The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-21
A REMARKABLE LETTER.
SOME THINGS WHICH HAPPENED
IN THE PENSION BUREAU.

Henry A. Phillips, Doomed Official
Gives His Opinion of Secretary Mo-
ble-He Declines to Resign, but
Waits for the Fall Of the Ax-Re.
rated Pensions.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 2O--Henry A. Phifs
lips Of New York, chief of the middle
division in the pension Office. whose resig.
nation was recently demanded by the com,
missioner of pensions, has written the com&
missioner the following letter:
WASHINGTON. D. c., Jan. 20, 1890
Gen. Green B. Raum, Commissioner Of PEN
Sions:
sIR-Referriug 70 your note Of Nov. %. re-.
duesting my resignation chief of division
repeated in our recent personal interview, l
have to say that assume that you will not
deny that this request is not Of your motion but
prompted by the Secretary Of the Interior 1
accept the request notice TO the effect that IL
do not accede TO il my dismissal viii follow.
And yet must respectfully decline to resign, and
so place my neck in position for the ak of the
executioner, who just now is so busily engaged
in completing the work begun on the persons OF
myself and others over a quarter of century
ago on southern battlededs.
ARRAIGNED AS A coNsPrRAroR.
But in those long gone days 1t was a more
even contest. The foe of that time was honor.
able, and gave US an even chance of life for life.
weight of official, only official superiority And
the foe who dictates this request, by Inference AT
least, arraigns me as a conspirator against the
revenues OF the nation. l went down into the
valley OF the shadow Of death to serve and
save For again, you will not dispute that there
is no impeachment OF my general character
nor charge that have not performed, and not
fully and faithfully performed. the duties OF
chief of division; and that | am not laborina
and have not faithfully labOred to expedltiously
settle the all too long deferred claims Of ouI
comrades.
TEE RERATED PENSION.
You informed me that the secretary insisted
on my going because my pension was increased
and Grated since had been in this position
When Informed you that it was a month be-
fore was appointed that that action was taken
in my case, you suggested that was expecting
an appointment, You were right; | was ex5
pecting it, for had the word Of Commissionea
Tanner that should be appointed. It has been
published time and again that my pension was
increased by Commissioner Tanner from S6 Ia
SSi per MONTH The fact is that Gen, Black
while commissioner, put my pension up to S17,
and re-rated it, aud l was not satisfied
with that, because l was informed that
the medical examining aboard composed
of democratic doctors, by the way, who had
thoroughly examined me, had reported that /
was entitled to more and so l did not hesitate
TO seek, at the hands of Commissioner Tanner
that full measure of Justice which had been
denied to me IN the past, and those dollars
which, under the law, belonged to me and
which had, with the dollars belonging TO sd
many other comrades been held to increase thd
surplus, In granting my pension at S24 pei
month, Commissioner Tanner did Just what
three reputable members of the medical division
recommended him TO do, and ! am informed
that that is the figure tho Brooklyn board al
Vised Gen. Black to grant.
TO CORRECT AN ERROR.
Now, against all this comes the dictum OF
one man, who, without medical or surgical
skill, puts his will and the power which tho
accident Of political prefe-ment gives him. ID
root up and revoke that action. He does moi
appear to appreciate that TO re-rate is to correct
an error 80 the only question Is, or should be,
may or may not know that when
the action on cases Of employer
Of this Office was first questioned
Commissioner Tanner subjected those cases I'd
test Of review by four of the best men In his
office, whose honesty and character do NOT
believe even the Secretary Of the Interior will
question. They reported that the action taken
in my case was in accord with the evidence on
file in the case. If the action Of the Secretary
of the Interior in directing you to call for my
resignation be honest In its impulse, why, ask
does he not take the course provided by law ID
call down pension wrongfully granted
or In excessY Why not give me tha
opportunity TO defend under oath and by pro
fessional testimony what now receive? Win
does he wrap himself in the panopiy of powe
which encirces cabinet minister, arrogantlJ
exclaiming, In effect II am the state'' and
brutally strike the bread and butter from thu
mouths OF my wife and little ones.
HELPED PUT HIM THERE.
He would never have held the power he now
does, President Harrison would never have had
power to put him where he is, IL my corn
Eades and myself in the state of New YorI
had not labored to more effect than bS
did in Missouri last fall. said above ''if ths
action of the secretary be honest" Is It not
the fact that was marked because l am a
friend Of Corporal Tanner and placed here by
hinf Very clear evidence would be necessary
to convince me to the contrary.
CHARACTER OF PENSION OFFICE EMPLOYEES
In bidding good-by to this office, as undoubt
edly shall as soon as the ak can be swung 1
shall go thankful that for a brief season. AZ
least, have had chance to serve my suffer
ing, needy comrades in this place /
/ have to call up ali the equaniiniti
possess, as contemplate the fact, that as !
10 leave behind me hundreds in this Office
who did their level best to keep our political
opponents in power. leave others. who in
the contest of quarter Of a century ago. did
their best to make my comrades eligible for
pension or grave. For aught, know, shall
leave behind me in the pension office the verJ
man who sped the bullet which laid bare inJ
brain, condemned me to life of misery and
made me eligible TO pension and to .re-rating
Very respectfully, yours,
HENRY A. PHILLIPS.