Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1890-01-25
A, FIGHTER.

BhOn-OmCO OuCtpAlp Docline0 IN InvltotlOn
to Resign and Tells Why.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 21.-Henry A.
Phillips, one Of the rerated chiefs of d.
vision Of the Pension Office, who was
recently requested to resign, yesterday
addressed the following letter to Com
missioner Raum, declining to do 80:
General Green B. Raum, Commissioner Of
Pensions:
Sir: Referring to your note Of November
"a, requesting my resignation as chief OF d.
vision, repeated In our recent personal In
terview, / have to say that assume that you
will not deny that this request 10 not OF your
motion but prompted by the Secretary ofthe
Interior.
accept the request as notice to the effect
that II do not accede to It my dismissal will
follow, and yet must respectfully decline
to resign and SO place my neck In position
for the axe Of the executloner who Just now
is SO buslly engaged in completing the WORK
begun on the persons of myself and Others
over quarter OF century ago on Southern
battle fields. But In those long gone days II
was more even contest The foe OF that
time was honorable and gave an even chance
Of life for life. To-day / am ground In
the dust, under the weight of Official
ouly official-superiorlty, and the foe who
dictates this request, by Inference, at least,
arraigns me as n conspirator against the
revenue Of this Nation, and In effect would
brand me as robber OF the dollars Of the
Nation went down into the valley and
shadow of death to save and serve. For
again you will not dispute that there 10 no
impeachment Of my general character, nor
charge that have not and do not fully and
faithfully perform the duties of chief Of dl.
vision; that am not and have not faithfully
labored to expedltiously settle the deferred
claims OF our comrades.
You informed me that the Secretary In.
sisted on my going because my pension had
been increased and rerated since had been
In this position. when informed you that
It was month before was appointed that
the action was taken In my case, you sug'
gested that was expecting an appointment.
You are right, I was expecting, for had the
word Of Commissioners Tanner that should
be appointed. 1t has been published time and
again that my pension was increased by Com.
missioner Tanner from So to $24 per month.
The fact Is that General Black while Com
missioner put my pension up to ST and re.
rated IL, and I was not satisfied with that
because was informed that the medical ex-
amlning board composed Of Democratic
doctors by the way), who had thoroughly
examined me, had reported that was en-.
titled to more. and so did not hesitate to
seek at the hands of Commissioner Tanner
that full measure Of justice which had been
denied me In the past and those dollars
which under law belonged to me and which
had, with the dollars belonging to so many
other comrades, been held to increase the
surplus, In granting me my pension Of $2i
per month Commissioner Tanner did Just
what three reputable members Of the medl-
cal division recommended him to do, and
am informed that 10 the figure the Brooklyn
board advised General Black to grant Now
against all this comes the dictum Of one
man, who, without medical or surgical skill,
puts his will and the power which the acci'
dent Of political prefermant gives him to
root up and revoke. He does not appear to
appreciate that to realize is to correct an
error So the only question should be, did
suffer from error In the past?
You may or may not know that when &C.
ton on the case OF employees OF this ONCE
was first questioned Commissioner Tanner
subjected those cases to the test of review
by four OF the best men in this Office whose
honesty and capacity I do not believe even
the Secretary OF the Interior will question.
They report ed that the action taken in my
case was In accord with the evidence on file
in the case.
II the action of the Secretary Of the In.
terror In directing you to call for my resgna.
ton be honest In its impulse, why, ask,
does he not take the course provided by law
to call down a pension granted wrongfully
in excess? Why not give me the oppor.
tunity to defend under oath, and by
professional testimony, what now re-
ceive? Why does he wrap himself In
the panoply of honor which encircles
Cabinet Minister, arrogantly exclaiming in
effect: II am the State" and brutally strike
bread and butter from the mouths Of my
wife and little onesi He never would have
held the power he now does; President Har-
rison would never have had the power to
put him where he Is II my comrades and my
self In the State OF New York had not labored
to more effect than he did In Missouri last
fall.
said above "if the action Of the Secretary
be honest" is Il not a fact that was marked
because am a friend of Corporal Tanner
and placed here by him? Very clear EVIL.
dence would be necessary to convince me to
The contrary. In bidding good-by to this
office, as undoubtedly shall as soon as the
axe can be swung, I shall go thankful that
for brief season ut least / had chance to
serve my suffering, needy comrades In this
place. confess that, as l am human,
/ have to call up all the equa.
nimlty possess. As l go leave behind
me hundreds In this ONCE VINO ala thelrleVel
best to keep our political opponents In
power. leave others who, In the contest OF
a quarter OF q century ago, did their best to
make my comrades eligible for a pension or
a grave. For aught know shall leave be-
hind me in the Pension Office the very man
who sped the bullet which laid bare my
brain, condemned me to q life OF misery
and made me eligible to a pension and to re-
rating. Very respectfully yours,
HENRY A. PHILLIPS.
The Fatal Wire.