Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-12
RETrRE,rEyT OF TANNER.

Tanner from the office Of commissioner
OF pensions will not create general sur
prise. A combination OF circumstances
has seemed TO mako it absolutely neces-
sary that the administration should un-
load the corporal, and recent statements
from Washington had prepared the
public to expect his retirement, volun-
tarily or by invitation, at any time.
The question OF what to do with
Tanner has undoubtedly been
serious and perplexing one with
tho administration. To retain him
at the head of the pension bureau
would be to condone his numerous mis-
takes to the certain injury OF the adj
ministration and the republican party
in public confidence, while to remove
him would offend his friends, of which
he undoubtedly still has n numerous
body. 1t would appear that as the
easiest way out Of the unfortunate and
annoying dilemma Tanner has been
suspended pending the result of
the investigation OF rerating in
progress, but 1t is hardly to be
presumed that in any event he
will resume the duties of the office. OF
course he will not If the result OF the
investigation is unfavorable to him,
and il favorable he will doubtless re-
sign rather than continue to subject
the administration to criticism on his
account. Moreover there is reason to
believe that the relations of the COM
missioner with other officials of the
pension bureau, and with Secretary
Noble, are somewhat strained, 80 that
his remaining in the Office would COM
pei others to retire against whom
there is no public complaint
Having, regard for all the
features of the situation, therefore, the
probability is that the withdrawal
Of Tanner from the performance of the
duties of commissioner OF pensions will
be final. He maintains that he has
kept strictly within the law, and if this
shall be shown, he will be allowed to
retire to private life with whatever ad-
vantages vindication may bring him.
1t has been made apparent that the APP
pointment of Tanner was unfortunate,
not because of his sgreat interest and zeal
in behalf of a generous pension
policy, for in this doubtless majority
Of the people are in sympathy with
him. but for the reason that he has not
the qualifications to iudiciously admin
lister so great trust as that devolved
upon the commissioner of pensions.
We do not believe that any candid and
unprejudiced man thinks Tanner dis
honest or venal. If he has done any
thing outside the law it Is because he
did not understand the law, and
he is man very likely to act
upon his own judgment rather
than to pursue the more pru-
dent course of seeking enlightenment
from others. 1t is not to be doubted,
however, that he has Intended to act
within the law as he understood it.
With preconceived notions of what a
pension service ought to be, formed
upon sentiment rather than from prac-
tical ideas, when Tanner found himself
in the possession of a prodigious power
of which he could have had but the
slightest conception, with eighty mill
lion dollars at his command, he
lost whatever discretion he may nat
urally have. Without experience in
practical affairs, and very likely with
little faculty for such affairs, it is not
difficult to understand why Tanner pro-
ceeded as he has done. His other de-
feet, that of talking too much, has done
its full share to draw upon him popular
ridicule and detract from the confidence
which was felt in him when he was APP
pointed.
But whether or not the retirement of
Tanner shall be final, there is every
reason to expect good results from the
agitation of pension Office af-
fairs. Congress will find it necessary
to make some radical changes in the
pension laws, which evidently now con-
fer too great power on the commits
sioner, and probably to give an inter-
probation to some so that future commits
sioners need not rely upon their own
construction of what was meant or
intended. There has also been public
sentiment formed regarding certain
phases of the pension question which
can hardly fail to have an influence in
shaping further legislation. 1t may
thus happen that the experience with
Tanner will prove to be not wholly
without useful results.