Omaha daily bee., 1889-07-01
CORPORAL TANNERS POLICY.
To the Wounded Soldier Belongs
the Pension.
NOT TO THE CLAIM AGENT.
A Co,orcd Pcrpuisite-Dcmoc
Small Bore Economy-Thc Hay
ticn Mission--News From tbc~
National Capital.
WASHINGTON BUREAU, THE OMAHA Ben,
Mr. E'ntrprrrNTu Srpupr

subsidized to some extent within the past few
days, ana the administration of the pension
bureau has been set aside as topic OF dis.
cussion for something else. In the mean
time the policy of the pension Office estab.
lished by Mr. Tanner is being maintained In
his absence exactly US it was when he was
here. The commissioner began his duties
upon the theory that the pension laws were
enacted for the benefit of the men who
fought for the union, and not for the benefit
of the legal fraternity. With this idea In
view he has simphtied the issue of pensions
to n considerable extent and he has suc-
ceeded in getting rid of great many cases
which had been pending for years. ThiA
was done, too, without jeopordizlng the in
terests of the government and with the
maintenance of all the necessary safeguards
around the public funds. A we'll known
democratic attorney of this city, who has q
great deal of business at the pension Office,
said this evening: w
81 am disgusted with those who have been
heaping abuse upon the head of Commissioners
Tanner. He is one of the most faithful offi-
GERS in the service of the governments
and treats everyone with the utmost courtesy
and without reference to his politics. My
practice brings me into close contact with
many of the heads of departments OF the gov
ernmcnt and can say have never found a
more efficient man in one of those depart
ments than the present commissioner of PEN
sions. | know, too, that the work of the
Office is not only quickly performed but that
the best interests of the government are as
well cared for as are the interests OF the gov
ernment creditors. The fact is that it has
come TO be considered the proper thing for
every chief of n government department to
defraud every person rnntot to whom the
fact that needs no proof that
congress considers the men who suffered in
limb or in health in defense of the union as
creditors of the government. Mr. Tanner
has just brought into the administration OF
the pension Office the methods which he
would use in the conduct of any Legitimate
private business He has tried to aid the
creditors while protecting the debtor from
unjust claims. II is just as difficult to get
shaky claim through the pension office to-day
as il would be to crowd similar claim
through any other department of the gov
ernment. The difference is that the commits
sioner tries to unwind red tape instead OF
tying every claim up with additional spools."
A CoLoRED PERQUIsITE. w
Residents of the District of Columbia am
anxously awaiting the appointment Of the
two principal officers of the local services
which remain to be named by the president.
1t is the general impression that these places
will be filed this week. There Is growing
belief that the principal one of the Two, the
recordership of deeds, will he given to "A
colored man. One reason why this Office is
looked upon rs one of the perquisites OF the
colored race, is that the appointment OF
Frederick Douglass to that Office by the
republicans was followed by the appoints
ment of Matthews to the same place
by Cleveland. Upon the rejection of Mat
thews nomination by the senate, on the
ground of non-residence, MIR. Cleveland ap-
pointed another nonresident colored man in
the person Of Mr.. Trotter, of Boston, who
still holds the office. There. have been q
nlino-i tong FOR NJ frntv
all sections of the country, but resident OF
the district will doubtless be appointed, and
if n colored man is appointed the chances
are that 1t will be Prof. James M. Gregory,
of the Howard university This gentleman
has all the necessary qualifications
for the place and the general sup
port of the colored republicans Of
the better class of the city of Washington.
A story was started against him this. week
to the effect that he had applied for the samo
Office during the administration of Mr..
Cleveland and that he had sided with the
democratic party during the last campaign.
Prof. Gregory has proved conclusiVely that
he did not apply for the place to Mr.. Cleve-
land, and his loyalty to the republican party
is assured by the fact that he has had in his
possession letter from Chairman Huston,o OF
the republican committee in Indiana,
acknowledging his offer to make speeches for
General Harrison among the boosters. His
friends think he is sure of the appointment
SMALL BORE ECONOMY.
Usually at the beginning of n new fiscal
year there are great many additions TO the
lists of clerks and other employees OF the gov
ernmcnt. This was particularly true four
years ago when the republican outgoing
officials asked congress to provide adequate
increases IN the clerical force of the various
departments in order that the incoming
democratic officials might not be hampered
in the least. One of the appointment clerks
| said tonight that there will be smaller per
cent of increase in the number of clerks eIn-
,Nls1 In hn nlNrl IN
| there has been at any time before ct the be-
iginnng of n new fiscal year, for the past
atwenty years. The reason is that although
Rthe estimates originally prepared for sub
omission to congress last summer provided
.lfor many increases, the estimates wero
pTrhanged before congress met and after the
oflicials then in Office found that the political
| character of the administration was to be
| changed, This was doubtless done for the
| purpose of hampering the work of the re-
| publican officials to as great degree as
| possible and for the additional purpose Of
| cutting down to the minimum the number OF
places which would be available for republi-
can clerks. The scheme is petty one. but
| it is within the direct line of craftsmanship
| followed by many of the small bore econ0-
| mists on the democratic side of the political
| fence.
THE H. YTIEN MISSION.
Some surprise was expressed among the
Initiated that Secretary Blaine changed his
| plans at the last moment and recom-
mended the appointment of Mr.. Fred
| Douglass as minister to Hayti.
| II is known TO few that the secretary of
| state has be en- thinking for some time of ap-
| pointing TO this position a gentleman thor
| oughly trained in the school OF diplomacy.
| This would, of necessity, have meant the APP
| pointlnent of white man 10 the place. The
| reason of mis- departing from the usual Gus
| tom in filling this particular mission, which
| has come to be regarded as belonging to the
| colored race, was due to the desire Of the
| department TO secure from ar absolutely re-
| liable and impartial source the true state
| ment of the situation of affairs in the revo-
| luton ridden republic Up to the present
| time all the information obtained has been
| secured through Minister Preston.
| whose judgment might naturally be
| warped in favor of the Legitime
! side Of the story. IL was believed by Secro-
tary Blaine that any colorcd man who might
! be appointed, no matter how honest his de-
| sires might be, would be less efficient
| Judge of the true situation than some one
| whose training had been such as to give him
kcener perception of affairs diplomatic.
| For tins reason IL was the desire OF the STATE
| department that white man should have
| the Haytien mission, for a time at least.
| The reason for Mr.. Blaine's change Of front
! can only be explained by the fact that he
| found IT exceedingly difficult to find just the