St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-08-30
TANNER HAPPY NOW.
The Commissioner Of Pensions
Indorsed by GpiZZled Vet
Grams at Milwaukee.
1t Required a Whole Day to
Work the Scheme
Through.
The Endorsement Carries
With 1t a Request for an
Investigation.
A Magnificent Naval Spectacle
Presented on the Bay OF
BeerVille.

MILWAUKEE, Wis, Aug. 29.-Cor-
poral Tanner perempted goodly por-
ton of the two sessions of the grand
army encampment to-day. The morn
ing session had barely been called to
order when Congressman Perkins. of
Kansas, claimed the recognition of the
chair for resolution by which the en-
campment heartily thanked the admin
istration of President Harrison for the
honor it had conferred upon the grand
army in appointing Corporal Tanner as
commissioner of pensions, indorsing his
management of the bureau that had
been created for the benefit of the SOL
diers and sailors of the war, and de-
nouncing the bitter and maglignant
criticisms of portion of the press
upon his official conduct. Applause
greeted the resolution. but Gen. Barnum,
of New York, was quickly upon his feet
with a substitute. declaring that not
withstanding the assaults of an un-
friendly press, the encampment de-
clared its belief in the integrity of the
COulLjlSSlOuCl, SAplO OSSOo ioo oP
proval of his efforts to do all for the
soldiers and sailors of the country that
the laws allowed. 1t suggested, how
ever, that committee should be ap-
pointed to investigate the workings of
the pension Office, An animated dis
cussion of three hours duration en-
sued. Comrade Campbell. of Kansas,
voiced the general sentiment as eX-
pressed by score Of delegates in the
following language:
For fifteen years we have been declaring,
and others have been uttering sentiment
that the country can never pay the debt due
to the old soldiers but Corporal Tanner is
the first officer that has made the sentiment
upon practical reality, 1 believe it is the
high duty of this encampment to sustain him
in working out that sentiment, If the Grand
Army of the Republic ever had duty to per-
form, looking neither to the right nor TO the
left, to the committee that this investigating
the workings of the pension bureau or TO the
commissioner himself. it is now, and we
ought to pass this resolution. The substi.
tute differs with it in only one particular. 1t
expresses belief in the integrity OF Comrade
Tanner and would not influence the action
of the committee charged with the investiga-
ton. 1t may be better than an Endorsement
like that offered in the original resolution.
but we should make our Endorsement strong
enough. The original resolution expresses
CAdSblss IL AZ Us
honest or has done any criminal act we viii
find it out when the committee makes 1t re-
port The presumption of law is that every
man is innocent until he is proved guilty,
and as far as l am concerned, l viii make
the presumption go to the fullest extent in
this case.
In the debate that followed. one dele
gate declared that he would not dare to
90 back to the soldiers of Minnesota
after harming hair of Tanners head,
any more than to ride through oand
of Sioux Indians with their paint on.
The encampment, he urged, should
stand by Tanner until something wrong
had been proven against him. Gen.
Wagner, of Philadelphia, took the
ground that 10th resolution and substi-
tute was a club in the hands of Tan
ner'S enemies. The encampment ought
ought not to force the administration to
suspend necessary investigation. An
other delegate, in the course of a lengthy
speech, said:
1 was in Washington last week, and I
heard it charged upon the streets and every
where else that men employed in the bureau
were all getting their cases made special and
taken up Immediately and rerated much
higher. while the poor devils Of the rank and
file have to stand back and wait. told them
that it was lie, but if he has done that and
we pass the original motion, we lndorse such
action on his part. The substitute is broad
enough. This encampment knows nothing
of the details of Tanners work. and cannot
pass judgment upon it We may believe 1t is
all right but we do not know it. IT We pass
the original resolution, and the committee of
investigation should exonerate him, the op-
position press would say that the administra-
ton dare not oppose the G. A. R., and they
would have good reason TO say it.
Corporal Tanner himself took the floor
at this point, and in an impassioned
speech declared that he not only courted,
but demanded an investigation of his
administration of the pension depart
ment. Ultimately the substitute of Gen.
Barnum was amended to read as fol-
lows:
THAT we thank the president of the United
States for the appointment of our comrade,
James Tanner. as commissioner of pensions.
and that, Notwithstanding the assaults upon
him. we declare our complete confidence in
his integrity and our approval of his avowed
purpose to do all that is possible to be done
under the laws Of the land for the veterans
fullest investigation of the management Of
his Office
In this shape il was unanimously
adopted. For the balance of the day the
encampment devoted itself to routine
business 1t was decided to appropriate
the sum of 81 1000 annually for the MAIN
tenance of the Grant cottage on Mt. Nc
Gregor, to be expended under the aus
pices of the New York department. 1t
was decided that in all the official docu-
ments of the order the words sailors
and marines should be added to the
word soldiers" Gen. Ayers resolu-
ton, deprecating the practice OF turning
Memorial day
INTO DAY OF FESTIvITY,
was unanimously adopted. By another
resolution veterans of the navy were
permitted to add an anchor to the Grand
Army badge. It was decided that as the
Military Telegraphers corps constituted
a part of the Union army, and as that
body had been ignored by congress, it
was the sense of the encampment that
congress should recognize the statutes
of such corps by appropriate legisla-
ton. Hearty approval of the action OF
the commander-in-chief and the depart
ment comrades, who had endeaVOred to
secure One-cent rate to the present en-
campment was expressed, and the COM
mittee having charge of the encamp-
ment to be held next at Boston was in
structed to early sec1re pledge from
the hotelkeepers that no higher rate
than that given to the travelling public
be charged to the delegates. In the
event of no such pledge being obtained.
the adjutant general in connection with
the council of administration was au
thorized to change the location of the
encampment at least three months be-
fore the regular date of meeting to any
locality where reasonable rates could
be secured. A lengthy report, review
ing the differences between the Sons OF
Veterans and post system recommended
that the former be recognized and that
all sons of Union soldiers be urged to
become identified with it. This was