St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-20
The Commissioner of PEN
sions at Odds With Sec
retary Noble.
Assistant Secretary Bussey
Thinks 1t Necessary to
Down the Corporal.
Tanner, However, Holds Trump
Cards and Will Win
the Fight.
Z, ives of Chinese Resident
in America Cannot Land
Without Certificates.
Special to the GLOBE.

RpSSAoi " IllC OlOD0
WASHINGTON, Aug. 19.-"I nave seen
considerable of the friction which ex-
lists in the interior department" said
an employe of the pension Office. The
second assistant secretary of the in
terror is always, by virtue of his pecu-
liar position, liable to have friction with
the commissioner of pensions; and, in
asmuch as the first assistant is often
acting secretary, he is liable to collide
with the head of the pension bureau,
too. You see, the second assistant is re-
quired to give final decisions upon ap-
pealed cases from the pension Office,
That is his especial duty. Secretary
Noble has widened the scope of his
responsibilities in some degree, but
still, his main duty is to look after ap-
pealed pension cases. remember very
well that Assistant Secretary Joslyn,
of Illinois was constantly having
trouble with Commissioner Dudley, and
was largely responsible for the attack
which was made upon Dudley, Ques-
tioning his integrity and honesty in the
administration of the pension Office.
At least, that was the understanding in
the department at the time"
"What causes the frictiOn?'
'The first and main cause is jealousy.
The commissioner is an important Off
cial. He usually stands near to the
president and to the secretary of the in
terror. You would hardly expect jeal-
ousy in such high positions, but the fact
is that the second assistant secretary
often finds himself dissenting with the
commissioner, and it not infrequently
happens that the commissioner appeals
to the secretary, and is sustained in his
views. He has splendid corps
OF trained officials back of him, able,
earnest and determined, to defend the
precedentS and actions of the pension
office; and the commissioner can usually
make strong argument in defense of
such positions as he assumes. The Sec
ond assistant is naturally jealous of the
close relations which the commissioner,
whom he regards as subordinate, has
with the secretary, who is certainly his
superior. Then, when decision of the
second assistant is overruled by the
secretary, he Immediately concludes
that the commissioner is a bad man,
whom it is necessary to down as soon
as possible.o
''How about the first assistant secre-
tary?"
''Well, his Office adjoins that of the
second assistant. and they are frequent
ly thrown together, 1t is easy enough
for dissatisfied man to excite suspic-
ion even against saint, especially if he
keeps hammering away at the matter.
Now don't know positively what
course has been pursued by the prede-
cessors of Assistant Secretaries Bussey
and Chandler, nor what Gen. Bussey
has been doing to create the prejudice
which Secretary Noble undoubtedly en-
tertains against Commissioner Tanner,
but it is very apparent to me, and to all
of the employees of the pension Office,
that there is a prejudice already against
the commissioner at headquarters, but |
believe that Tanner will come out all
right. Bussey and Noble have been
warm personal friends for years, and
Bussey has great influence with the
secretary, but Tanner will win the
fight"