Morning journal and courier., 1888-06-05
THE CASE OF MYERS,

The case of A. c. Myers shows how Pension Commissioner Black is doing his duty. Be- fore the outbreak of the rebellion Myers, who was then an assistant quartermaster in the army, was stationed at New Orleans, Louisiana, in charge of large amount of public property. He was busy plotting treason while still wearing the uniform of the army of the United States. As soon as Louisiana had seeded Myers wrote to the adjutant general saying: F'South Carolina, the State where was born, and Louisiana, the State of my adoption, having in conven- tion passed ordinances of secession from the United States, am absolved from my alle- glance to the Federal government. My resig nation as an officer of the United States army is accepted for me by the States above named" As quartermaster general of the late southern confederacy Myers became somewhat distinguished. After the war was over he apparently did not wish to become citizen of the United States until after the passage of the Mexican Pensions act, January 29, 1SS7 It is understood that he is in easy circumstances; that he does not need pen- sion of $9 per month or any other sum to keep the wolf from the door. But he made application for it and it was granted. It was unsatisfactory to Myers because it was dated February s, 1888, which was the date of the act of Congress removing his political disa- bilities He demanded that the certificate should be dated January 29, 1887, or more than year before he became " reconstruct ed." Of course Commissioner Black sympa- thized with this demand, and the rest of the story is thus told by the Washington corre- spondent of the New York Tribune: The de- mand was carried before the board of pension appeals in the office of the Secretary of the Interior-Black's superior offcer-and was rejected, the Board very properly holding that a special act for the removal of politi- cal disabilities is not retroactive. Myers was still unsatisfed. and again he brought his case before the proprietor of Blacks vice presidential boomlet. g SN", law was against the 'sphysical wreck, d 5wn deci- sion in this identical case was against him; the board of pension appeals was against him, but on the other side was the lately reconstructed" ex-confederate general, who might, perchanee, be able to exert some ps- litical influence among the ex-eonfederate Democrats of South Carolina and Louisiana at the St. Louis convention. As soon as Black found time te study this coneatenation, the result was no longer doubtful. Law, precedent, consistency were brushed aside, and the man who can discover the smallest speck of shadow of a flaw in the title of a disabled and needy veteran of the Union boldly ordered that pension certificate to date from the passage of the act be issued to the son -in-law of the late General Twiggs, in order that he might draw from the treasury of the United States pension for period of a twelvemonth prior Co the removal of his political disabilities. In year Myers receives nearly as much money on account of pension as Black receives in a calendar month-but then Myers is not a "wreck." He fought and bled as most quartermasters do