The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1889-08-09
A DEMOCRATIC BOOMERANG.


The investigation of Pension Commits
sioner Tanners methods which the ad
ministration felt called upon TO make il
response to the pestiferous abuse o
Democratic and Mugwump organs hal
been about completed, and is turning
out to be more of a boomerang for thost
who cried for II than damage to any
one else. The journals of the above
named character have pursued Mr.. Tan
ner from the start, probably because hi
was known to be firm friend OF the ole
soldiers, and the commissioner had no
long been in Office before their sheets
began to fill up with stories as to alleged
irregularities in the pension Office. Fol
weeks, with startling headlines, they
printed many outrageous lies concerning
Mr.. Tanners administration. The lat
ter appealed to Secretary Noble fol
an investigation. The request was grant
ed, and correspondents who were tele-
graphing startling tales daily to their
hCWbISiDtIb WCIt uohCo W OoiuO fOf WAFd
and prove their charges. Not one ma
terialIzed. On the other hand, during
the past week their hedging" has ex-
cited the ridicule of Washington. In
place of Tanner must go" "Tanner to
get the &. b." Corporal Tanners favor
itism," "Gross violations of law i'm the
pension office" and similar yelps, there
has been radical change in the cam
paigr of abuse inaugnrated since the
hour the Brooklyn hero took the oath of
Office. Now it is Tanner need not wof-
ry," '"Tanner to be let down easy" "a
growing conviction that he has nothing
to fear" There is good reason for this
change of attitude. The weeks inquiry
has resulted in confirmation of not a
single charge brought against the maim-
ed hero of the pension bureau. II has
no end of scandal, for which
Black, his predecessor, may have to an
swer. Hence the laughable "crawl' of
the scandal mongers, and hence they
are predicting that "Tanner will come
out on top" The New York Press of
Monday contained some information re-
garding the findings of the investigators,
which show well what boomerang the
investigation is to be for those who
prompted it. The Press shows that in
many cases where Tanner las been ac-
cused of lrregularity it has been ascer-
tanned that though Black refused to
make the cases Especial" his own board
of medical examiners recommended it.
On the other hand, in cases where the
rate of pension was 81 per month it was
his custom to cut it down to So per month.
Thousands of these instances of injustice
have been left for Commissioner Tanner
to adjust, and it may be said that with
scarcely an exception those who have
had their cases made special were VIC
tins of the niggardly treatment they re-
ceived from Black.
The Press goes on in a very interesting
way, as follows:
ever, an advocate of the economic theory. 1t
has ever been a notorious fact that no matter
how unjust the claim might be. the applicant
with a pull could get almost any rating he
desired at the pension Office. Ex-Commission-
err of Indian Affairs John II. Oberly, Familiarity
known as the Bishop" throughout Blacks
is safe to say that of all the cases made special
by Black the "bishop" secured the lions
share. He returned the favor by recommend
ing friends of Black for places in the various
Japn Tf-do rnon orfa rP
this uble-headed clique draw compensation
from the government, and could bear testi-
mony to the fact just stated If they would.
Ex- Postmaster-Ge General Don M. Dickinson,
were he to be placed on the witness stand,
might, II the screws were put on tight, admit
that i'm return for favors granted Democratic
soldier friends of bis, number of Blacks fol-
lowers were awarded berths in the post office
department. Many of these are feeders at the
public crib to-day, and because of one of Gro
yer Cleveland's last acts, performed ostensibly
ing, as Assistant Postmaster-Ge General Clarkson
puts it, as spies upon the Republican admins
tration. What is true of the post Office depart
ment may also be stated as to the department
of the interior. 1t is also notorious fact that
Just previous to the last election Black held
levees in various sections of the country. Pen
sion re-ratings and specials were indiscrimi-
nately promised. The only reward asked in
return was that the beneficiary should take of
his coat and try to convince the old soldiers
that because of physical disabilities alone Gro
yer Cleveland sent a substitute to the front.
Fully 1900 cases, according TO the record, were
made special by Black just previous to the
Democratic Waterloo of November 8. When
IL became certain that Cleveland and his
crowd must go there was perceptible falling
off I'm the number of favors which had before
been distributed. Up to the day Black retired
he was bounded by hundreds, not to say thou
sands. upon whom he had agreed to bestow
like fav0rs. The Democracy was licked, how
ever. There was no political capital to be
manufactured, and the applicants to whom
pledges had been unfulfilled were referred to
4,