD tnem, but Btck
responded that he would read the aAidav-
its Il yhow, IN The Senate, II tho commit
tee would not bear tkem. -,
The committee would not, and he will
probably read them as he says.
This, then, will bo tho end Of tho great
search through General Blacks mares
nest. The report will show that hO pre-
duCed NO witnesses to prove his own rCck.
leEs charges, while tho Senate record Will
show allidayits submitted by Mr.. Black in
support Of them, upon them wLich no
Gloss examination was nude, aud Will
which The authors, Tor L reason or an
other, did not appear. Beck'B aiiidaVits
will supply the Democrats with what they
want, and the investigation has beensuCh
q failure that the majority Of their CAM
paign takers will conveniently fail to
know that 1t ave! took place. They can 20
on talking about turning the rascals out"
without stopping to tell their listeners
that, after tour months OF t~ireleBs effort,
no ragCaIs were found. All they care for
will be in the unsupported Gllidavits.
II there is anything else the Democracy
wants to investigate and waste their prec-
ious time on We would like to know it.
The alleged dishonesty Of the Republican
party is a fruitful subject for campaign
speeches, but 1t 10 to be reported than any
OF the assertions have been Bubstantiated.