Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-03-24

COMMISSIONER BLACK AGAIN BEFORE TIKI
SENATE coNAITTEE-HE ASKS LEAVE TC
WITHDRAW THE PAPERS SUBMITTED BY HIN
IN ONE CASE, AND THIS LEADS TO LIVELY
DISCUSSION.
The Senate committee on public expenditure
to-day resumed the examination OF Pension
commissioner Black in regard to the charges
MADE In his report that political influence had
controlled the action Of the Pension office
underits past administration, in deciding cases
General Black at the last meeting of the com
mittee submitted the papers in twenty cases
which he thought would sustain his charge
Today he asked leave to withdraw one
OF the cases, that OF q pension granted &c
Jonn A. Whitsitt, Of Indiana. Senator Harri
son OBJECTED to the withdrawal, while Senators
BECK and kenna contended that 1t was q privi
iege clearly belonging to the witness. General
III said he wanted TO ascertain further facts
MI. harrison insisted upon knowing the com.
mlssloners reasons for desiring to withdraw
tne case, and this led to q good deal of discus
son: General Black said that at present he
aio not see Mt to rely upon that case. Mr.. Har-
Iison inquired If he had not since filing the
case ascertained that
THE APPLICANT WAS A DEMOCRAT.
Inc principal papers Of the case were q letter
dated January Goth, 1882, from E. r. Hahn
then republican secretary Of state OF Indiana
stating that he knew Whitsitt in ] S64 Hahn
and treated Whitsitt, who had Just escaped
from confederate prison In Texas, tor chronic
alarrhsea and debility, and urging that the case
De MADE special and pushed forward; a written
slip In the handwriting of the then commits
sioner, Dudley, saying he thought the case was
we'll made out, and that it should be submitted
AT once Tor review; the report of the medical
examining board ut Indianapolis to the effect
that they had examined Whitsitt, and in their
opinion he was not incapacitated.
Gen. Black said that in the face of that ad
verse report a pension of $3.50 per month
was allowed to Whitsitt, to date from
had been debilitated and incapacitated nom
ordinary labor by chronic diarrhcea produced
by his military service. The witness said ii
was candidate for reelection at the time his
letter was written. Because the alleged dis
ability was emphatically. disproyed by the re-
ted the case, but had made up his mind to
withdraw it. He said that pensions were not
granted, properly, for any disability alleged to
have existed anterior to the date of applica
ton, except upon testimony incontrovertible.
MIR. Harrison asked II Gen. Black did not gel
publican the applicant must have been, and
having ascertained that Whitstt Was a demo
craI, he now wanted to withdraw the case.
Mr.. Beck asked il the fact of "a republican Off
Ger and candidate for Reelection urging and
procuring pension tor party might not be in
tiuenced by a desire to put him under obliga
tiOns though he might be q democrat
The witness replied in the affirmative.
Mr.. Harrison wanted to know if Gen. Black
thought that Secretary of State Hahn and Com.
missioner Dudley were
SEEKING TO CORRUPT DEMOCRAT.
The witness denied any such broad insinua.
ton. MIR. Harrison suggested as general
rule -"
Witness-I am not here to announce general
rules. That is a very dangerous practice. Con.
tinuing, Gen. Black said tae case was brief ed
and brought to him by men in the pension
bureau who served there during Dudley's en-.
tire administration.
good deal of cOllOquial debate occurred
with regard to the right OF the committee to
question the witness about case he did not
rely upon.
Finally Gen. Black said that as matter OF
fact he was told yesterday by a man in the Pen.
sion Office. that the majority of this committee
mad a good joke on him; that among the cases
he had submitted was one in whict the claim
ant was democrat. He concluded it to he the
Whts lit case, and asked to withdraw it, He
said that later on lie intended to present evil
dence which he thought this case would better
apply TO, and ior the purpose of getting further
Information about it. He did not understand
that he was to select cases only in which
pensions had been granted republicans
lie had evidence as to Others and would
submit it. In speaking of pensions to republi.
cans he wanted it understood that he did not
refer TO or select them because they were re
publicans but because in his Judgment the re.
cords showed that improper motives governed
the allowance. Witness admitted that under
his administration many pensions had been
urged on the ground that the applicant was q
democrat and had been Disseminated against
by past administrations because of politics.