Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-11
TANNERS INTENTIONS.
The Commissioner Of Pensions Will Abate
the Surplus

| Lie OCluulSSlOuef Oh TENSIONS Will ADaC
J the Surplus
| COLUMBIA, Tenn, May 10.-The Scotch
| Irish convention today listened to mum
Der of addresses by prominent persons.
| Commissioner of Pensions Tame
| spoke at some length.
| In the course of his address Commission
| er Tanner said that he was proud of tn
| fact that he could bring from his comrade
| in the north a sentiment in perfect har
mony with the peace and good feslins
dominant here today. We hear today
| great deal about the pension
| list of the United States. It is a great list
| am here to assert it is roll of honor
| Among the scores of thousands who ar
upon that roll of honor there are 81, 81
no one of whom draws from the treasur,
| of the United States more than s.. rs pc
| month, 3S7 of them draw S3T
month, 1888 Of them drrw 50 per month
80 OF them draw s2.662s per month. sever
| Of them draw s2.6o per month, two of then
draw s. so per month, four Of them draw
| rs per month, three of them draw 50. 1211
per month, 81 1902 of them draw So pc
| month"; two Of them draw Sl.S7 per month
and 2S3 of them draw 81 per month.
"Mr. Chairman think in this great as
sem blage there sits no man who appreci
ates more highly than / do natural en-
dowment and Intellectual development
But notwithstanding these disadYant-
ages / lift my hat in awe and
bow in reverence to that extremely
cultured intellect which can make fine
distinction between two-thirds of cent
per month in the disability of men whC
stood on the same battle field. For twenty
years and under varying circumstances
have pleaded the cause of my comrades
who wore the blue. For twenty years
have been able to only plead, but now
some of the power, and as that power is
mine broadly say that propose just al
soon as possible to call in
every one of the certificates OF
pension the figures of which
have named and reissue them on the ba-
SIS OF the truth that no man ought to be
down on the pension roll of the United
States for less than the miserable pittance
OF 81 per week, though l may wiring from
the hearts of some the prayer God help
the surplus" This and some other things
too numerous to go into detail about, /
propose to do if my life be spared and my
official life be not cut short. No good citi-
zen of the United States will dispute for
an instant that it is wise political economy
to care tenderly for men who
have borne the heat and bur
lips of my predecessor in the official posi-
ton which hold I have the statement
that from statistics gathered by him there
is no doubt but at least 100000 honorably
discharged soldiers and sailors of the
union army and navy lay down their heads
this night on pillows of straw and eat the
bread of charity in the aims houses of the
United States. 1t is shame to us, north
and south, and God willing we will right
it. L am clearly of the opinion that l
voice the dominant sentiment of this coun-
try when | unhesitatingly state that
wise policy demands that in treating
with those who have just claims before
this country l should cease to hunt for
merely technical reasons with which to
defeat these claims and devote little of
our time at least to helping those claim
ants who in the past did not hesitate to
help the country in its hour of dire
peril. Within the limitations of the
law, with due regard to my
official oath, l have broadly as
serted that everything l can do to
assist the needy and suffering veterans
shall be done. In holding to this course |
am confident that Ishail have the approba-
ton of every manly man in all this country
and particularly of those who We're manly
foes of 1861 to 1865.
On the subject of state aid for confeder-
ate veterans he said in part: Now on
the other hand l claim that it is
a moral and religious obligation of the
states of the south who passed the ordin-
ance of secession in the mad heat of pas
sion and led the enthusiastic youths of
your land into war, it is their duty through
state legislation to enact such laws and to
make such appropriations rs will provide
for them in their declining years, and here
and now am so preSumptlouS at to de-
clare that every comrade who wore union
blue and since the war has cast his lot
among you, and whose material posses
sions are with you, will cheer
fully submit to their pro rata
share of all taxation which may be neces-
sary in those states to see that the wolf of
want and gnawing of hunger shall he kept
from the homes of the men who on hun
dreds of battle fields felt the horrors of
war to the last extremity. Common de-
cency demands this action on the part of
the legislatures of states who passed the
ordinance of secession, and freely declare
that In all the great north land the voice
OF no decent man or woman will be raised
in protest at such action"