Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1889-03-27
A NEW PENSION POLICY.

Corporal Tanner Now ae the Head of
tho Bureau and Is Disposed To be
Libe-aI.
Washington correspondence Omaha
Bee: II believe in giving every union
soldier his widow or orphan, who is in
need, a pension. and in giving it TO him
or her as quickly aa possible," said Cor.
porai Tanner, the new commissioner of
pensionr, in discussing, last evening,
the policy he will pursue when he fills
General Blacks chair. Tam re ap-
pointmens is generally regarded 4s the
beginning of new pension eIaN IL
may, and likely will. result in uulVertel
pensions, as the slmpiest and cheapest
wey out OF 1t. Iu i3ct universal pen
sion bill will be early introduced in the
hfty-tiest congress, and unless is should
be deemed inexpedient, and killed By
caucus. it will become law. Corporal
Tanner has long been regarded as pen.
sion llbexalist Of the most pronounced
type. During the recent campaign he
stamped Indiana with General Alvin P
Hovey, who was elected governor Of
that state, and who ia a strong advocate
o: pensions for ali who served honoraS bly,
and faithfully for the union during the
late war. Tanner declared in slmoss
every speech be made that IT he had the
power there never would be the necessity
afforded for an ex-upion soldier or seilor
or hts widow or his orphans to accept
public or private charity He would
make them ell independent out OF the
public treasury No one knew better
than General Harrison these state ments
and these promises. and the appoint
ment OF Tanner 10 position where the
laws already on the statute books can be
construed to unlimited universal pen
sions. is taken as direct Endorsement OF
the sentiment,
For three months the issuance OF pen
sions at the pension bureau hos bsen al.
most suspended. Eight or ten weeks
since the commission sr directed that the
daily list OF pensions allowed be eus-
pended as che allowances were 80 few
that he did not want comparisons made
with the present work OF the bureau, and
that OF six, eight and ten months ego.
ghen the soldier vote was Being bid for.
That is why the press of tho country
does not publish the names of the PEN
sioners. No one has been able during
the past six weeks to ascertain who had
| been allowed pensions. Commissioners
Tanner intends as soon as he can get the
machinery in operation under the new
regime. to begin anew the issuance fol
the press OF the list OF pensions allowed
and those who are eagerly watching fol
their pittance may know In advance ol
the usual channel when success has
crowned them.
Representative Cheadle, OF Indiana
who knows Corporal Tanner. intimately
said OF him to-day: "He will give pen
aion to every one Who needs il and is en-
titled to it, providing congress will civ
him the money. He already has grea
/ latitude, and can ALLOW new pensions ant
increases with almost unlimited liber
ality. Tanner is extremely partisan
but he will be fair with ell who Tough
for the union flag, no matter which sid
they msy vote on now. He hates th
democrats, he says, because the demo.
Gratis shot his legs off, but he mean
when be says this that be hates shos
Who we're democrats dnriuR the war
He loves union soldier even though b
be bitter democrat now. His appeal
to the patriotism OF soldiers during tb
csmpai2n we're eloquent. stirring an
eff sotiye. He is, TO my mind, tie mos
liberal OF ell the commissioners OF pen
sious we bave ever had, and the effect
OF his work will be very soon felt.