The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-09-18
Exit Tanner.

Corporal TANNER made speeches for b.
! HARRISON and protection to home indus
try in this and several other states last
year. He usually began his speeches
about this way "Fellow-citizens- have
lately been in Minnesota. IL has cool
climate and / found that a great majority
OF the people were republicans. In In
diana the climate is warmer, and there
are not so many republicans. II is Curl
Gus fact that republicanism flourishes in
cool climates and democracy in warm
ones. Tennessee has a warmer climate
than Indiana and il has more democrats.
Texas is warmer than Tennessee and is
Overwhelmingly democratic. Hell is still
hotter than Texas and they are all demo-
Gratis there"
This proiane ribaldry was usually
greeted with great applause" TANNERS
regular exOrdium was repeatedly printed
in the newspapers, was generally COM
mented upon, and the godly B. HARRISON
could hardly have failed TO hear OF It, II
showed that TANNER was n foul-mouthed
blackguard unfit to associate with gentle
men, and grossly improper person to be
intrusted with any office OF responsibility
or power Nevertheless, one OF the first
things b. HARRISON did after he became
president was to make him commissioner
of pensions, although this is one of the
most important offices under the govern
ment-a good deal more so than some of
the cabinet offices.
-. ELL Io- Il ~
ord. lie has brought scandal and re-
proach upon the administration. Gross
favoritism, shameful extravaganza and
fragrant corruption have characterized his
management OF pension affairs. He has
shown an utter disregard of the proprie-
ties and the decencies of his position and
a grotesque inability TO comprehend the
obligations it imposes upon its incumbent
TANNER has finally gone His resigna-
ton was sent to the president Thursday
and promptly accepted. TANNER says that
he resigns because "the differences which
exist between the secretary of the interior
and myself as to the policy to be pursued
in the administration OF the pension
bureau have reached stage which
threatens to embarrass you to an extent
which feel you should not be called upon
to suffer" The president, in his reply,
says he does mot think it necessary
to discuss, in this correspondence,
the causes which have led TO the present
attitude OF affairs in the pension office"
TANNER, he says, has been kindly and
fully advised of his views upon most Of
these matters. The president adds that it
gives him pleasure to say that so far as he
is advised TANNERS personal honesty has
not been called in question, and to renew
the expression of his personal good will.
TANNERS resignation was not, of course,
voluntary. He resigned because it was
the only alternative to dismissal. His re-
tirement, under the circumstances. does
not, in the slightest degree, relieve the
administration OF the disgrace of his APP
pointment, which was made with full
knowledge of his gross ignorance and
utter incapacity. 1t does not mitigate, in
the least, the scandal of the revolving
frauds, or OF the open and shameless pros
titution of the machinery of the pension
bureau TO the service of DUDLEY, LEMON
and other disreputable pension brokers.
b. HARRISON appointed TANNER with his
eyes wide open; ne retained him in Office
long after his reckless and criminal meth
DDS of administration had been exposed
TO The country; and he finally dismissed
him-for that's what the enforced resig-
nation amounts to-only when popular
indignation at his conduct had reached
such a pitch that his further retention
was simply impossible. The stigma of
Tannerism will cling to the administra-
ton until the end, although TANNER him
self has been sacrificed.