The National tribune., 1886-07-22
GEN. BLACK AS COMMISSIONER OF
PENSIONS.
sentatives.

GEN. BLACK AS COMMISSIONER OF
PENSIONS.
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE has but one
final test for every public man. We con-
cede at the outset that every man who as
spires to serve the people must have ability,
integrity and patriotism but such cOnces-
sion is unnecessary, since that is point upon
which every one agrees. Starting, then, with
these qualities as groundwork of character,
the further test to which we claim he must
be subject is his friendship for the veterans,
and his earnestness in making that friend
ship bear real fruit So long have the SOL
diers been fed "windy suspirations Of forced
breath that the grateful, meaty favor Of
actual performance is now required to give
earnest to the profuse protestations Of the
candidate for the favor Of the public and of
THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE, which is the or
gan and representative Of so large portion
of the public.
To any one who reads the paper this pref
ace is hardly necessary. Whoever has
watched the course Of THE NATIONAL TRIB-
UNE needs not to be told that party lines
count for nothing with us, but service for
the soldier everything. The man WHO is q
faithful friend Of The soldier is praised and
supported, no matter what are his partisan
affiliations; the enemy OF the soldier is OPP
posed and denounced, regardless Of his poll
tical sympathies or previous history. BE
the official Republican or Democrat, Green
hacker or Labor RefOrmer, Protestant OF
Catholic, Jew OF Gentle, bond or free, If he
is the friend Of the veteran THE NATIONAL
TRIBUNE is his friend, supporter and eulo'
gist. On the other hand, though he speal
with the tongue Of men and ofangels, though
he prophesy aud know all wisdom and al
strange things, though he give his goods Il
the poor and his body to the burned, yet i
be love not Che soldier and be willing {,
help him he is as sounding brass and |
thinking cymbaL
All our readers viii testify that we hav
not hesitated 10 attack the highest in th
land when they were unjust or unfrieDdl.
10 those who saved the Nation. Nor bav
we hesitatcd to praise, when they brough
forth fruits meet Tor repentance, those WHOM
in other days we had most reason to hate.
We make this premise preparatory TO civ
ing Gen. Black the praise that is rightfull
deserved for the splendid work he has don
for the soldiers Of the country in the ]
months that be has discharged the function
Of Commissioner Of Pensions. When !
entered the Office be modestly told the Gal
National Pension Committee and other prom
inent friends Of the soldiers that he wantt
them 10 wait a year and let his wor
, speak for hin. He could well afford 10
So From the moment that he entered upc
his duties il was evident that a strong
: hand was on the helm than had ever grasp'
il before. A new impulse began strainii
2 the old, hide-boupd technicalism that hi
Z no long ruled there, and that impulse h
3 gone on gathering strength and impetus
I TO this moment The steady increa
from week 10 week and from mon
TO month, Of the business transact
has not been irregular and ftfnl, wifi
n would indicate that il has been effected
!. adyentitiOus or outside influences, but /
IS been regular, steady growth, such as cor
= = Gully come from a systematic perieciing
the details Of the machinery, and an into
gent supervision Of the whole system, W
=, a strengthening and improvement where
IL strengthening and improvement wereneed
~ LOng-standing obstacles have been patien
r. investigated and carefully removed, abu
=, handed down from one Commissioner
another have been done away with, sim
methods have been substituted for cunt
HE some ones, technicalism has been mad,
'se give way 10 common sense and business
for petition, and 70 well and thoroughly
IN Ia this been done that with a clerical Il
so numbering 100 less than that Of his pre-
TOT cessOr, he is able 10 show an astonishing
p&nsion In the volume OF work perform
Comparison Of the number Of certiGcl
sry issued for the fiscal year ended June
De 1886, with that Of the three previous q
years shows this most conclusiyAly: