The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1889-03-29
A New Pension Era.

A true indication of the tendency
of the administration was given this
week by the appointment of Corporal
Tanner us Commissioner of Pens ons
The lavish expenditure that once was
allowed through the pension bureau is
about to be restored. The practical,
healthful and just restraints that We're
applied under the Democratic admin
istration will be ignored. and, under
Corporal Tanner, pension agents and
pensioners will reap rich harvest
In fact this appointment is generally
regarded us the beginning of Il new
pension era 1t is thought that uni
versal pension bill will, early. be intro
duced in the Fifty-first Congress, and
unless some of the wiser heads may
deem it inexpedient and kill it in eau
cus. it will probably become law
During the last campaign Tanner is
reported to have declared in almost
every speech that he made. that Ill he
had the power. there would meyer he
the necessity of All En- | Mon soldier
or sailor, or widow or orphan, to accept
public or private charity-he would
make them Independent out of the
public treasury With man who
Is pronounced Ia be the most liberal OF
all the Commissioners OF Pensions the
government has had. and with law
that allows him great latitude. we have
right to expect Il lavish and reckless
expenditure of the public funds. The
government should pension worthy ex-
soldiers. but there is no reason in the
false liberality that tends 10 make the
practice universal. Furthermore. there
is vast army of pension agents who
really profit much more by the govern
ment's liberality than do the claimants
themselves. The treasury should be
projected against the inroads of this
horde of plunderers, who in their z III
to make fees and commissions advocate
many false and fraudulent claims and
often with success.
This appointment is correct index
of the character of the admins raton
that President Harrison and his adyi-
sers will give the country. The pres
emit prospect is that it will not prove to
be true guardian of the public inter
ests. The indications point TO parti-
san administration of the most pro-
nounced type. To say nothing of the
more prominent officials, the President
has selected for Commissioner of PEN
sions violent partisan of avowcd SEN
timents. Tanner has made certain
promises which, he is sure TO fulfil, and
to quote the words of a Washington
correspondent of the Baltimore liner
scda, mo one knew better than General
Harrison these statements and these
promises, and the appointment ofTan-
ner to position, where the laws al
ready on the statute books can be CON
strued TO practically amount to unlim-
tied universal pensions, is taken rs a
direct endorsement of the sentiment"
Chairman Stevenson Archer has is
sued call for Il meeting of the Mary
land Democratic State Central Com
mittee at Barnum's Hotel, Baltimore.
on Wednesday next, April 3rd. for the
purpose of making arrangements for
party organization. Mr.. Archer saws
there will doubtless be an address TO
the people adopted by the committee.
1t is rejoicing to know that there is a
manifest disposition for a union of all
elements of the party, which is Il sure
harbinger of success in the coming
campaign.