Rensselaer Republican, Volume 25, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 July 1893 — Hoke Smith’s Pension Assault. [ARTICLE]

Hoke Smith’s Pension Assault.

Bangor Whig and Courier: The utter hypocricy of the whole performance of this Secretary of the ’lnterior is shown in the statement that every man who is drawing a pension under tn is act for d isability must be absolutely incapciated for all kinds of labor. The most glaring case of the kind is found in the person of John C. Black, the man selected by Cleveland himself during his previous administration to take charge of the pension department. He is rated as a “physical wreck,” that is a man requiring the constant attention of an attendant, and draws SIOO per month on this allegation of his condition. Yet Black accepted an appointment at the head of the department, the work of which is sufficient to break down a well man, let. alone a ‘.'physical wreck,” drew his salary and pension with strict regularity, and is to-day a member of Congress, notwithstanding the the fact that h 6 is drawing one of the biggest pensions paid because he is supposed to be entirely incapacitated for labor of any kind. Hoke Smith cannnot see a case of this magnitude because Black is an influential Democrat, but he can relieve his spite by using his official position to harass the poor old maimed veteran, who is drawing a pittance from the government which he helped to save from the relatives of Smith, in order to keep out of the almshouse. Congress is full of rebels who are drawing pensions for service in the mexican war. They are not to be disturbed by this era of alleged reform, although they are able to draw a salary of $5,000 a year from the government they sought to wreck. No one objects te an honest review of the pension rob, but it ought not to be made by rebels whose aim is persecution.