The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-10-21
Debts He Ought TO Pay.
The Men He Owes Have the "Pull," and
Little Ben" ASSentS.
Anything Goes Down with Harrison TO
Secure a Second Term.

HCSIet IL ilduiH . pun WIFI the pTeSen
administration:
When President Harrison dismissed
Tanner from office for his reckless waste
OF the surplus. many of the president,
friends in Indiana and other states
where the soldier vote is an important
consideration in planning a campaign
for denomination and reelection went
TO the white house and told the presi
dent that by removing Tanner he had
awakened a suspicion in the
minds of many thousand veterans
that he was not the friend of the
soldier he had always pretended to be
The fact that Tanner had spent the pen
sion budget. mot wisely, but too well"-
that he had scattered it broadcast with
out regard to the worthiness of the
hands into which it might fall was too
tine a point for the appreciation of the
average soldier. The of this
great country, the president was told.
seemed to the average ex.soldier to be
inexhaustible. and he thought if Com
missioner Tanner had been retained in Of
flee it would only have been a question
OF time when all would have come in for
an ample share Of the great bounty.
The president in subsequent public
~utterances and in messages to congress
endeavored to correct any false impress
sion that tho ropoovol Of I,,,oor ,,;.l.
have created in the minds of the en-
soldiers. He also gave many weary
hours to the selection of a proper man to
succeed Tanner. While at Deer Park
IN the summer of 1890 ne summoned to
his cottage a score of the most promi-
nent ex-soldiers for the purpose of tax
ing counsel with them as to whom he
should select as the new commissioner
Of pensions.
He selected Gen. Warner. of Missouri.
II gallant ex.soldier and a man of fine ey-
ecutive ability. Gen. Warner declined
the appointment, but so importunate was
the president that he was finally COM
PEELED to make the journey to Deer Park
IN company with Secretary Noble to en-
plain in person the reasons why he could
not accept any public Office. The presi-
dent was greatly disappointed. and hest
tated a long time before fixing upon an
other man. Finally Greene i. Raum was
chosen.
When the first scandals of the Raum
administration reached the presidents
ears his disappointment was great. He
mad hoped that the public had heard the
last OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. in the pension
office during his term in the white house.
The first charges were ignored. and when
Ia the Reed congress the Morrill, commit.
tee was appointed to investigate the al
legations made against Commissioner
Raum the president took pains to i'm
press upon the republican members of
the committee the necessity for proceed
ing cautiously, and OF protecting the
new commissioner at all hazards.
The committee made the best OF the
material at hand. They brought in a
whitewashing report, but the work of
the minority had been so we'll done that
II required only the accession of a demo.
cratic majority in the house to make GER
tain the complete exposure of Raum's
rascalities. From that day to this Har-
has been alternately besought to
the disgraced commissioner on
grounds of public good, and to retain
MIN IN office for the advancement Of pri-
interests.
Within the last year the presidents
fortunes have become entangled
those of Raum. He has been seek
ing a denomination and no price has
been too high to pay for influence in
primaries and conventions. The presi-
yiauc on tho cnhianf Af p,,n, |
retention in office were tersely ex-
pressed by him to a personal friend a
days before the Minneapolis conven-
In reply to a question as to what
proposed to do with Raum IN view of
the findings Of the Wheeler committee
the president said:
to pursue. If Raum is removed
he administration must carry the bur
len of having been obliged to dismiss two
commissioners in a single term.
Besides, tine dismissal of another com
missioner will be misconstrued by the
,x-soldiers everywhere, and my attitude
.owards them will be misrepresented on
stump in the country"
But, Mr.. President" said his friend,
will not the strength gained by the
AS the result Of the dismissal Of
Raum more than offset the hostility of a
who will not understand your no
.lves!"
Perhaps replied the president.
There's where the perplexity arises. ]
be sure
The wires that Commissioner Raum
AN pull. each of them ringing a little
,all in tho ubifa bnnSA arc For mora
than is commonly supposed.
)ne of the most potent of these controls
Pension Attorney George f. Lemon.
profits as a pension attorney
md his business transactions with Raum
AVE already been described. He is
commonly rated as good for a $4,000
description to the republican campaign
und, and he is a frequent and welcome
aller at the white house. Since the
leath Of Gen. Logan, Lemon has nam