The Brookhaven leader., 1889-10-03
TANNER A MARTYR.
An Abused Individual OF Whom Harrison
VIII Hear I'm the Future.

VIII Hear IN tne
The Administration can not load all
its sins, blunders and extravaganza on
the back OF Corporal Tanner and send
him out as a scape-goat into the will
derness. The evidence is too strong
in his favor. He has been accused OF
rerating and spending the pension ap-
preparation in an improper manner.
But he did not insult the Grand Army |
d the Republic by announcing that
deserters, bummers and bounty jump |
ers were as much entitled to pensions
as those who were honest and brave |
soldiers That was the edict OF the |
Assistant Secretary OF the Interior, |
Bussey, who has been Tanners enemy |
from the beginning. The dismissed
and disgraced Commissioner Of Pen
sions, with all his faults, blunders and
perverse ways, is worthy OF more re-
spect than Bussey. who tried to bring
down the pensions to the lowest level
and to make the Union veteran the
fellow OF the blackguard and mercen-
ary. Tanner did not spend all the
the Treasury. Bussey's decisions in
cases which were passed upon during
the former administration form no in
considerable amount of the enormous
expenditures for pensions during the
past three or four months. There
were seventy-seven OF those decisions
alone which cost the Government in
the neighborhood Of $20O,OO But
Bussey is Mobiles creature and Noble
has the ear of Harrison.
When he was at Indianapolis, last
summer and fall, and the pension
sharks were gnashing their teeth be-
cause the Democratic President and
the Democratic Commissioner OF Pen
sions stood between them and the ap-
preparation for Union veterans, Har-
rison was loud in his demagogic
speeches on unrestrained liberality to
the veterans. 1t was easy for him to
promise every thing there and to in
innate that the veterans had the first
call at the treasury without limit He
outlined a policy that made the
mouths Of the pension sharks fairly
water. He took the man the sharks
wanted and made him Commissioner
of Pensions, clapping him on the back
and telling him to go ahead and take
care of the boys" Tanner, un-
fortunately for himself, took Harri-
sons words literally and went ahead.
He did not know that the words were
to be taken in a Pickwickian sense,
and that scattering millions by ante
election promises and fulfilling those
promises were entirely different
things He was not enough OF a
hypocrite for this Administration. and
consequently he had to walk the
plank. And what a disgusting dis
play OF hypocrisy there Is about his
| dismissal. Harrison administers taffy
in regard to Tanners honesty and the
private secretary, ':Lije," says that
there never was any trouble between
Noble and Tanner. and there was no
| question in the Presidents mind as to
| which Of them should 60 The most
nauseous compliments are poured over
the head OF the fired representative
of the Grand Army by Harrison and
his spaniels.
| The most disgusting part of the af-
fair is the sudden change on the part
of the Republican organs Tanner Is
no longer the model Pension Commis-
sioner, the pride of the Grand Army,
the most valuable member of the Ad-
ministration. 1t is said that when a
traveller in Russia is pursued by wolves
he contrives to gain a little on the
ravenous pack by shooting some OF
| them, which causes the others to stop
and devour their fallen companions.
How the Republican papers pounce
upon the stricken Tanner and tear him
to pieces in "ghoulish gleeT But
they seem to forget that, apart from
their inconsistency in abusing what
they few days ago slobbered over.
they are making a serious mistake in
linking that Tanner has no friends.
he burden of the Republican organs.
Rattle his bones over the stones,
He's only pauper whom nobody owns,
will be considerably altered when the
Grand Army Is heard from. Tanner
labored zealously for that organiza-
ton, and is entitled to its support.
While the Grand Army demands un-
limited pensions it can not find fault
with the nan who was doing his best
to procure them. The Republican
party is pledged to unlimited pensions,
and on the very day that Tanner was
bounced the Republican President Pre-
tenn. of the United States Senate, Sena-
tor Ingalls,, who represents the banner
Republican State, said. at a gathering
of Kansas veterans: There are just
three things that ought to be done
First, the Limitation on pensions ought
to be removed; second. the disability
pension bill ought to become a law
third, every soldier who received al
honorable discharge ought also to re
ceive a pension. These were the re
, suits that Commissioner Tanner ha,
sought to attain in his administration
of the office of Commissioner of Pen
sions, and honor him for his higl
desires and brave efforts in behalf @
! the veteran soldier. The only faul
have to find with Tanner is that b
r. H. l.