The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-09-28
Why Mr.. Blair is Unfit to BE Pension
Commissioners.

Commissioner.
1t is reported from Washington on good
authority that In connection with the prob
ably impending retirement OF Gen. GREEN
B. RAuM from the Office Of Pension Com
missioner Gen. HARRISON Is considering the
advisability Of appointing to that post Mr..
HENRY w. BLAIR Of New Hampshire.
Far Is 1t from our desire to add to the
Presidents perplexities In tho matter OF
disposing Of Mr.. BLAIR. His claim to m
office and salary from tho United States
Government rests upon the ancient Repub-
lican theory that a Senator or Congressman
who fails to get himself reelected Is ipso
facto entitled to appointment to tho best
executive Office vacant and available. That
theory always has been very much in favor
with Senators and Representatives for
whom their constituents have no further
use. We do not quarrel with 1t just now.
The special question at present ls the fit
ness or untitness Of Mr.. BLAIR for this par
ticular Office.
With persistency and apparent malig-
nifty that have no parallel In history or
romance, unless it DO In tho pathetic fable
Of the Wandering Jew. Mr.. BLAIR's des-
tiny has pursued him with his own fatal
record. and has slammed In his face every
door TINT seemed to open q way to q public
Office and q Government salary. He was
nominated by tho President as Minister to
China. and the nomination WINS promptly
confirmed by tho Republican Senate. He
even began to draw the $4,000 salary: but
his gross insults to the Chinese Govern
ment and people were remembered at Pekn.
and China refused to receive Mr.. BLAIR.
Then for a brief time 1t appeared that Mr..
BLAIR might he available for st. Peters
burg. at $l7,5OO: but in one OF his crank
moods he had made himself responsible for
statements concerning Russia and the
Cars Government which rendered his
appointment to that mission an obvi-
Gus impossibilty. Chilli next invited
Mr. BLAIRS hopes. with tho $4,000 salary
which Minister PAT EGAN will soon have to
relinquish: but there promptly came to the
surface the memory Of that humiliating
chapter in BLAIR's personal history which
earned for him. as SHEPHERDS agent and
beneficiary, the almost forgotten title OF
"Pcruvian BLAIR" Tho CAT pages OF tcsti-
mony taken by the House Committee on
Foreign Affairs during its investigation in
1882 OF tho Chili-Prruvian scandal. SHIP
HERDS Peruvian Company and tho COCHET
and LANDREAU claims, forever block tho
gates OF Santiago against Mr.. BLAIR's on
trance ms the diplomatic representative OF
the United States Government.
Now rumor points to the Pension Olllco "a
the door mt which tho Hon. HENRY W. BLAIR
will next knock. Tho salary Is only $1,000 q
year. less than onc-half the value OF tho
Chinese mission: but even 5000 year Is
better than nothing Mt all from tho Federal
Treasury and tic expensive suspense OF long
waiting Mt Washington. or tho uncertain re-
turns Of q hardscrabble law practice In tho
county courts Of tho Granite State.
Hero the Now Hampshire statesman's ro-
lsntless destiny takes the form OF poor old
HANNAH LADD. and fairly shrieks. BLAIR
for Pension Commissioner? BLAIR to guard
tho interests OF soldiers orphans and
widows' Let mo toll my story first. BEN
JAMIN HARRIsoS!'
The case OF HENRY ". BLAIRagainst HAN
NAH LADp Of Holderness. New Hampshire.
was decided for the plaintiff at Plymouth in
1880. at tho spring term OF the Supreme
Court. Judgment against the Widow LADp
was obtained by Mr.. BLAIR and n writ OF
execution In the penal sum OF 5000 was issued
against tho widows only earthly possess
blOus U lIJto onV LhIIu. \ no JuupltieIU was
never collected. At tho time when tho farm
was attached. Mr.. BLAIR was a Senator OF
the United States and was looking forward
10 reelection. II tho execution had been
levied and the widow had been driven out Of
her humble home. the incident undoubtedly
would have cost Mr.. BLAIR much more than
the amount Of his bill for professional SER
vices In obtaining Mrs. LApD's pension.
Mrs. LADD was very poor woman. CT
years old who lived In tho county where
Mr.. BLAIR practised law just previous to
his first election to Congress Her son. on
whom she had been dependent for support,
was killed In the war. Her husband was an
tmbecile who subsequently died OF softening
OF the brain. In 1871 HANNAH went to Mr.
BLAIRs law Office In Plymouth to see about
getting her pension. Mr. BLAIR explained
IN tho Senate chamber. fifteen years later.
that at that time no could not attend to