Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-10-21

Jobn G.. Black, n MANNED and wounded
and distinguished soldier of the Union
vas made Commissioner of Pensions after
Mr.. Cleveland's Inauguration. In his
first report to Congress he made a state
ment which / propose to verify here to-
night.
COMMISSIONERS BLACKS
At one time the Pension Bureau was al
but avowedly a political machine hiied
from border to border with the uncon-
promising adherents of q single organ
%ization, who had for the claimant other
tests than those Of the law, and who &C
uuired. in addition to service in the field,
submission to and support Of a party be-
fore pensions were granted. Not always,
but often was this true; not openly
but surely were the tests applied; and the
vast machinery of a protested government
al office became a party power. The enor-
nous array Of the medical boards estab-
lished in every quarter was almost solidiy
partizan, made so not openly but surely.
People of one faith filled every one OF the
great agencies. Examiners, trained IN
INSCRIPTIONS schools, trayersed the land
as recruiting sergeants for the party.
Chiefs of divisions, assistants, clerks.
messengers, messenger boys, watchmen,
and laborers were all but entirely from the
one school. Veteran service could not Sc
cure continuance in office, and, ut the be-
hest and demand OF partisans beyond the
office, old employees were cut adrift and
Jealous rufiers placed in their stead leaves
of absence were granted that the active
men of the party might dominate over the
elections. Wholesale discharges were
made for partisan ends, and a careful study
of the tables 81 and ola, of this report, will
show how a tide of men and money was
poured by this office into the sections
where political struggle was progressing
1t was widely proclaimed that the pen
sion system of the United States, this
vast and unmatched benetcence, depend
ed for its continuance on partisan success.
The glory of a noble gratitude was taken
from the people and made to masquerade
as a party accomplishment, and men were
taught that the immense sums levied ON
all our borders, a grateful reward for the
veteran soldiery and their dependents,
were party contributions and would cease
ifa change in governmental admlnlstra-
ton occurred.
Gen. Black made those charges not in
the night time, nor in the dark. He made
them
IN AN OFFICIAL REPORT
which vent to the administration and to
Congress. Early on the assembling OF the
last session Gen. Harrison, of Indiana, a
Senator from that State, offered n resolution
to investigate the charges which had been
so boldly proclaimed against a former adj
ministration of that office. m
committee, my friends, who met
for the purpose of that investigation,
convened for the first time on
10th day of March. Gen. John Z. Black
appeared before the committee. He was
placed on the stand as a witness before
that committee which was composed OF
seven gentlemen, four Republicans and
three Democrats. The Republican, mem
bers of that committee were Senator Gull
lon, of Illinois; Senator Harrison, of In
diana; Senator Plumb, of Kansas; and
Senator Platt, of Conn. The Demo-
cratic members were Senator Beck,
of Ky, Senator Gibson OF Ia, and myself.
Applause. Senator Cullom wasthc Chair
man and presiding officer. He was the d
man not in a commission Of eight by seven
but in a committee of four to three, which
is mechanically nearly the same thing.
Applausel The affirmative, Of course, as
every lawyer would know, was on those
who made the charges, but instead of per
hitting us TO examine Gen. Black in three
days, and ascertain the trnth or ialseho0d
of that statement by the production
OF documents, Gen. Black was placed on
the stand on the 10th day Of March, and
kept there until the lith day Of July,
never in all that time 10 place a piece OF
documentary evidence of his own choosing
before that committee SO bald, so utter
" detencelesS, s0 broadly outrageous upon
every element of justice and fairness and
of public decency was the suppression by
that committee Of that testimony that on
the 18th day of July, rs ! read from the
record, Mr.. Kenna, of the committee, Of
tered the following resolution:
ResoIred, that this committee sit on Sat
urday, July II. lsed, at which time Gen.
! Black, Commissioner of Pensions be, and
is hereby requested TO lay before the com
mittee all the documentary evidence IN his
possession material to the inquiry IN which
this committee is gov engaged touching
| the conduct or the Pension Office" i VIII
submit to any fair minded man, whether
Democrat or Republican, ~ifafter four Months
ofcross-examination Of Gen. BLACK by that
committed gu the very eve of the
final adjournment Of Congress, ifin the
utter absence in all that time Of the dOcu-
ments placed on file officially by General
Blacks predecessor, it was not at least
RIGHT AND FAIR THING
to ask and secure the power and privilege
of LAWNS 6eiore that committee the evi.
dence which it had been designated
by the Senate Ia examined and yet,
my friends, every Republican on that
committee voted against that resolution,
and defeated it by % majOrity purely
political, WHICH Laa Tor the whole OF that
four sau,c months treated precisely SIM.
lar hy every similar proposition. Well,
| thought / owed some obligation to my
country and to my oath of Office, and - |
concluded in my humble eannec'
ton with the present democratic cam
paign thai ~ the Senate had refused
TO allow the testimony to be placed before
the people, / weuld take the RESPONSE
bility on my own shoulders OF laying TIA,
testimoney before the country and, that
have undertaken 70 do, As far back as
1854 q man by the name Of Burke wont
read those letters but have them for ref
erance il any gentlemen desires to see
them-a gentleman by the name Of
Burke wrote to the thea Commits
sioner of P~ensioas. Mr. hently, and asked
him % ,ske three eases, one Of John $. FL
soy and one of Joseph W. Hirsch and one
of the widow of August Perrott and maxi
them special, q very ordinary reques, ant
which simply meant taking them up ou'
OF their order, and which for any good rea
sonip the ordinary course Of affairs would
have been entirely proper. But that let
ter was not sent TO Mr.. Bently. That let
ter was enclosed to Stephen w. Dorsey o
Star Route notoriety with a ,stteF III which
Mr.. Dorsey WA told. that thi
same burke was doing politica
work among the laboring men and wa 9