The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-11-26
GROVER VIOLATES THE LAW.
A Man Illegally Pensioncd Because Ho wa
nColored Democrat.

A Man Illegally PensiOned Because He wa
aColored Democrat.
YouNGsTowN, November ga col
ored man of this place, James johnson
by name, is said to have secured a pen
sion just before the election in a move
way. johnson enlisted during the wal
in the Filty.fifth Massachusetts Regi
ment, and after the war came to thit
city, where he has since resided
Nobody ever heard of his receiving in
inries during his service that in any way
incapacitated him from doing manual
labor, If he felt so disposed. Lastspring
johnson made application through pen.
sion agents here for pension. His
agents had no hope OF getting it for him,
and from spring to fall he heard nothing
abOutit. A few weeks before the elec.
ton he entered the agents office, told
them they didn't know how to get a pen.
sion, sat down and wrote the following
letter to Mrs. Cleveland:
/ am the only cOlored Democrat in
Mahoning county. ! am poor man,
with family to support. served my
country faithfully III the late war, and
am now unable to earn my living by
hard work. have mortgage hanging
over my house and lot, and cold win
ter is coming on. l have applied for a
pension, and the papers have been in
the Pension Office at Washington since
last spring. Mrs. Cleveland, il you will
have your husband 90 and see about it,
promise to use all my influence among
the colored, and, you bet, have great
influence. Your husband will get his
share Of their votes.
Yours for Grover,
JAMES JOHNSON.
When the above had been finished,
johnson read it aloud amid laughter and
applause. His agents told him that
Mrs. Cleveland would throw it into the
waste basket, us she treated all begging
letters in that manner. johnson, how
ever, was confident that those Colored
Republican votes would have the de.
sired effect. In lcss than two weeks
after the letter had been mailed, John.
sou walked into the pension agents
office here and, with u broad grin on his
face, held upa long envelope, and chuck.
led. He had official notice that his PEN
sion had been granted. johnson has
no family to support, and his concocted
letter is an cXaggeration from beginning
to end. President Cleveland, in giving
this pension matter his personal atten-
ton, has thrown himself liable TO n
heavy fine and imprisonment, according
to section j40S OF the revised statutes of
the United States, which says;
Every officer OF the United States, or
person holding any place OF trust or
profit, or discharging any official func-
tons under, or in connection with, any
executive department OF the Govern.
ment of the United States, or under the
Senate or House OF Representatives OF
the United States, who acts as an agent
or attorney for prosecuting any claim
against the United States, or in any man
ner, or by any means, otherwise than in
the discharge OF his proper official du-
ties, acts or assists in the prosecution or
support OF such claim, or receives any
gratuiLy, or any share OF or interest in
any claim from any claimant against the
United States, with the interest to aid or
assist, or in consideration OF having
aided or assisted in the prosecution OF
the claim, shall pay a fine of not more
than 5000 or suffer imprisonment for
not more than one year, or both.