The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-10-21
TANNER TAKES A TURN.
He Makes a Statement Relative to the
ter Made Public By Noble.


terview yesterday relative to the subject
matter Of Secretary Mobiles letter OF
July "a, to him, Commissioner Tanner
made the following statement:
Ihave only seen the published letter
as 1t appears In the Posi- OF this city, and
object 10 the construction conveyed In
the head lines 10 thc effect that deled
Secretary Noble on the nubject Of 70.
rating, or on the question Vi dominant
authority in the administration Of the
Pension Bureau. In order that there
may be no further misConCeption OF my
action, quote my letter in full;
"DgpARrMENT or THE INTERIOR,
BUREAU OF PENSIONS,
WASHINGTON, d. O., Julyl1, 80,
(UnoRlClal.)
40 he Hon. Secretary Gtthe Interior:
"MY DEAR SIR:-In continuance OF
the conversation had in the interview
solicited day before yesterday, l desire
to say to you, and put it before you az
an evidence oi my good faith in the mat.
ter, that In looking into the law bearing
upon the duties and powers OF the Com.
missioner OF Pensions, l find that which,
| IcOnfess, surprises me, viz: That II |
an capable Of properly constituting the
plain letter OF The law, while the Secre.
tary Of the Interior has the power to re.
verse the decision Of tho Commissioner
Of Pensions on appeal by q claimant
against whom tie Commissioner has
deCided--on the other hand II, for any
reason, II DO held that the claimant has
been granted too much pension, the
Commissioner himself is the only per.
son who has the power To call halt and
reduce the pension.
" confess it strikes me as q manifest
incongruity. II should be remedied AT
the next session OF Congress, and / call
your attention 10 II now for the purpose
OF dealing with the ten cases OF claim.
ants who hold positions In this Office,
whose claims have been subject ofcon.
sultation between us. Tho law l refer
TO you will fiud as follows:
d'Section 8 That sections 4,77l, 4,772
and 4,773, OF the Revised Statutes Of the
United States, providing for biennial
examinations oil pensioners, are hereby
repealed; provided, that the Commis.
sionGr OF Pensions shall have the same
power as heretofore 10 order special ex.
aminations whenever, in his judgment,
the same may be necessary, and 10 In
crease or reduce the pension according
to right and justice; but In no case SHALL
a pension be- withdrawn or reduced ex.
cept upon notice to tho pensioner and
a hearing upon sworn testimony, except
as to the certificate Of the examining sur.
geon. 49,,
~ desiro To say right here that II you
will turn 10 the section named, and /
hope YOU will, l will accept your con.
structlon OF the statute as loyalty as l
would tue official opinion OF the Attor.
new General Of the United States. II
you hold that have read the law cor.
rectly want 10 say 10 you that | have
guCh regard for my official and personal
reputation and the reputation OF this
bureau, that | shall not permit those
cases TO remain as they are at present,
but shall order each one Of tho claimants
for medical examination before men
whose word upon medical points shall
be uuchallenged when stated, and shall
stop at nothing which shall keep oil
taint Of suspicion from the action oil this
office.
ii DO not propose, In any event, TO have
an honorable lifetime stnirChed In the
slightest degree at this period Of my OK.
istenCe, and where l may And well
iounded reasons for believing that
have been imposed upon and misled, ]
shall be quick 10 recommend tho con-
lUmnatlon msrlted BY the parties con.
Cerned.
II simply desire to add, furthermore,
that, since our interview night before
last, have made comparison Of action
10 these cases with that takon BY my
predecessors In d similar class, and
Ind that The comparison is entitely To-
Vorable 10 tho present administration
| | shall be happy " lay these cases be,
fore you at any time when II may suit
your convenience.
"[signedl Very truly YOURS,
"JAMEs TANNER"