Sunday Washington globe., 1902-06-29
SUNDAY. JUNE 90, 1902.
Black for National Commander.

Black for National Commander.
The Democratic party as a party, is not
opposed to a just execution and liberal con-
struction of the pension laws, and the pay
ment of all just and legal pension claims.
The Democratic party believes that the
pension laws should be literally construed
in accordance with the requirements Of law.
This is the construction universally con-
ceded by all judges as the proper and legal
way to construe the pension laws and all
beneficial laws. Whenever a newspaper,
as the National Tribune is doing, insists
that beneficial laws those giving purely a
benefit to a class of citizens) are to be con-
strued as the laws of Kansas or other state
laws, beware of the Greeks bearing gifts"
The civil laws Of states are to be construed
most strongly against the party claiming or
demanding remedy against his neighbor;
but not so with criminal laws of a state.
The latter are to be construed most favor
ably towards the accused, and he is to be
given the benefit of every reasonable doubt
that arises out Of the evidence or out Of the
construction Of the law. He is to be pre-
sumed innocent until proved guilty. The
laws are to be construed most strongly in
his favor. This same rule Of reasonable
doubt and benefit is the lawful rule for con-
strung all beneficial laws, especially the
pension laws enacted to give benefits to the
soldiers of the republic This is what the
Democratic party as such favors. Cleve-
land was not with his party.
A movement is now on foot to have ex-
Pension Commissioner J. c. Black made
commander-in- chief at the next G. A. r.
National Encampment to be held here IN
Washington this fall.
The National Tribune Of Washington,
d. c., the self-constituted organ Of the vet
Grams ibut really the organ Of the Hanna
anu.pensiou syndicate, for pulling the wool
over the eyes Of the veterans) and the
biggest lottery plant on the American con
tinent, is now booming Black for the next
commander.in-chief Of the G. A. R.. on the
ground that Black made a most ex.
cellent Commissioner Of Pensions" The
GLOBE on fourth and fifth pages Of its issues
of December p and go 1901, paid its re-
spects to the Tribune as a tuTncoat and
also summarized some Of Blacks illegal
schemes for rejecting large blocks of claims
which were made to satisfy Cleveland's de-
mands for suppression of the pension laws;
such as engrafting illegal limitations on the
pension laws, as illegally rejecting $4,000
claims of veterans because Congress had
granted them small specialact pensions to
bridge over until the veterans could get
their claims allowed by the bureau. Cleve-
land next administration sanctioned Hare
risons administration in overruliug those
unlawful schemes and in reopeuing those
illegal reflections.
The GLOBE can heartily indorse Blacks
candidacy for commander.in. chief but on
an entirely different ground from the above.
The GLOBE would not stultify itself by such
false statements as the Tribune utters
above, for Democrats remember the words
used in the canvass in 1892 when so hard
pressed in trying to assuage the veterans
fears that Cleveland would precipitate
Black upon them again if reelected as
President You remember the words mo
deserving veteran need fear"
The GLOBE would base its Endorsement
of Blacks candidacy for commander-in-
chief on the propositions and recommends
tions to the veterans made in its last issue,
June 2I. Elect Black, to give the Republi.
can Members Of Congress now holding Of
fee taste of what is in store for them at
the November elections Turn the rascals
out even by knowingly putting in another
known and proved anti-pension shark. Let
this platform be carried out literally
Change the political majority in Congress
and in all Offices in the Government and in
the G. A. r. from year to year, until this
bold and criminal operation of suppressing
the pension laws is stopped. It will soon
cease 70 be popular in the administration to
libel the veteran and illegally suppress the
pension laws. The election Of Black will
match President Roosevelt's threat to pro
mote Evans and to order the new Commis-
sioner Ware to continue Evans fraudulent
course and schemes against the veterans
and the pension laws. The cry Of stop
thief" will soon cease in the administration
and the halls Of Congress. The election Of
Black will emphasize the determination to
substitute one bold anti-pension bandit for
another Of a different politics year after
year and Congress after Congress; until the
tables are turned, and the supremacy Of law
is established.