The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-06-26
Qhe ante4faenter.
omsal 90. b ana aI Ioatssnlh strael
VIE PENSION PQNl.


THE PENSION FUND
Why 81 " Now Ex~hauSted-Ths Democratic
Commissioner Ppipossly Estimated Z
sl5,00O,000 too 4ow-FAlse ECONOMY Rpt
Rnmlty to Tie Veterans,
KoshiHpioa Special % Nrp York TihMs.
The exhaustatlon Of the pension fund
Just announced by Commissioned Tan
per was to have been expected, To
thoseat all familiar with the economic
streaks'' Of the late Commissioner Black
the announcement is not q surprise
That General Black Is directly Tespon-
Aible for this state OF things Is easily eE,
tablished by the facts. When General
Black entered upon his duties as Oom'
missioner OF Pensions the pension appro-
pTiation for the fiscal year ending June
30, 1886, was S20,Sl0,000, The estimates
for that year, as well as for the next,
1886, had been made by his Republican
predecessor, In each Instance the es-
Inmates exceeded the appropriation,
Commissioner Dudley p~erceiving more
readily than Congress the fact that the
pension expenditures We're rapidly in
creasing, Forthe year ending June 80,
1886, Commissioner Dudley had asked
for 0 100000, and Congress APP
p%ropriated $50, 1000. General Black
came into office OF this juno
ture and In the line Of his predeces-
sor's ideas asked for S76,0O0,000 for the
year ending June 30, 1887, Congress
readily appropriated the full amount
asked'for. "A little Democratic refec-
ton led General Black to fear that his
party wouldn't stand such extravaganza
as an increase upon this expenditure for
pensions, particularly as mutterings OF
disapproYal had already been heard
from some OF the Bourbon organs, For
the next fiscal year, ending June so,
1883, therefore, Commissioners Black re-
fused 10 ask for the Increase that was
needed, and very Economically" kept
the estimate at S75,000,0OO, Congress
voted the full amount as before, with an
addition OF S690,00O for Mexican PEN
sions, but the result Of Commissioner
Blacks economy was q deficiency. The
Both Congress ut its first session made
good the amount, but II went into the
Deficiency BILL where appropriations go
that seek Concealment, and WIS lost to
the public gaze, The Democratic press
Of the country, with Its usual stupidity,
took evident pleasure and pridein citing
Commissioner Blacks economic al.
mlnistration Of pension affairs"
The same deception was practiced in
the estimates and appropriations for the
second session OF the tiltieth Congress,
the deficiency this time reaching $ 5000.
900. The willy Commissioner was "keep-
ing down" the pension expenditures,
according to the showing made by the
regular appropriation bill, but the in
crease In the pension clause Of the De-
iicienCy bill revealed the fact that the
Economy was only apparent.
When the political campaign Of 1888
came on the necessity for Economy" in
pension matters became imperative.
President Cleveland had got his subordi.
nate Rn example by his indisCriminate
vetoes Of pension bills wherever his
turgid fancy pictured an excuse. As u
Democratic politician, Commissioner
Black decided that President Cleveland
would not approve, nor his Bourbon
friends suffer In silence, the announce
ment OF q further increase in theamount
paid TO the Union veterans, their heirs
and dependents. Accordingly, he again
asked for only $75p0O0,000, this time for
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1880. He
knew that the estimate thus submitted.
To the first section Of, the 5Oth Congress
was much too low, and figures prepar.
ed In the Pension Bureau showed
that. at least $90,0O0,000 would be
needed. But the exigencies OF q political
campaign were at hand, and Commits,
sloner Black knew that an increased ap-
preparation for the Union soldiers would
send up n universal howl OF disapproval
from the unterrifled, aud possibly create
u dangcrousd issatisfactioni in that strong
hold Of Democracy, the Solid South.
Hence his moderation in the face OF o
we'll known necessity for an approprla.
ton OF $~90,000,000. Even the Demo-
cratic Congress refused to practice so
glazing a deception, and instead OF $780,
10000 asked for, $S0,473,0S0 was voted.
Notwithstanding this "liberality' OF
Congress, the calculations made in Com.
missioner Blacks Office placed the de-
ficienCy to be expected at nearly $l0,-
900, 600, and yet the Commissioner, for
political effect, had neglected to ask Con-
gress for more than $I5,0OO,00O.
This Is why the pension fund for the
present fiscal year Is now exhausted.
Commissioner Black purposely made his
estimate about $50, D 900 too low, and
asked Congress for that much less than
he knew would DO actually needed. AL
though Congress, d%isregarding this es.
timalc, appropriated $S0,473,00O, tho de-
ficiency will reach $4,000, 900, and the
next Congress will DO asked make IL up.
1t isalso believed that the a%ppropria-
ton for tho coming fiscal year will DO
too small. When the election was over
Commissioner Black lost his immediate
interest in the welfare OF the Democratic
party. lie then %ventured, for the first
time in three years, to increase his est.
mate for the annual pension %appropria-
ton. Even then he took special care
not to favor tho incoming Republican
Administration by asking for allthe PEN
sion money that was needed. But he
asked for $S0,473,000. That was the least
he could do for he remembered that
Congress, exceeding his former estimate,
had appropriated that amount. Con-
gross took him at his word this time, al
though figures in his bureau, which he
took pains not to present to the Appro-
priatlons Committee, showed that at
least 800, 100000 would be needed. The
deficiency now revealed by the exhaus-
ton ofthe pension fund has existed for
nearly two years. 1t simply filled to
catch up" while the Democratic Com
,r tssinnns ,,,l,o inou..aJ Il ,,,ns Ia oVnh