The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-08-17
THE NEW PENSION POLICY.

not party service should be the essen.
y ilai and discriminating test, and
hdelity and efficiency the only sure
: tenure of Office" Perhaps the most
iiagrant breach of the engagement thus
entered into by the present president
D certainly the one which threatens most
harm TO the public interest, was the
> appointment of Tanner as commissioner
OF pensions.
The regular expenditures of the
pension bureau now far exceed the
total cost of the whole federal govern
mGht before the war. In other words,
the commissioner superintends the
disbursement of a much larger sum than
all the heads Of departments together
previous to 1861.
Moreover, i'll a peculiar sense the
head OF the pension bureau is the
custodian of the national honor. The
patriotism of the union soldier is a
source OF pride TO the whole country.
Every rlSht-minded man desires that
the volunteers reputation for self sac
rillclng devotion shall never be
tarnlshcd. The commissioner OF pen
slons wlclds more influence than any
other officer of the government in
deciding whether the union soldier
shall go down in history as a patriot,
or as mercenary who apparently
entered the army chiefly to see how
mu IN he could make out of it.
For some years there has been a
strong tendency on the part of many
old soldiers to convert their supposed
patriotism into club for securing
undeservcd pensions. The grand army
organization unhappily fell under the
control OF this set, and has been trans
formed largely from its original con-
Geptlon OF ali association of former
comrades for mutual advantage into a
moneY-making machine. OF course il
soon drlfted into politics, and for some
time past has used its power as a means
OF demanding Offices and "bull-dozingp
officials.
!, President Clcvelands veto of the
dependent pension bill-an act which
cXtOrled the commentator of even
such republican papers as the PhiladeI-
phia Press, the Cincinnati Commercial
} Gazette, and the Chicago Tribune
temporarily arrested this dangerous
and denoralizing tendency. His re-
election would have given assurance
that moderation would continue the
rule for four years more. The election
of Harrison aroused apprehensions of a
change tor the worse, but nobody
supposed that it would begin TO he so
bad as it already is. For the most i'm
portant, responsible and delicate office
of commissioner Gen. Harrison picked
Ont-no, that is not the proper express
} sion; he allowed to be showed npon
hlm-a loud mouthed grand army
stump speaker Anybody who knows
anything about Tanner would have
laughed i'll derisiOn at the suggestion
J that fitness to discharge the duties of
the place ever dictated his choice. 1t
was simply, solely, and avowedly a
reward for party service demanded by
the grand army machine.
When the democrats came into con-
troll OF the house of representatives
hitecn years ago, an amusing Texas
politician named Fitzhugh, who was
chosen doorkeeper, leaped into fame
by writing letter in which he COM
= placently described himself as "a bigger
man than old Grant" Tanner considers
himself not only a bigger man than old
Harrison, but more powerful than the
legislative department of the govern
ment as well. No sooner was he estab-
llshcd In office than he began over
ruling any adverse decision which had
, been made, and allowing any fellow a
pension who would take the trouble to
ask 1t. Being invited to attend the
recent Scotch Irish convention at
, Columbia, Tenn he prepared with
care speech announcing my policy" p"
which he took pains to nave sent all
over the country by the associated
press. In the course OF his speech he
said that there are 1881 men upon the
roll who receive not over So Is per
month, and continued: "For twenty
years | have been able only to plead
but now | am thankful that at these
hnger tips there reets some power, and
as that power is mine | broadly saw
that propose, just as soon as possible,
10 call Ill every one of the certificates
OF pension the figures of which have
Just named, and reissue them on the
basis OF the truth, that no man ought to
he down on the pension roll of the
United St3tes tor less than the mis-
erabie pittance of one dollar per week
though may wiring from the hearts of
some the prayer, God help the
surplus! This, and some other things
, too numerous TO 90 into detail about. |
propose to do, if my life be spared and
my official existence be not cut short {"
vi course, every Intelligent man
knows that Tanner really has no such
power as he here egOtisticalIy claims to
possess; bus he can go ahead, and then
ask his critics Tweeds question, "what
are you going TO do abOu; II" He has
The grand army machine behind him,
ana he can threaten its displeasure
upon any politician who ventures a
protest. Tanner represents the .'sol-
dler vote" which is so mmch talked
about, and he is ready to .'use it for all
II is worth"
We note, however, signs that there
are republican newspapers which rec
oShlHe That there are worse things to be
dreaded than the hostility of the grand
army machine; that there is q tax
payer vote, which counts for more than
the "soldier vote" when it is once
aroused. The pension expenditures OF
the current fiscal year will exceed the
appropriation OF SSS, 400 600, and il is
already estimated that the bills tor the
next fiscal year will reach S95 900 900
This is IA greater amount than the cost
of the entire military establishment of
Germany, under which the people of
! that nation grOan SO loudly. But if
Tanner can have his way, the ,ensiou
expenditures will soon be nearer $S2OO,-
100000 than S100,0OO,0G0. In fact.
there is no telling when he would he
content to stop.
Can the republican party stand such
riot ol pension extravaganza? This is
u question which republican papers
are beginning to ask, only to answer
in the negative. "Pension COmmis-
sIoner Tanner" says the Philadelphja
Press, "has "A mania on the subject of
pensions, which was the chief objection
raised to his appointment. lie would
| apparently like to pension everybody
and everything. But he should realize
where the pension money comes from.
and also that ii is no satisfaction to a
deserving veteran to know that unde-
serving ones are on the rolls. While
The people generally believe in liberal
treatment OF the veterans, they want
the really deserving ones to get the
money. The annual expenditures for !
this purpose are now rapidly climbing |
up 10 800, 600, 600, and il is time TO 90 |
slow" Ia the same line are the com
mehts OF the Philadelphia Bulletin,
which says:
"lt is evident, in the commissioners .
Judgment, any man who douned the ,
uniform of soldier in the war of the :
rebellion is entitled to pension.
whether the wearer saw battle or
received a wound, and so far does
hi, SVmDathV with SOllInrS On tbot ~