Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-09-12
REPORT FROM THE CAPITAL.
Day of Rumors and Conferences-A
Cabinet Consultation

Day of Rumors and Conferencss-A
Cabinet Consultation.
WASHINGTON CITY, Sept. 12-The air is
full of rumors having for their foundation
the belief that the days of Corporal Tanner
as commissioner of pensions are numbered.
The commissioner absent from his post
yesterday morning, and Deputy Commits
sioner Smith was acting in his place. 1t was
stated at the pension Office that Tanner
was expected back at noon, but he had not
returned at p m, and this gave rise to
very positive statements that he had been
suspended The common report was that
Secretary Noble had said TO the president
that in view of the facts developed in the in
vestigation of the pension office by the COM
mission appointed by him for that purpose,
he could not countenance the continuance of
Commissioner Tanner In office, and that if
some summary action was not taken his own
resignation would be at the presidents dis
pOsal
Considered by the Cabinet.
The whole matter was the subject of pr O.
tracted conference at the executive mansion
yesterday between the president and most
of his cabinet officers. Informal confer
president and Secretaries Noble and Tracy,
but the formal cabinet meeting to discuss
the matter did not convene until nearly 4
p, m, and lasted until about o'clock in
the evening. Secretary Noble was with the
president as early as o'clock He brought
with him the report of the committee which
has Investigated re-rating in the pension
office during Commissioner Tanners admin
i>tration, presumably to be used an ar
gument for securing the commissioners va
cation of the office. Members of the cabinet
are extremely reticent about what happened
at the meeting. The president, however,
| authorized representative of the United
Press TO state that Commissioner Tanner had
| not been removed, and that he had not asked
| for the commissioners resignation
Tanner Refuses to Talk.
Commissioner Tanner last night declined
| to talk about the imbroglio, further than to
| say that he had not been suspended and had
not resigned. Efforts are undoubtedly being
made to induce the commissioner to resign,
by offering him another equally lucrative
| and honorable position; but whether he will
| yield to such persuasion is not known, and
further conferences and more time is needed
to settle the matter.
Speculation as to a Successor.
ANON stiiti u II EeItTdliy btHeNeu UndI
| Commissioner Tanner will vacate or must
GO rumor is rife with candidates to succeed
him. Extension Agent Poole, of New
York, and ex-Congressmen Brown, of Ohio,
and Thomas, of Illinois, are already men,
toned, among others, for the place
Charges Against the Corporal
II Commissioner Tanner Is removed from
| the head of the pension Office it will be on
charges of inefiiciency and indiscretion,
based on his action in making special a large
number of pension cases, on the action OF
| his subordinates in making re-ratings for
| each other, and on the speeches and inter
views credited TO the commissioner in the
newspapers, and whose authenticity he has
| not denied. The commission investigating
| the rerating in the Office has reported from
| time to time to the secretary of the interior
| the discovery of wholesale rating among
the employees of the office, to the part ial ex-
olusion of other pensioners. 1t z thought
that this report will be ready in few days,
and will be given to the public in justifca-
{ on Of the presidents action, if he should
| remove the commissioner.
The Vice President Consutted-
Vice President Morton arrived here yester-
| day from New York, and called at the White
| House last ening while the president and
| his cabinet were considering the case Of
| Psnsioner Commissioner Tanner. He wa.
| shown into the cabinet-room and joined il
the discussion