The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1889-10-09
TANNER A MARTYR.
An abused Individual of Whom Harris on
Will Hear in the Future.

VIII Hear in the Future.
Ihe Administration can not load al
It's sins, plumbers and extravaganza OF
the back of Corporal Tanner and sent
nun out as scape-goat into the will
!. derness. The evidence is too strong
In his favor. He has been accused o
reratlng and spending the pension ap
prc2rlatlon in an improper manner
But ne did not insult the Grand Army
OF the Republic by announcing thai
deserters, bummers and bounty Jump
ers were as much entitled to pensions
as those who were honest and brave
soldiers. That was the edict of the
Assistant Secretary of the Interior,
bussey, who has been Tanners enemy
1rom the beginning. The dismissed
and disgraced Commissioner of Pen.
slons' with all his faults, blunders and
perverse ways, is worthy of more re-
spect than Bussoy, who tried to bring
down the pensions to the lowest level
and to make the Union veteran the
fellow OF the BLACKBOARD and mercen-
airy. Tanner did not spend all the
money that has made such a hole in
the Treasury. Bussey's decisions in
cases which were passed upon during
the former administration form no in
considerable amount of the enormous
expenditures for pensions during the
past three or four months. There
were seventy-seven of those decisions
alone which cost the Government in
the neighborhood OF 100000. But
Bussey is Mobiles creature and Noble
has the ear of Harrison.
When he was at Indianapolis, last
summer and fall, and the pension
Sharks were crashing their teeth be-
cause the Democratic President and
the Democratic Commissioner of Pen
slons stood between them and the ap-
preparation for Union veterans, Har.
rison was loud in his demaeogic
speeches on unrestrained liberality to
the veterans. 1t was easy for him to
promise every thing there and to in
innate that the veterans had the first
call at tho treasury without limit He
outlined a policy that made the
mouths of the pension sharks fairly
water. He took the man the sharks
wanted and made him Commissioner
OF Pensions, clapping him on the back |
and telling him to go ahead and ''take |
care of the boys Tanner, un-
fortunately for himself, took Harri-
sons words literally and went ahead.
He did not know that the words were
to be taken in Pickwickian sense.
and that scattering millions by ante
election promises and fulfilling those
promises were entirely different
things. He was not enough of
hypocrite for this Administration, and
consequently he had to walk the
plank. And what a disgusting dis
play OF hypocrisy there is about his
dismissal. Harrison administers taffy
In regard to Tanners honesty and the
private secretary, ellie" says that
there never was any trouble between
Noble and Tanner, and there was no
question in the Presidents mind as to
which OF them should 60. The most
nauseous compliments are poured over
The head OF the ''fired" representative
of the Grand Army by Harrison and
his spaniels.
The most disgusting part of the af-
air is the sudden change on the part :
II the Republican organs Tanner is
10 longer the model Pension Commits
loner, the pride of the Grand Army, :
he most valuable member of the Ad-
1t is said that when a
raveler in Russia is pursued by wolves .
le contrives to gain little on the =
avenous pack by shooting some of u
hem, which causes the others to stop c
nd devour their fallen companions. Y
low the Republican papers pounce :
pom the stricken Tanner and tear him
pieces in "ghoulish glee!" But CT
hey seem to forget that, apart from 3
heir inconsistency in abusing what o.
hey few days ago s'obbered over, m
aey are making serious mistake in Ii
mixing that Tanner has no friends. Ii
he burden OF the Republican organs. q
Rattle his bones over the stones,
He's only pauper whom nobody owns.
Ill be considerably altered when the
rand Army is heard from. Tanner oh
bored zealously for that organize tn
On, and is entitled TO its support. fr
lille the Grand Army demands un- W
nited pensions it can not find fault fr
lth the man who was doing his best of
procure them. The Republican to
lrty is pledged to unlimited pensions, ne
d On the very day that Tanner was tn
unced the Republican President pro en-
n. OF the United States Senate, Sena- oa
ingalls,, who represents the banner ca
publican State, said, at gathering WE
Kansas veterans: There are lust lie
rec things that ought to be done: wi
ST the Limitation on pensions ought or,
be removed; second, the disability sci
nslon bill ought to become a law: at
rd, every soldier who received an ne,
norable discharge ought also to re- hlc
We pension. These were the re- bo,
is that Commissioner Tanner had art
lght to attain in his administration car
he office of Commissioner of PEN
rs, and honor him for his high
Tres and brave efforts in behalf of !
veteran soldier The only fault tue
ave to find with Tanner is that he cav