Democratic Sentinel, Volume 13, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1889 — A Wind Bag with Eighty Millions. [ARTICLE]

A Wind Bag with Eighty Millions.

The man Tanner, who is now loose in the Pension Office, appears to be a highly dangerous demagogue. His recent speech before a Southern gathering contained much to either alarm or amuse the reader, according to the degree of influence which may be accorded to Tanner in the government. He declares he will quadruple a certain class of pensious, nnd certainly offers many inducements to the pension agents. In his decisions he is ably backed by another demagogue named Bussey, Assistant Secretary of the Interior, who finds for the plaintiff in all cases where the United States Government is the defendant. * Tanner’s love for the old soldier is a Republican love. On this account he has degraded three chiefs of divisions. These chiefs were old soldiers, like Tanner. If there be a better blood in old soldiers than in non-combatants, as Tanner alleges, then these chiefs have the blood. The Olympian ichor is in their veins. Why should they not berate Tanner for degrading them? Why should they thank him because he was cowardly to the degree that he kept them in inferior places? Had he dared to discharge them would he not have gladly done so? The Pension Office, with its $80,009,000 of disbursements, and the arrogant pension associations, evolving their Tuttles, Tanners, Forakers and Fairchilds—Tedmouthed, avaricious, unconscionable—these are becoming a menace to the republic. The $80,000,000 will swell to $500,000,000 if the people do not shortly avow their distrust of the Grand Army of the Republic, as at present betrayed and misled. It is to be noted that a genuine veteran —even a comrade of Harnson himself—has a trying time getting the office for which he may be well fitted. If there be any cheap and loud-sounding politician around—any blowhard like Tanner or Bussey—that affair is fixed first, leaving the old soldier to shiver on the outside and have his pension raised from one dollar to four dollars. —Chicago Herald .