The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-09-16
ABILENE REFLECTOR.
Thursday, Sept. is, 1886.
About Gen. Black.
WASHINGTON, D. c.

WASHINGTON. Of course the men en-
gagged in this lying work were all repuD-
licans and correspondents Of republican
Journals. and their purpose was to make
the old soldier element Of the country
believe the Pension Office had fallen IL
to the hands of the rebels, that no more
pensions would be allowed, ana IndG |
those then receiving pensions WOuio 10
dropped from the rolls on the sllghtesI
pretext. and that old soldiers would be
dismissed from the Pension Office, and
their places supplied by the appoint
ment of ''rebel democrats" ms CRY
was kept up for nearly year, but al the
end of that time it became evident 10
the coterie of correspondents referred 10
that the business Of the Pension Once
under Gen Black was being conducted
in such a manner as to draw to 1t the re-
spect. confidence and Endorsements not
only of the old soldiers, but the country
generally. and that their efforts 10
create a prejudice against him and MS
administration of the Office were gong
for naught. They have now taken
s'new shoot in the hope Of breaking
him and his good work down. But III
this last effort they will be no more
successful than in the first. For the
last two or three months these men
have been engaged in determined ana
persistent effort to establisha belief thai
a disagreement exists between Secretary
Lamar and Gen. Black. Only a day or
two ago it was telegraphed to a number
of leading papers East and West that
the disagreement between the Secretary
and the Commissioner had become so
serious that all hope Of an amlcable set
Element was given up and the latter was
about to retire from the Pension Office,
and would be given to the Austrian
mission, that the Secretary had taken
the matter Of diSmiSSalS and appoint
mentS out of the Commissioner S hands
and that his dislike for the Commission
er had become so fixed that he refused
to transact business with him, but al
ways went to the first deputy Commits
siOneT.
Now let me say that all Of these stories
are absolute bOSh. They are lies made
from whole cloth. Secretary Lamar
has repeatedly given the lie to them, and
declares that there is not even shadow
of disagreement between himself and
Gen. Black, either official or personal.
In an interview with Mr.. o. o. Staley
of the Courier Journal, the reputed
"break" between the Secretary and
Gen. Black having been mentioned Mr..
Lamar said: Il am very glad to have
an opportunity to answer your question.
The story is absolutely without the
sepblence of truth. My relations with
Gen black are of the most cordial kind.
l love him like brother, for he is a
noble and high-minded gentleman.
trust him wholly and implicitly, and al
low him to manage his bureau about as
he pleaSeS. have not been disappointed
in my confidence in the man or his
management. His administration of
the Pension Office has been most admir-
able. The bureau with General Black
at its head has made and is still making
splendid record. l have made no in
reference with Gen. Black in regard to
dismissals from office. | expect him to
obey the law governing such matters,
and have no doubt he does. In fact l
like Gen. Black, and l know that he is
fond of me, and we get along like old
friends, as we are"
The Secretary said further that the
stories set afioat that Gen. Black would
retire from the Pension Office were pure
fabricatiOns and added: "IIe will stay
where he is just as long as he pleaSes,
the newspapers report to the contrary
Notwithstanding.
This denial should settle the sensa-
tional reports about the disagreement
of these two officials.
A prominent lawyer living in South
ern Ohio, writing to a friend here. an
attache of the Pension office, says: 1.-The
fact that more efficient work has been
done under the democratic administra-
ton of the Pension Bureau than ever
before make our opponents desperate,
and even Congressman are using their
positions to create an impression among
our constituents that the Pension Office
as now constituted opposes the grant
ing of pensions. To illustrate a case /
clip from letter from client in Wis
consin what he says the Hon.
writes him. Here is the clipping: Il
will have to make strong case up for
you, for our congressman Hon,
writes me that the Pension Office as
now constituted endeavors to avoid the
payment of pensions.
The congressman who instills such
belief into the minds of his constituents
is a demagogue of the meaneSt charac-
ter, and if he knows anything, knows
that he is lying when he does SO. The
Pension Office under its present manage
ment does not avoid the payment of
pensions. On the contrary the Pension
Office under Gen. Blacks guidance is
more liberal than ever before, and any
and every old soldier presenting a claim
which is just will receive pension.
The record for the first year of Gen.
Blacks administration of the Office
shows that nearly nine thousand more
claims were allowed than during any
previous year in the history of the Office
and this fact alone ought to give the lie
to the assertion that las now constitut-
ed the Pension Office endeavors to avoid
the payment of pensions. There is no
doubt however, that just such stories
as the above have prevented many an
old soldier from making application for
pension or applying for an increase of
pension to which he is in all probability
Justly entitled. The Congressman, or
any other man. who breaches such stuff
as this into the heads of trusting and
less intelligent constituency is not doing
Gen. Black or the Pension Office half
the injustice as he is the old soldier he
Is deceiving. Let me say to every old
soldier who may read this: The man
who tries to make you believe the Pen
Sc, CO. -