The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-05-12

Tanners Pension Prozramme.


Mr.. Tanner, commissioner Of PENSIONS,
in his speech before the Scotch-Irish con-
ess in Columbia, Tenn, on Friday, out.
lined very clearly his programme with re-
spect to pensions There IS no longer any
reason to doubt that be intends to increase
the pension burden to the extent of his
power. he expressed himself as happy
that he had the power to increase this
burden, and be pointed out so ne of the
ways that he PROPOSED to use his power.
Q less he is checked he will at once Inc. ease
the pensio OF those who now receive 50
per month TO 81, and those who receive So
CT, ase pc slons On other classes of pension
ers, but he has not yet fully determine ed
now great the increase shall be.
Mr.. Tanner said that he had read in the
newspapers { at the vaults the treasury
were so crowded with gold and liver taat
they were bursting, be Lad determined
TO ct rid Of the surplus, or at least some Of
it, by increasing the AMOUNT annually dis
tributed among the ex-union vete. ans and
their ia lilies.
Mr.. Tanner made the hoar g of the claim
agents happy by Lcing that he did
not purpose TO withhold a pension from a
claimant who was not able 10 prove, in &C
c3rdance with the rules and regulations
heretofore in force in thu pension off1cs,
that his claim was a Just one. Technical
ties will coupt for nothing with him. II he
10 satisfied that a claim is a just one it will
b. allowed whether the proof necessary to
suyte. n 1t is forthcoming or not
Mr.. Tanner has mapped out very inter
esting programme for his gpidaocs, and if
he does not succeed in saddling sucl a
e..sion burden upon the country that
public sentine.t will condemn the whole
p -nsion business the fault will not be his.
He seems to think that he has been selected
to rid the T easury of its surplus, and if he
is permitted to do as lie pleasss there will
not be mucu of a surplus after he has been
in Office two or tn ee years
He does net seem to understand that the
tariff policy, which is responsible for the
surplus, i, doing the country almost meal
culab.e dan age. He talks about union
veterans who are spending their last DAYS
n almsbouses, tut be has no sympathy for
the thousands and tens Of thousa Ids of
farmers who see poverty staring them in
the fee, and who are likely to find their
way into almshouses in much greater num-
bers than the old soldiers for who Mr..
Tanner has such lively sympathy. The
tariff policy Of Mr.. Tanners party is fore
ing the farmers in all parts # the country
to mortgage their ia ms. There are com
paritively few farms that are not m )rt-
gagged. Every where mortgages are being
reclosed and the farmers turned out of
their homes. Mr.. Tanner wants
present tariff policy continu d in order tn t
he NAV be able to incre4 the pension list,
and distribute additional millions to pen
Sioners
The tariff p Icy of the Republican party
which .bi the farmers ana creates a
surplus, and the programme of Mr.. Tanner
to d ri ute the surplus among the union
veterans, will make it necessary, in the
lear future, to inc ease the almshou 'es all
Ter the north, because the republican
tariff policy itnpoverishes the farmers, an
Mr.. Tanners programme will change
thousands Of able bodied men, who are
now workers into drO 1eS