The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-08-29
A Detail Of High-Priced Clerks Hard at Work
Writing Up an Elaborate Defense Of tbs
Presidents Many Pension Vetoes.
No Wonder Mr. Cleveland Can Contrib
ute $4,000 to the Campaign Fund.
Mr.. Bynum Has Another Encounter with Mr..
Cannon. the Result Being that the Indiana
Man Is Badly Disfgured-Capital Notes.



Piece of Cam mpaign Work That Will Cost the
National Treasury About $1,000.
special 60 the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, Aug. 2s.-It 10 learned tonight
that the retaliation message was only one e1.
preston of the sense of desperation which over
whelms the President and his political advisers.
While the administration organs have over
flowed with praise Of the pension vetoes, the
managers Of Dir. Clerelands canvass have been
brought to realize tina. the veto messages, with
their cruel flippancv, had excited the active
hostility OF Union veterans and their friends
irrespective of party, and that something must
be dene. The something decided upon is, briefly,
this: The preparation and circulation Of q cam.
paigu document devoted TO a defense Of the
vetoes. This document, with which IL is pro
posed TO food Indiana, Ohio and other States
which were loyal to the government while Mr.
Clevelands Southern friends were seeking to de
stroy the Union, will contain, of course. cita
tions from such OF the veto messages only Q
contain no phrases which can be construed as
insults to the soldiers and friends Of the Union.
The preparation OF this document Was begun
some two weeks ago, in the Pension Bureau 10
this city, and is under the supervision and direc.
tion of Commissioner Black. Four of the fvs or
six clerks, or special examiners, who are and
have been employed on the document men
toned are named. respectively, James Ken
nelly, whose salary is 81, 400 a year; Samuel II.
Hersey, 81 500 per year; William Smith, $1,000
per year, and A. W. Fisher, 1000
per year. In their work the per-
sons mentioned have been authorized
20 o. -,
such other clerks and copyists as may be neces-
sary, and the aschieves Of the Pension Bureau
have been placed at their disposal for all pur-
poses relating to their Investigations and labors
1t is not too much say that the adjudication and
settlements of claims Of many disabled veterans
and needy widows have been postponed by and
on account of the campaign work, which is uow
In progress, solely for the benefit OF Cleveland.
II said that the work will be completed next
week. By the time IL is done and the manu-
script forwarded, postage free to Chairman Brice,
the actual cost OF it in dollars, saying nothing
Of the Generalization aud disarrsngemsnt OF the
Office, or the delay in the settlement of seserv
ing claims. will DO. fall sbort Of IS. 900. which
Of course, must come out Of the money sppro-
priated for the administration OF pension ser.ice
LUIS seems eWali sum- prooapiy IL Is not more
than one-third the amount saved" by ali Of
Clevelands vetoss Of individual pension bills.
1t is only one-half ss much az be has contributed
to the Democratic campaign fund out of his own
salary. It only slightly exceeds the amount re-
auired to pay for whole year the pensions Of
ffty-two pensioners at the "total-disabilityp
rate OF IS per month. It Is cheap bus what do
the Union veterans think of itl-say tee $4,000
needy and destitute veter ans who are supported
by public charity in aims-houses. as Clevelands
substitute was. or course, there lie another mat
ter, also, to BE considered. The clerks and 9TH
ers who are engaged in this work are liable 70
prosecution and punishment under the penal
provisions of the civil-service Law; but they
would lose their places speedily IL they should
refuse to do the task. The Official or officials by
and under whose direction, or by whose consent
such thing is dcne, are liable to like prosecu-
ton and punishment More. q public officer
who imposes unlawful task upon . public en-
ploye is guilty of diversion Of public funds. and
is liable to prosecution under the statute pre-
scribing penalties for malfeasancs In Office and
embezzlenent Of the public money. In q word.
the matter is so serious as to demand speedy
and thorough investigation by Congress, and is
will likely be made.