The Delta independent., 1889-10-01
AN INTERESTING LETTER.
The Extension Commissioner In.
dites Letter to His Friend
DalzeII,

dites Letter to His Friend
DaIzelI.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 1SS9-(Con-
fidential) J. M. Dalzell, Caldwell,
Ohio. My Dear Sir: have yours of the
10th instant. think that have read all
that has been printed as coming from your
lips or pen. For your great warmth o
good feeling thank you from the bottom
Of ny heart; and now, once for all, about
the deputyship, want to say to you that
the president never said one word to me
about you. cannot come out and say that
publicly! You must not quote it! But it
is Gods truth. The one appointed first
deputy was from Mobiles state and had
lost two limbs, of course could not kick.
imagine that your keen eye caused you
to discern, and that you are contemplating
the effect in Ohio of two things recently
done in the pension office. When l say re
Gently, mean since practically went out,
for while am commissioner and will be
until my successor is appointed and quail
fed, am taking no part in the duties Il
the Office, holding myself on leave.
While commissioner / issued two orders
which thought, and still think, were
mighty good ones. One, that the 5000
men on the pension roll at less that 81
month should all, unless they had had
medical examination within year, be or
dered for examination before their home
board with a view to putting them up al
least to 81 per month pension or drop them
on the roll, for it was and is my opinion
that for a man who is worthy q pension at
all, 81 a week is small enough to consider
O pension.
My second order was that hereafter, in
the settlement of pension claim the word
81 private, il he was a man of good char
acter and standing, should amount to as
much in the settling of claim as the word
Of the man who had, perhaps, worn the
shoulder straps Of second lieutenant
The acting commissioner revoked both
of these orders, according TO the Washing
ton Post and other papers. But as he is
man that dare not say his soul is his own,
| be did it under the instructions of Noble or
Bussey. / am told this afternoon that the
order revoking my decision of the small
pension cases has been rescinded, but you
can see what this spirit is and how under
Heaven are they going to mako the boys
believe that there is to be no change in the
policy. Smith also issued an order stop
ing all re ratings. He did not object to it
Entil after had re rated him aud put him
up 20 $i2 70. the loss of his arm and leg,
thereby putting q ,035 in his pocket l
held, and still hold that he was clearly en-
titled to it. But is it not contemplate that
4 man who had that done for him, and who
had acquiesced in it cordially in his own
Ease, should now be so pronounced against
the rc-rating of poor devils who, perhaps,
from the effects of malarial poisoning,
chronic diarrhea or some disease of that
kind, suffer twice as much as a man does
from amputation.
II want to say To you that ! didn't re-
sign until the President and Secretary had
both said to me in the same minute that a
complete report of the investigation com
mittec, which lay before them, contained
no word which would impeach the hon
esty of my action in the slightest degree.
Then had to consider whether was man
| enough TO decline to continue in position
where / knew my immediate Official supe-
riors did not desire me even conceding that
I should stay against their wishes is not all
true. have not the slightest doubt but
that would have been removed IL did
not resign. In fact knew it. Noble had
certainly pronounced his ultimatum 10 be
my head or his resignation, and of course a
break in his cabinet would embarass Har
rison greatly"
7
and have gone through i. carefully and
thoroughly, l say TO you as one whose good
opinion value, that all under Heaven they
can charge me with is too much liberality
and too much speed in granting of pensions
think you will agree with me that we
have had impecuniosity and procrastina-
ton enough, so that it will take more than
six months of my time TO bring it up to q
decent average. OF the future l know
nothing. II the boys, and particularly
those in Ohio, acquiescc, why, it is safe to
say that Tanner will be left where he is
in the soup. O..
Among the promotions announced in
the Pension office the night before last is
that Of Harrison l.. Bruce of Colorado to
be member of the Board of Pension Ap-
peals in the Secretary's office at 5000 a
year. He had been detailed for duty in tic
Secrctary's office for some months and
was appointed by the Secretary one of the
commission which Investigated the pension
office. Don't You think it would have
looked little better if they had waited at
least until after had passed out of Official
life before they promoted him, Some will
be cynical enough to reflect upon cause and
effect, service and reward. With all my
heart and very truly yours.
JAMES TANNER.
"P. S. have written you with great
freedom. Don't give me any cause to re.
Sret II by saying anything about this let.
ter. II is to you solely.
The Coming State Fair.