Wichita eagle., 1889-09-26
TANNER EXPLAINS.
His Official Acts Defended and SuperiorS
Scored.

ST. LOUIS, Mo-, Sept, pa special to
the Republic from Caldwell o., gives the
following letter. which explains itself. Its
authenticity is fully vouched for:
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BUREAU
or PENSIONS. OFFICE OF THE COMMISSIONER.
WASHINGTON, ID. c., Sept 10, 1Sc9-
(Confidential) Hon. j. NJ Dalzell, Cald-
well, O.: My Dear Daizeli-I have yours
Of the 10th. think | have read all that
has been printed as coming from your lips
or pen. For your great warmth of good
feeling l thank you from the bottom
Of my heart. And now, once for all,
about the deputyship. | wan. 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 quote 1t; 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 has caused you to discern
and that you are contemplating the effect
iii Ohio, of two things recently done in the
pension Office. When | say recently, !
mean since | practically went out, for
while / am commissioner and will be
until my successor is appointed and
qualified, / am taking no part in the
duties of the Office, holding myself on
leave. While commissioner | issued
two order which I thought and
still think were mighty good ones:
First, that the $4,000 men on the pen
sion roll at less than 81 a month
should all, unless they had had medical
examination within the year. be ordered
for examination before their home board,
with view of putting them up Mt least 81
Ter month pension or drop them of the
roil, for ii was and is my opinion that for
4 man who * worthy OF any pension at all
81 a week is small enough to consider
PENSION. Ny second order was that there
II er, In the settlement Of "A pension claim.
III word of a private, if he was man of
character and standing, should amount to
rs much in the settlement of the claim
as the word of tie man who had perhaps
worn the shoulder straps of a second
lieutenant. The acting commissioner re-
voked both of these orders according to the
Washing lon Post and other papers. but as
he is a man who dare not say his soul is
has own. he did it under the instruction of
Noble or Bussey. l am told this afternoon
that the order revoking my decision of the
small pension cases has been rescinded, but
You can see what the spirit is and how TN
der heavens are they going to make the boys
lelieve that there is to be no change
in the policy? Smith also issued
an order stopping all re-ratings. He did
Lot object to II until after | had re-rated
him up TO $72 for the loss of his arm and
leg, thereby putting $6,055 in his pocket
j held, and still hold that he was clearly
emitted to it. but is it not contemplate
that a man who had that done for him and
who acquiesced III it cordially in his own
case should be so pronounced against the !
reratlng OF poor devils who. perhaps from
the effects OF malarial poisoning, chronic |
,l'arrhea, or some disease of that kind suf- |
Ter as much as man does from amputa- |
ton. i want to say TO you that ] did not |
resign until the president and the score
1ary had both said to me III the same min |
ute that the completed report of the inves-
tgating committee which lay before them
contained no word which would imDeach |
the honesty of my action in the slightest |
degree. Then 1 had 10 consider |
whether L was man enough to !
decline to continue IN capacity where / |
knew my Immediate official superiors did |
not desire me. even concedIng that | could |
stay there against their wishes, which is |
not at all true. 1 have not the slightest |
doubt that / would have been removed if |
had not resigned; in fact | know it. Noble
had certainly pronounced his uitimatum |
10 be my head or his resignation, and OF |
course break IN his cabinet |
would have embarrassed Harrison great
". Now thai / nave completed the |
report snd have gone through it care
fully and thoroughly | say to YOU as one !
whose good opinion | value, that all under !
heavens they can charge me with is too |
much hberail'y and too much speed in the |
granting of pensions. | think YOU will |
agree with me that we have had lmpecun-
lositY ana procraStnatlon enough 50 tina; /
1t would take more than six months of my |
time TO bring II up TO Il decent average. OF |
The future l know nothing. II the boys. and /
particularly those in Ohio, acquiesce why t /
is safe To say that Tanner VIII be lett .
where he ls-ln the soup. Among The /
promotions announced IN the pension
Office night before last Is that of Harrison.
l. Bruce, Of Colorado. TO be a member of
the board OF pension appeals in the
secretarys office at 5000 a year.
lie had been detailed Tor duty
IN the secretary's office for some
months and was appointed by the secre-
tary one OF the commission which inyestl-
gated the pension Office. Dou't YOU think
It would have looked little better #
they had waited AT least until | had
passed ont OF official life before they pro-
NOTED him? Some VIII be cynical though
10 reflect upon the cause ami effect, service
and reward. With ali nv heart, very tru-
ly yours, JAMES TANNER.