The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-04-17
An Old Custom That Had Been Followed by
Black, His Democratic Predecessor, and
Will Likely Always Prevail.
Demagogue Holman Rebuked for At
tempting to Cut Down Appropriations.
His Fellow. Democrats Think 1t Is Good Policy
to Vote Money for New War Ships-Ths
Overburdened Congressional Record.
DID NOTHING WRONG.

Democrats Have No Reason to Complain as
to Raums Alleged Favoritism.
Special 10 the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, April 16.-An effort 10 be-
ing made by Democratic newspapers to lay
great stress upon the single fact brought
out by the House committee investigating
the Pension Office in the testimony taken
yesterday. 1t was shown that Commission
or Raum, during the campaign of 1890.
hOnored the pension claim calls of Mr.. Dun
bar. the Republican candidate against Mr..
Cooper. the same as those of the Democratic
Congressman. The effort is being made
TO make the country believe that
that was m immense political
concession to Mr.. Dunbar. while the fact
is that Commissions Raum simply followed
the custom of Democratic Commissioner
Black and many of his predecessors. In
quiry among Democratic and Republican
Congressmen alike. by your correspondent,
to-day. confirmed the fact. well known in
congressional circles. that it is an old GUS
tom for the Commissioner of Pensions to
recognize the pension calls of candidates
for Congress within hisown party. and also
for at least ono term for the retifing
member OF Congress. whether he be
in the majority or minority party.
Commissioners Black, without Q single OK
ception, honored the pension slips of Demo-
cractio congressional! nominees during
President Cleveland's tenure and the
practice was SO old that not o single Re.
publican thought of making complaint.
Furthermore. 1t is the custom for the heads
OF departments to consult the retiring
members of Congress within their own
n a N nj m W a.
cessOrs are of the opposite political COM
plexion. majority of the fourth.
class spostmasters appointed during
the past two years in districts
Democrats in this Congress were appointed
upon the recommendation of the ex-Con-
gressman. and in the coming contest the
Republican nominees for Congress will be
recognized properly and &C cording to Gus
tom in appointments and In pension busi-
ness. In so doing the heads of the depart
ments and the Commissioners of Pensions
follow q time-worn custom.
In the Pension Office Investigation to-day
Mr.. Mccullough. clerk in the Pension Of
flee, testified that 1t was q matter of gen.
eral talk in the Pension Office that John
Raum, the Commissioners son, had an un-
usually large number of the earlier cases
taken ND on thecompleted files order. but
of his own knowledge.
John b. Peyton testified that he had
heard that he had been DISCHARGED from
the Pension Office for offensive PARTISAN
ship In aiding the Democratic party in get
ting up their campaign book and neglect
ing his duty. Witness denied that the
charges were true, as his record would
show. He complained that Secretary
Noble had testified that he never dism issed
persons without giving them an Opportun-
| ity to answer charges when he lPeytonl
had never been permitted to refute the
charges made. ~
Warden Burke, of the United States Jail.
and q commander of Meade Post, q. A. r.,
testified that he had endeavOred to have
reinstated q Pension Office clerk, an old
soldier named MoGInnis. who had been dis
missed on no other ground than that he
was a Democrat. but Commissioner Raum
said this was q Republican administration
and refused to recommend his reinstate-
ment