Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-10-24
RAUM, TANNERS SUCCESSOR
New YOrk's Candidate is Defeated for
the Pension Office.
Gen. Green B. Raum the New Commits
sioner of Pensions.
Tanner Favors the Appointment of
the Illinois Man.

WASHINGTON. Oct 19.-The president
today settled the long controversy over the
appointment of commissioner of pen
sions to succeed James Tanner, resigned.
by the appointment of Green B. Raum. of
Illinois. ex-member of congress and eX-
commissioner of internal revenue. The
impression prevailed two days ago that
Maj. Poole. of New York, would be APP
pointed This impression was based on
the hopeful expression of Senator Hiscock.
who is Mr.. Poole's principal supporter
and who felt confident of his
appointment. In none of the speculations
about the successor to Commissioner Tan
ner has the name of Mr.. Raum figured
prominently until last night and then the
possibility of his appointment was dis
cussed by few. 1t was at one time sug-
gested that Mr.. Mason, the commissioner
of internal revenue, might be transferred
to the head of the pension office and Mr..
Raum succeed him as commissioner of in
as commissioner of pensions, announced
early this morning, came as a genuine sur
prise to most of those interested
Gen Green B. Raum, of Illinois, the
new commissioner of pensions, took the
oath of office before Chief Clerk Dawson,
of the interior department at II o'clock
to-day. He was then officially introduced
by Secretary Noble to the officials in the
After some time spent in
receiving the congratulations of friends,
Gen. Raum proceeded to the pension of
fee accompanied by Assistant Secretary
Bussey. He was introduced to the chief
of divisions by General Bussey
and Assistant Commissioner Smith.
Gen. Raum will assume charge Monday.
Secretary Noble, speaking of the selection
Of Gen. Raum, said he was chosen from a
number of excellent men and he thought
would make a commissioner satisfactory
to the country. He felt much relieved now
that a commissioner of pensions has been
selected by the president. Assistant Secre-
tary Bussey, who has immediate charge
over pension matters, is well pleased with
the selection of Gen. Raum, and says he is
certain he will so conduct the work Of the
pension Office as to give general satisfac
ton to all. Among interior department
officials the selection is well received, the
only criticism made being that Gen. Raum
has not in recent years been in active po-
litical life.
With the appointment of Gen. Raum as
the rumor is revived that
Deputy Commissioner Smith will either be
allowed to resign or else be transferred to
some other field 1t seems to be accepted
as fact that he will not remain assistant
of pensions. Secretary
Noble, when asked today whether Mr..
Smith would be removed, said that as
Gen. Raum was now commissioner OF pen
sions, his desire in regard to who should
assist him as deputy commissioner would
have a great weight. He would not say
whether he himself contemplated any act
in the premises.
EX-CommissiOner Tanner was seen at
his home In Georgetown by a reporter of
the United Press within an hour after the
announcement of Gen. Raum appoint
ment The commissioner was in an ex
ceedingly good humor, Notwithstanding
the publication of the Noble letter this
morning.
When asked what he thought of his
successor, he said, 81 think it is a splen-
did appointment. -
MIR. Tanners sentiment as to the fitness
of the appointment finds a general echo
this morning Gen. Baum's administra-
ton of the affairs of the internal revenue
office earned for him high enconiums. He
took charge of it just after the exposure Of
the whiskey ring, when the Office was in a
condition. and brought order
out of chaos before he left it. He pos
sesses all the executive abilities necessary
to cope with the difficulties Of the position
to which he has been appointed.
Gen. Green r. Raum has been one of the
favored ones in politics, having been a
member of congress for two years and COM
missioner of internal revenue from 1876 to
1888. He was the first federal officer to
endorse the ''sugar bounty scheme, and
in one of his reports to congress urged on
that body the propriety ofadmitting sugar
free of duty, and furnishing the protection
in bounty to producers equal to the duty
then existing. He lived in Kansas during
the border troubles and enlisted with
the free state party. Before the war he
returned to Illinois, and later entered the
army as major, reaching the rank of brig
adler general He made a good military
record, was at Corinth, Vicksburg and
Missionary Ridge, where he was wounded,
and held Sherman line of communication
from Chattanooga, on the Atlanta cam
paign in 1864 Since he retired from the
internal revenue cOmmissionership in
1888, he has been practicing law at Wash