The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-06-19
PEN StONs AND ions.

There have been rum0rs Of trouble III
the Pension Office under the rule OF
that gushing hero and patriot, Corporal
Tanner, who knows how to make hero
ism pay.
1t is told. with frills and point laces OF
gossip, how Tanner has ''side partner,
as they call in official classics the man
who works outside and speculates on the
Influence with big, fat financial Off
Ger of the government. II pension
LAWYER is known and recognized as q
personal and political ally of the PEN
zion Commissioners it goeth without
the saying that such "side partner" OF
the Bureau Chief can get all the bust
ness he wants upon the advertisement
Of the fact that he hath the ear Of the
Chief.
What per cent. the Chief gets in a
case that can be expedited and
passed upon tho sign manual of the
"side partner" of course is mover
known, but to the two conspirators
who betray the public service to the
personal interest Of such crac ksman 3
job.
When Commissioner Corporal Tan
ner, Superintendent of Pensions, took
the office, he exploited his ford
and enthusiastic patriotism by an
official utterance to the effect
that if claimant for a
pension did not have good case 1t
would be the duty Of the Office to make
out fair case for him or, in other
words, the son Of an alleged widow OF
n suttler or the widow of aScontractor 3
mule teamster could be given pension
by the grace of Tanners system OF
construction of the law, applied to
make out true case of veteran soldier
with only fraud and cheat for ma
terial.
1t looked at the start as if Commits
siouer Corporal Tanner would Sancho-
Panza himself and display his caudal
capaciousness with more variegated
curl of tail and self-coneeited luxuri-
ance as soon as he climbed up high in
officis power The G.. o. p. that put
Tanner in authority was known to have
done its own climbing and gained its
perch by Doodle, aud why should not
Tanner use his office according to the
prescribed and accepted policy Of his
party?
When the question addressed itself
TO the official conscience of Tanner.
with the picturesque and beautiful por-
trait Of Wanamaker right before him,
of course he argued that a grand and
all-pervading plea for heroes and vet
Grams could so excite and illuminate
the popular mind with patriotism that
a Job office and "boozing ken" could
be worked in the back yard OF the de-
partment, and nobody would dare to
say that all was not right, for to pro-
test would be proof of "copper-head, "
rebel. and traitor.
Mr.. Commissioner Corporal Tanner's
prominent "side partner at present
engaged in that same clever backyard
job-oflice business, is claim lawyer
and pension agent, whose big business
comes from private circular advertise
ment Of his personal relations with
the Chief Of the Pension Office, who
will expedite and fix any case he
presents.
We have contemplated the gigantic
frauds ON the government with oppor-
tunities TO see them in the pestilential
surroundings of corrupt official service,
but Of all the impudsnt steals, not ex-
cepting the Star-Route job, this prosti-
tuition of the Pension Office Is tho
worst.
The veteran soldiers should see TO 1t
that the disgrace gets no flavor of toll
Grafton from them.