The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1889-10-12
THE TANNER BUSINESS--A COySEgU.
TIVE STATEMENT.
Tanner 10 DuIEelI.

department of the lnterior-Bu-
reau of Pensions-0ffice Of the Com
missioner, Washington, ID. C., Sept. 10,
Extraordinarily .EIEon. J. NJ. Dali
zell. Caldwell, Ohio.-My Dear Dal-
zell have yours of the 10th inst. |
think that have read all that has been
printed as coming from your lips or
pen. For your depth of good feeling,
| thank you from the bottom of my
heart
sand now, once for all, about the
Deputyship. Iwant to say to you that
the President never said one word to
me about you. eau not come out and |
say so publicly; you must not quote
il; but it is Gods truth. The one ap-
pointed First Deputy was from Mobiles
State, aud had lost two limbs. OIL
course, could not kick.
al imagine that your keen eye has |
caused you to discern, and that you are |
contemplating the effect in Ohio of
two things recently done in the Pen
sion Office. When | say recently,
mean since | practically went out, for
while am Commissioner, and win 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 orders, which thought, and still
think, were mighty good ones; onN
was that the $3S,000 men on the peiI
sion roll at less than 81 month shoul{
all, unless they had had a medical ex
animation within year, be ordered
for examination before their hom&
Board, with view of putting them
at least to "a per month pension,
drop them off the roll, for 1t was, al
Is, my opinion that for a man who
worthy any pension at all dollar \
week is small enough to consider
| pension. My second order was thai
thereafter, in the settlement Of pen
sion claim, tho word Of private, If h<
was man of good character al
standing, should amount TO as mucl
the settlement OF the claim as the wt
Of the man who had perhaps, worn
shoulder straps of Second LieuttE
ant. The Acting Commissioner
vokcd both Of these orders, accordif
to the Washington Post and 9TH
papers but he is a man who dare n
say his soul is his own, he did II und
the instruction of Noble or Bussey.
am told this afternoon that the Of
revoking my decision of the smal (,
sion cases has been rescinded, bv
} can see what the spirit is; anJ
under beaver. now, are they q
J make the boys believe that the '
, be no change in the policy?
| had to consider whether
! enough TO decline to continue n,
: sition where ! knew my Inn & (.
official superiors did not desi
: even concedng that | should M
against their wishes, which is \
true. have not the slightest
: but that would have been rem ~
l did not resign; In fact, | kn
Noble had certainly pronound y
ultimatum to be my head or his /.
nation and, OF course, a break
Cabinet would have embarrassedV
rison greatly.
"Now that have the completed
port, and have gone through 1t ca
, fully and thoroughly, | say to you I
, one whose good opinion | value, thai,
: all under heavens they can charge me
, with Is too much liberalty and toe
! much speed in the granting of pen.
!, sions. think you will agree with me
, that we have had impecuniosity and
! procrastination enough, so that it will
! take more than six months of my time
to bring 1t up to decent average.
a "Of the future know nothing. i
! the boys, and particularly those II
= Ohio, acquiesce, why, II Is safe to say
that Tanner will be left where he is
:, In the soup.
. "Among the promotions announced
= In the Pension Office night before las
:. is that of Harrison l.. Bruce, of Colo
= RADIO, to be a member of the Board o
= Pension Appeals In the Secretary
office at $4,000 year. He had beer
- detailed for duty in the Secretary
u office for some months, and was ap
= pointed by the Secretary one of th,
y Commission which investigated th
. . Pension Office. Don't you think !
would have looked little better, II the,
"a had waited at least until after | ha,
. passed out of official life before the,
!, promoted him. Some will be cynica
= enough to reflect upon cause and efiec
" service and reward. With all m
n heart, very truly yours,
- JAMES TANNER"
= "P. ST. have written you wit
,s great freedom; don't give me an
n cause to regret it by saying anythin
= = about this letter. It is to you solely
y The foregoing letter being publishe,
- Tanner telegraphed Dalzell thus:
- Washington, ID. G. Sept. II, 1885,
! = Hon. James M. Dalzell, Caldwell. o
- Was my letter stolen from you?
NJ JAMES TANNER"
T. REPLY TO TANNERS DESPATCH.
aCaldwell, O., Sept, 81. 1Ss9,-Ho
: James Tanner, Commissioner Of PEI
- sions, Washington. d. c.: You ask n
81 If your letter was stolen from my 0
ly fee. No. There are no thieves aroul
ut my Office now. All gone East, or loo
of ed up, or in some other office. Yol
!. letter can not injure any honest ma
ne 1t corrobated aud vindicated me in
DIT my statements about you and the de
utyship which was promised to n
My family demanded Its publicatio
to settle finally and forever the tru
- of all my published statements, as
y, was the only meansi in my power to
" so. With the question Of veracity
ho raises between Sherman, Taylor II
~ - rison and others, | haTe N "
:" ~ concern, except to offer topabn
IA IA letters to me. never FHT&
~ !" myself that the pres MI =
~ y. freely tomorrow.
'sh ~ thirty years, ! know y =
'sa q, public hence, | haw Fsss
sa 1os explained, or MOI .n.sz ~
"e With its political Ss~~s
to do or to say. -
sympathy, and yS.5e1
curses. Ihave s:de