St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-24

Senator Henderson in a Letter
Taffies Himself and the Pension
Boss. -;
OMAHA, Neb., Aug. Ex-senator
Charles F. Henderson this, evening
handed the following letter to Corporal
Tanner concerning his rerated pension,
to reporter:
OMAHA, Neb., Aug. 23.--Hon. James Tan
ner, Commissioner of Pensions, Washington.
My Dear Sir: 1 returned to my home yester-
day after an absence of nearly two months,
during which time l have been beyond mail
communication, having been during great
part of the time in Alaska with the senate
committee on Indian affairs. With my ac-
cumulated mail find a blank voucher trans
mltted by the. United States pension agent
cuted and returned to him that l
may draw pension due me under
reissued Pension Certificate No. 53647, cor
recting the rate from SIS to $50 per month
blank application is the reissued pension
certificate described, and your letter of in
closure stating the facts of its issuance and
that check for the amount due me will be
forwarded on my return OF the voucher prop
erly executed. Before my
DEPARTURE FOR THE ALASKAN TRIP
it had been stated to me by parties claiming
to know that the pension bureau had rerated
my pension without any application or
knowledge on my part, and 1 had even read
j.. in some newspapers the false statement that
l had received about $1,000 due me under
the rerating. The letter, certificate and
J voucher received by me today are the first
formal or official notification have received
: that the bureau of pension, on its own
motion, had issued new certificate grant
ing me a rerating. You will bear me.
out in the assertion that this action on the
part of the officials of your bureau has not
only been without my application. but has
been without my agency or suggestion, di-
.rectly or indirectly applied, and without my
knowledge that it was to be done. or was con-
templated. Not that such application by me
and such reratlng by you would be just and
right under the law and in common fairness,
but / make the statement that the exact
truth may be understood. / have read to-day
III papers issued during the past few weeks
SO much of untruth maliciously written. and
SO much that it is unjust to you and unfair to
me, that feel outraged and indignant: For
your administration of the affairs Of your
office with proper regard to the law of the
country, which does not recognize soldiers
pension as a bounty or charity, but as his.
contract right and looks upon the republics
obligation to its defenders not as a duty, but
as privilege you are TO be broken down by
OUTRAGEOUS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
and personal abuse. So far as my own case
is involved it is not material what may be
said or written concerning me. l will pur-
sue We COuIsc llldt give iiC tuC dp-
proval of my own conscience, uninf1ueneed
by clamor and not fearing abuse, counting
fair criticism and desiring the good opinion
Of the just.
Senator Henderson then recounts his
services in the war, and concludes:
! doubt if would ever have made applica-
ton for such increase, but you have seen fit
to take up my case without my knowledge,
and with the kindness of a comrade, himself
a grievous sufferer from wounds, have done
that which you believe just and right under
the law you are sworn to administer. For this
tack upon you there must be left no room
for doubt or cavil as to the full propriety
of your conduct. The medical and legal
experts of your Office have acted upon the
records as made in your office and including
the SIX examinations made since the war
(the record of none of which have l ever
SEEM have declared that was unjustly rated.
Before can execute the voucher received,
or take any other steps in this matter, / de-
sire that there should Re
RIGID AND SEARCHING EXAMINATION
by medical experts as to the extent of the
present disability. Thanks to careful life
and abundant vitality have no expectation
of an early death, and l know my remaining
days would be greatly solaced and blessed IT
competent medical board could give me
the assurance that my pains and ills are
mere figments of the imagination. and
that 1 am whole in body and sound
in mind. For such result would almost be
willing to apologize for having fought on the
right side Of the War of the Rebellion. /,
therefore, respectfully ask that you, or the
honorable secretary Of the interior, designate
a board of medical examiners somewhere in
the country charged with the duty of making
physical examination and report the facts
as to my condition. If this request shall be
complied with, please advise me Of the time
and place, my only preference being, in view
of other engagements, that it should be after