The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-10-02


lowing letter, which explains itself. Its
authenticity is fully vouched for
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR,
BUREAU OF PENSIONS,
OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER,
! WAsHINGToN, ID. c., Sept, l9, 80.
CONFIDENTIAL.
/ The Hon. J. NJ. Dalzell, Caldwell o
My DEAR DALZELI-I have yours of the
I 10th. | think have read all that has been
1 printed coming from your lips pen. For
/ your great warmth of good feeling thank you
! from the bottom of my 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. can not
come out and say that publicly; you must not
quote it, but it is Gods truth. The one ap-
+ pointed first deputy was from Mobiles state,
and had lost two limbs OF course, could not
/ kick.
( imagine that your keen eye has caused you
{ to discern, and that you contemplating. the
/ effect in Ohio of two things recently done IN
the pension Office. When | say recently
/ / mean since l practically went out
/ for while am commissioner, and will be un-
4 I'll my successor is appointed and qualities,
am taking no part in the duties OF the office,
holding myself on leave. While commissioner
/ / issued two orders which / thought, and still
think, were mighty good OneS first, that the
/ $4,000 men on the pension roll at less than 81
month should all, unless they had had medical
examination within a year, be ordered for
/ examination before their home board, with a
: view to putting them up TO at least 81 per
month pension or drop them of the roll; for it
/ was, and is my opinion that for man who IS
4 worthy Of any pension at all
dollar "A week is small enough
consider a pension. Ny second order was
/ that thereafter. in the settlement OF a pension
claim, the word of private, If he was a of
/ good character and standing should amount to
/ as much in the settlement OF the claim
as the word of the man who had
+ perhaps worn the shoulder-straDs of a-second
lieutenant The acting commissioner revoked
+ both of these orders, according TO the Wash
ingtOn Post and other papers, but, he Is a
man who dare nOtsay his soul is his own, he did
/ IL under the instruction OF Noble or Bussey.
/ am told this afternoon that the order re-
/ voking my decision of the small pension cases
+ has been rescinded but you can what the
/ spirit is; and how under heavens now are they
going TO make the boys believe that there
Is TO be no change in the policy.
Smith also issued an order stopping all re-
ratings. He did not object to it until after |
had re-rated him and put him up to SD for the
+ loss of his arm and leg thereby putting
the sum of S6035 in his pocket.
/ ] held and still hold that he was clearly en-
/ titled 10 it; but is it not contemplate that
man who had had that done FOR him, and who
had acquiesced in it cordially in his own
case, should be pronounced
j against the re-ratlng OF poor devils who per
I
| chronic diarrhea, or some disease OF that
kind suffer twice much man does from
amputaton?
/ want to say to you that did not resign
until the president and the secretary had both
| said to me in the same minute that the COM
/ pleted report of the investigating commit
/ tee, which lay before them, contained
/ no word which would impeach the honesty of
my action in the slightest degree. Then had
/ to consider whether | was man enough to decline
Z fo in Vyl | m i'm
mediate official supeuors did not desire me,
+ even conceding that | could stay against
their wishes, which is not at all
true have not the slightest doubt but that
f / would have been removed if / had not re-
signed; in fact, l know it. Noble had GER
tainly pronounced his ultimatum to be my
head or his resignation; and, of course break
IN his cabinet would have embarrassed Harri-
son greatly.
Now that have the completed report. and
/ have gone through it carefully and thoroughly,
j | say TO you as one whose good opinion
+ value. that all under heavens they can charge
me with is too much hberality and
too much speed in the granting of pensions. 1
think you will agree with me that we have had
impecuniosity and procrastlnatiOn enough, so
that II would take more than six months of my
time TO bring 1t up to decent average.
OF the future | know nothing. II the boys,
! and particularly those in Ohio, acquiesce, why
il is safe to say that Tanner will be left where
+ he is-in the soup.
Among the promotions announced in the
pension Office night before last is that OF Har-
rison l. Bruce of Colorado, to be a member of
the board of pension appeals in the secretary's
Office at $1,000 a year. He had been de-
tailed for duty in the secretary's Office
for some months, and was appointed by the
/ secretary one of the commissioners which in
vestgated the pension office. Don't you think
/ ii would have looked a little better il 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, very truly yours.
JAMES TANNER.
p. 81 have written you with great freedOm
f don't give me any cause TO regret it by saying
/ anything about this letter. 1t is to you solely
| PTTTsBURG, Pa, Sept. 27.-[Special.l l-Pr-
/ vate Dalzell of Caldwell O., tonight sent the
+ following letter 10 the Post, which requires no
4 explanations
CALDWELL, O., Sent. 2z-The following
/ telegram passed through this Office to-day:
/ WASHINGTON, d. c., sept p, 1889.
Hon. james NJ Dalzell. Caldwell, o.:
Was my letter stolen from you?
JAMES TANNER.
CALDWELL, o., sept. 81!
| Hon. James Tanner. Commissioner OF Pensions
Washington, ID. c.:
/ You ask if your letter was stolen from m office
No. There no thieves around my Office now; all
gone East locked up in some other Office Your letter
cannot injure any honest man. 1t coroborated and
vindicated me in all my statements about you and
and the deputyship which was promised to ME.
My family demanded its publication 70 settle finally
and forever the truth OF all my published state
ments, il was the only means in my power to do.
( With the question of yeracity il raises between
Sherman, Taylor, Harrison aud others, / have no
further concern except to offer to publish their
/ letters to have never wrote one yet myself
that the press may not have freely Tomorrow A
journalist for thirty years, know my duty the
public; hence have never retracted, explained
modified letters yet. With its political effect have
nothing TO do or say. You have my sincere sympathy
I and your enemies my bitter curses. / have risked
much 20 vndicate you, even the wrath and curse Of
many Of our leading republican journals. They have
tried TO read me out Of the republican party that
helped create because of my defense Of you this fall
could have done nothing more impolitio than thus
defend you. You have more than repaid my serv-
ices and sacrifices by exposing to public contempt
I the intriguers. who. by treachery and falsehood.
] betrayed us both, and with the entire comrade-
! ship who raised them from the dung-hill 10 the
throne Of power. il is only iasehOod that needs
conceament; the ruth loves the light of publica-
ton God is light; God Is truth; truth is god-fke:
therefore ! worship truth aud have concern about
/ the consequences of telling the truth no matter
I where End out or from whom, OF where when.
DALZELL-
In Favor of John l..
Boston, Sept. 30.-The Globe states that a