New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-06-24
NO MONEY FOR PENSIONERS.
PHYSICAL WRECK" BLACK DIRECTLY RE
SPONSIBLE.
DECEPTIoNs PRACTIsED ON THE COUNTRY TO
MAKE SHOW OF "DooNoMY"-BLAcK's
ESTIMATES ALwAYs TOO LOW.
lBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEI

lBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUEEJ
Washington. June 23-Tbe exhaustion of tho pen.
sion fund Just announced b. Commissioner Tanner
was 10 have beer expected. To those at all familiar
with the economic streaks' OF the late Commissioner
Black the announcement Is not a surprise That
General Black Is directly responsible for this state OF
things ly established by tho facts. When General
Black cntered ucon his duties AZ Commissioner OF
Pensions the pension appropriation for the fiscal year
ending June 30. 1888 was S20,Sl0000 Tho estimates
for that year. well for the next 1856 had boon
made bE his Republican predecessor In each instance
the estimates exceeded IN" appropriation, Commissioner
Dudley percclvng more readily than Congress- the
fact that the pension expenditures rapidly In
creaslng For the year ending June 80. 1886. COM
missioner Dudley had aslcf for S6O,0OO OOO and
Congress Appropriated s5jl72,oO0. General Black
came into office at this .unctirc and In the line OF
his predecessors ideas asked for S75 100000 for the
year ending June 30. 1887. Congress readily apprO-
pristcd the full amount asked for little Democratic
rejection led General Black TO fear that
his party wouldn't stand such extravagance
Increase upon this expenditure for pensions,
particularly mutterings Of dsappoya had already
lcen heard from some OF the bourbon organs. For
the next fiscal year, ending Juno 80, 1883 there.
fore commissioner Black refused tO ask for tho
Increase that nreded, and very economically
kept the estimate at S75,OOO,oOO. Congress voted
the full amount before. with addition OF 1900,
600 for Mexican pensions, but tho result of Commits
siOner Blacks economy deficiency. Tho Lth
Congress at It's first session made good the amount
but It went into the Deficiency BILL where ap
preparations go that seek concealmcnt, and lost
10 the public gaze Tho Democratic press Of the
country. with its usual stupidity, took evident pleas
urc and pride IN citing Commissioner Blacks
economic administration Of pension affairs"
Tho samc deception was practised In the estimates
and appropriations for the second session OF tho
Tth Congress, the deficiency this tImo reaching
= ; yrIlv Tnrn noIa uaa EaaD DIp
down the pension expenditures, according to the
showing mado by the regular appropriation bill. but
the Increase in tho pension clause Of the Deficiency
L revealed the fact that the economy" only
apparent
when the political campaign OF 1893 camc on
the necessity for economy" In pension matters
became imperative. President Cleveland had set
lis Subordinats an example by his indIscrimna'e
vetoes Of pension bills wherever his turgd fancy
pictured As HcmOc ratio politician
Commissioner Black decided that President Cleveland
would not approve, hts bourbon friends suffer
IN silence, the announcement Of further Increase
IN tho smounb paid to tho Union veterans thcIr
h"lrs and drpondants. Accord ngIy, h" again asked
for only s75OOO.OOo. this tmr for tho fiscal year
onlius Juno 10. 1880. He knew that the estimate
thus submitted 10 m" frSt session OF the Lth Con
gr'sS much too low. and fgurrs prepared in
the Pension showed that at least 800 900 900
would ts needed. But tho eXgencies OF political
Canpa we're At hand, and Commissioner Black
know that increased appropriation for the Union
soldiers would send up n universal howl OF dis.
approval from the unt'rr'fcl, anil possibly crrat'
hau scrouS dSsaiISfa ton In Ihlt stronghold ~
democracy, tho Sold South. Hence his moderation
IN the faco Of well known necessity for an ap-
prupriation OF 900 900. Even the Democratic
Congress rrfused To practise glarlny deception.
and lnstsi Of $4,000 900 asked t6r. sso.473.ooo
was voted. Notwithstanding this "Iberanty- Of
Congress, tho calculations made In Commissioner
Blacks Office placed tho deficiency 10 oo expected at
nearly $4,000 OOO and yct the Commissioner, for
political effect, had neglected TO ask Congress for
moro than ST5 OOO,OOO.
This IS why The pension fund for the present HSral
year Is exhausted Comuis, Oner Black purpos l.
made his estimate about $1,000 900 too low. and
asked Congress for that much loss than he knew wOHl
ha actually needed Although Congress, diSrrgar'inG
this estimate Appropriated S-O413 900. the deficiency
viii arh 10000 900. and tho next Congress Will DO
asked to make IL up.
II (, also believed that the appropriation for tho
coming fiscal year will lie too small When tho clrc-
ton was over Commit Ssioner Black lost his immediate
interest IN the wrlflrr Of the Democratic party. lie
then ycnturci, for the first tinc IN three years, 10
ton. Even then he took special rare not 10 favor the
Incoming IrpnbCan Admlnisti alton by asking for
al! the pension money that was neel'd hut hn
a ,krI for go 4Ta 900. That tho least he could
lo for b" remembered thai COngrrrS. exceeding his
former estimate, hal Appropriated that amount Con-
rr-S took him at his HOrl this time, all hOuGh figures
H. his hurcau which he took pains not Ia present To
hT AprrDufatlonS Committee. showed that at lcaSt
S!s 600 900 wuuLl he nccdcd The deficiency p"w
,.yraI~i hy the exhaustion Of the pension fnd has
existed for nearly years II simply failed b catch
up while the Democratic Commissioner who Incurred
IL In OllCc.