The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-07-27
THE PENSION OFFICE.
The Disreputablc Way in which Its Ar
fairs Are Conducted.

fairs Are Conducted.
OF all the discreditable appoint
ments made by President Harrison
and their name Is legion--that of Cor
poral Tanner to the head of the Pen
sion Bureau was perhaps the worst.
Tanner is a. man of no character or
capacity. His installation as head of
the Pension Bureau was the signal for
the beginning of a carnival Of profit
gacy and extravaganza and corruption
in that department. Tanner at once
began reversing decisions made, not
only by his Democr attic predecessor,
Black, but by Republican commission
ers. These reversals operated to
break down safeguards against fraud
upon the Government, and opened the
doors to thousands of improper claims.
1t soon developed that Lemon. head Of
the pension agents, ring at Washing
ton, and proprietor of the National
Tribune, which did so much dirty
work last year in the interest OF Har-
rison, had the "inside track" at the
Pension Bureau. All of his cases
were preferred. and went through
without let or hindrance. AS Lemon
and his clique-one of whom was Will
lam Wade Dudley-had dictated Tan
ner's appointment, the thing was a
scandal, and when the pension agents
made row over it, Squires, the pri
vate secretary of Tanner, was made
the scapegoat for the latter. Squires,
so Tanner claimed. had betrayed his
confidence by preferring Lemons
cases, and he was dismissed. 1t was
also assorted that Squires had made in
sulting propositions to one of the
ladies in the Pension Bureau. Squires,
however threatened to expose Tan
ner's completely in the Lemon frauds,
and he was silenced by an appoint
ment as special timber agent in the
Interior Department. This is the de-
partment to which the Pension Bureau
is attached. Squircs still holds this
position, and will doubtless retain it
unless he gets a better one-until the
end of the administration.
After Squires' removal Tanner ap-
pointed his own daughter-a young
miss Just out of school-to the private
secretaryship at a salary of 81. 500.
The position is one that calls for busi-
ness capacity and experience, and it
was grossly improper to bestow it
upon this young schoolgirl.
These, however, are not the only
scandals that have come to light in the
Pension Bureau under Tanners man
agement. The institution seems to
have become a perfect nest of rotten
ness. One of the employees was fell
low named Van Brunt. He abandoned
his wife in Brooklyn. and went to
Washington with another woman
whom he introduced as his wife, and
who afterward became insane and was
sent to an asylum. These things were
exposed and Van Brunt was dismissed
from the Pension Office. He at once
capacity, of Lemon, the very same
pension shark who had between 5000
and 10000 special cases expedited
during the first three months of the
Tanner regime. AS Lemons assistant,
Van Brunt still has the run of the PEN
sion Bureau.
Tanner has run the Pension Bureau
in debt to the people of the United
States, since he assumed charge of it,
about $4,000, 900. If he is allowed to
keep on in his mad career he will
bankrupt the National Treasury with
in the next four years.
But Tanner will doubtless be re-
tanned. His appointment, it is under
stood, was the result of arrangements
made In this city before the last cleo
ton with certain representative PEN
sion agents, in consideration of such
material aid as they could bring to
the Dudley conspiracy. He was put in
office for their benefit. President Har-
rison knew why the ring wanted him
appointed. The ring is so wealthy
and powerful that the President will
not dare offend it now by removing
him. Tanner will, we presume, stay
to the end. Indianapolis Sentinel.