The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1889-10-04
TANNER TOO SWIFT
That Is the Conclusion Arrived at
by the Pension lnyestigass
ing Committee.
tanners Confidential Letter CO
Private DaIzeII Is Made
Public,
He Admits That the Letter Is Cen
uine, but Says 1t Was stolen
1t Makes Very Good
Reading.
The Commissioners Report

hG AOIuNlIsslOHCTS 1NCpOEUs
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.-The Evening
Capital says: The report of Messrs. Ew-
ing, Campbell and Bruce, the commits
sion that investigated the pension
office, though closely guarded by the in
terror department officials, is gradually
becoming known. 1t is known that the
report takes up each rerating case sep
arately and each case is an exhibit in
itself. Stress is laid upon the fact that
Deputy Commissioner Hiram Smith, ir.;
received over $4,000 as rerating. This
action of his comes in for severe
criticism in the report. Whether Smith
has returned this $4,000 or not tic report
does not state. Smith receives his pen
sion at the Topeka agency. Secretary
Noble, in view of the report of the com
mission. has himself questioned Smith
as to the facts attending the rerating.
The report also condemns Sdiiires, es-
pecially for his action in making the
cases special. 1t stated that Squires
possessed the stamp of Tanner as COM
missioner and affixed it to papers with
out the commissioners knowledge. The
number Of sttch tases-a very large
numbers given, and Commissioner
Tanner criticised for his carelessness in
thus entrusting his official prerogative
to mere private secretary. who vio-
lated the confidence reposed in him
The names of the pension Office officials
who caused Themselves to be rerated
form a conspicuous part af the report
Several were discharged at the time BY
Secretary Noble, and they now point to
the fact that one who received the larg-
est amount of all. Deputy Commissioner
Smith, is still in Office. A member of
the board who made the investigation
intimated to reporter that the chief
culprits were still in position, but would
soon follow Tanner into private life.
TANNERS LETTER,
WASHINGTON. Sept: a7.-Corporal
Tanner was seeh by d Representative Of
the Associated Press at his residence
and questioned as to the genuineness of
the letter supposed to have been writ
ten by him to Private Dalzcll and tele-
graphed from Caldwell. o. He stated
that the letter was genuine and had
been written in strict confidence to a
man whom he considered as friend.
He said the letter was evidently stolen.
Mr.. TANNER telegraphed Private nat-
zell to know Whether his letter had been
stolen or had reached the public in some
other manner. Speaking to a reporter
for local paper regarding the rerating
of Deputy Commissioner Smith, he said
all these rerating cases came before him
last May, and while the matter was
under discussion there were present in
his Office General Lew Wallace, General
Barnum, Of New York and dozen news
paper men. There was not; he says, the
slightest criticism as to the Justice of
the rerating OF these pensioners. The
case of the deputy commissioners was
with the others and Mr.. Tanner does
not remember it particularly. The
commissioner declined to discuss his
letter OF the report of the Investigating
committee, which has not yet been made
public. The letter is as follows:
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, BUREAU
OF PENSIONS, OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER,
WASHINGTON. d, c., Sept. 10, 1889. icon,
fidential Hon. j. NJ. Dalzell, Caldwell
My Dear Dalzell: l have yours of the 10th
think have read all that has been printed
great warmth of good feeling thank you
from the bottom of my heart.
And now, unce for all, about the deputy.
ship, want to say 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 ia Gods truth The one
appointed first deputy was from Noble
state and had lost two limbs. OF course
couldn't kick,
imagine that your keen eye has caused
Sou to discern and that you are conteinplnt.
ing the effect i'll Ohio Of two things recently
done in the pension office. When saw re
Gently, mean since practically went out
fnt while t,r,1 col mi al \.
until my successor is appointed and quail
fed am taking no part in the duties OF
the office, holding myself on leave.
While commissioner issued two orders
which I thought, and still think, were
mighty good ones. First-That the $4,000
per month should all, unless they had i'm
mediate examination within year, be or
dered for examination before their home
board. with a view to putting them up at
least "a per month pension or drop them
off the rolls, for it was and it is my
opinion that for Il man who1s worthy Of
any pension at all, FL week is small
enough to consider a pension. My second
order was that hereafter in the settlement
of a pension claim, the word of a private,
If he was n man of good character and
standing, should amount to as much In the
settlement of claim us the word of man
who had perhaps worn the shoulder straps
of second lieutenant.
The acting commissioner revoked both OF
these orders, according to the Washington
Post and other papers, but, as he is mar
who dare not say Lis soul is his own, he did
1t under the instruction of Noble or Bussey
am told this afternoon that the order re
voking my decision in small pension cases
has been rescinded, but you can see what
the spirit is; and how under heavens name
are they going to make the boys believe
that there is going to be no change in the
policy. Smith also issued an order stop
ping all reratings. He did not object to il
until after had rerated him and put him
up to $72 for the loss of his arm and leg
thereby putting s6,Os5 in his pocket.
held, and still hold, that he was clearly en-
titled to it; but is it not contemplate that
a man who had had that done for him, and
who had acquiesced in it cordially in his
own case, should now be 30 pronounced
against the rerating Of poor devils who
perhaps, from the effects of malarial poi
soning, chronic diarrh9a or some disease
of that kind, suffer twice as much as mar
does from amputationa
want to say to you that did not resigr
until the president and the secretary had
both said to me- in the same minute that
the completed report of the investigation
committee, which lay before them, con
tanned no word which could impeach the
honesty of my action in the slightest de
gree. Then had to consider whether ]
was man enough to decline to continue in q
position in which my immediate superior
officials 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 would have beer
removed If had not resigned. In fact,
know 1t. Noble had certainly pronounced
his ultimatum to be my head or his resigna
tion, and, of course, a break in his cabine,
would have embarrassed Harrison greatly
Now that have the completed report
snd have gone through it carefully and
eAoroughly, / say to you as one whose
good opinion value, that all under heaven
they can charge me with is my liberality
and TOO much speed in the granting Of pen
eions. think you will agree with me tina,
we have procrastination enough; so that 1,
would take more than six months OF my
time to bring it up to a decent average. q
the future know nothing. II the boys
and particularly those in Ohio, acquiesce
u is safe 20 say that Tanner will be lef
- ~ hsts--in the soup,