St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-18
WARNEK,S WIT,


1t was the old story of the spider and
the fly. except that the fly did not walk
into the parlor. We refer to Maj.
WARMERS refusal to accept the presi-
dents invitation to accept the pension
| cOmmissionership. Maj. WARNER is
too sagacious politician to be caught
nappin at any time, and if the presi-
dent had been any sort of judge of
human nature he ought to have known
that the astute Missouri politician had
both eyes open and would not walk into
the trap that had been set for him. The
plea of a lucrative law business that
could not be abandoned vas sufficient
to excuse Maj. WARNER in the
eyes of the administration, but those
who are on the inside of Re-
publican politics understand that
there were other and more potent
causes at the bottom of his declinatiOn.
In plain language, there is war between
tie administration and the Grand Army
organization, and TANNERS removal
was merely an incident of the strife.
The president leads the forces on one
side. while Gen. ALGER is commander
in-chief of the opposing armies. 1t is a
war to the knife and from the blade to
the hilt. and will not he terminated
until HARRISON or ALGER bites the
dust I'D the next national convention of
the Republican party. President HAIR
RIsoN has never been friendly to the
Grand Army organization, for when it
was under the leadership of Gen.
LOGAN the power of the organization
was used to shut out from public
life every Western man who did
not submit to LoGAN's domination.
A man with the imperiOus will
Of Gen. HARRISON could not submit to
dictation in any form. and it was dOubly
resented when it came from one whom
his aristoeratic education had taught
him to look upon as mere cOmmOner.
But for LOGAN's power HARRISON
would have been the nominee for vice
president in 1884, and even before that
would have gone into the GRANT or
GARFIELD cabinet. Thus the feeling
against the Grand Army organization is
of long standing. Now that it has been
recOnverted into a political machine
under the leadership of ALGER, who
wears LoGAN's mantle, and who is all
avoWed candidate for the next preSl-
dental nomination, it is impossible that
there should be any cordially existing
between the administration and the AL
GER machine. 1t was through ALGER's
influence that the resolution was adopted
at the late Milwaukee encampment sup
porting TANNER in his fight against the
president, and it was part of an organ
lied movement to pit ALGER against
HARRISON in the next presidential race,
as we'll as to commit the Grand Army to
ALGER's support. AS result of the
adoption Of that resolution, TANNER
was fired immediately upon his return
to Washington. The next move on the
Part of the administration was to alien
ate ALGER'S strongest lieutenant from
his chief by proposing to make him
part of the administration. Thus it
was Maj. WARNER was summoned to
Washington to have the pension COM
missionership rendered to him on sill
ever platter. But he didn't bite at the
bait. He is an ambitious man, who
relies on the support of the Grand
Army to toost him; and he was
shrewd enough to see that trea-
son to the organization at this time
meant political suicide. He is strong
with the organization, but not infiuen-
tial enough to carry it over in body to
the support of the administration; and
to detach himself from it in this crisis
to accept honors at the hands of the
enemy would have been the supremest
treason