The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-08-16
TANNER WILL REMAIN.

The bohemians have it that Mr.. HARRI-
son intends to appoint one JOHN w. NOBLE
to the important position of associate JUS
tice of the supreme court of the United
States, and there have cropped out here and
there confirmatory evidences of the rumor.
Thereby hangs tale.
1t is pretty well understood that there
has been little tempest going on in the
interior department of the cabinet for some
time past, on account of the high handed
manner in which Corporal TANNER has
been ladling out the surplus to real and al
legged soldiers, and Mr.. NOBLE has seen fit
to object to such business and take eXcep-
tons thereto, whereby he and the TANNER
party have been brought to loggerheads.
1t has placed the President in rather
awkward dilemma, for, being an out and
out spoils and Doodle executive, he is com
PEELED to stay with those through whose
money and corrupt influences generally he
was placed in the chair. He could be happy
with either of his favorites in
the cabinet if the other were not in the
way. To discharge NOBLE would be to of
fend the better element in his party, as
well as not few who contributed of their
denarii in time of need; and to hoist TAN
NER would be to make enemies of all those
lame. halt, blind and lazy patriots who ac-
quired their injuries by reason of sexual
irregularities. village scraps, baseball
games and freaks of nature, but who are
not so far gone that they cannot amble up
to the polls and vote as regularly and fire.
quently as in the days of yore. Now, in
such a dilemma, what remedy is as safe and
certain as the HARRIsoNIAN enc Of using
the appointive and removal power for per-
sonal and political ends!
The most obtuse can see that one or the
other of the two ministerial functionaries
must get out, and that to drop either would
be- as above suggested, to lose the follow
ing of the other; so why not promote the
Missourian, thus getting him out of the
New Workers. way, and letting matters
thereafter rest!
Now and then, here and there, you will hear
some surly person venture the suggestion
that the public welfare should be consulted
in the matter of making appointments and
removals; that public offices were not in
tended by the trainers Of our government
to be ameans of adjusting party differences,
and that the President has no more right
to barter places of honor, trust and profit
for personal and political advantages than
he has to sell them for coin, but such are
undoubtedly disloyal.
1t requires no great mental effort to un-
derstand that TANNER is as fit for the posi-
ton he holds as NOBLE is to be associate
Justice, which means that neither is quail
fed by training, association or tempera-
ment for the offices named. TANNER was
doubtless a brave and efficient soldier dur
ing the war; he lost both his legs in the
service and deserves a large sized pension,
one that would reasonably support him
and keep the wolf from his family's door.
But this does not argue that he has execu-
tive ability, that he has those
qualities of mind and heart which
enable one to properly discharge the
duties of so important a position as that of
commissioner of pensions; nor does it go to
show that because NOBLE is a lawyer of
limited ability who has done fairly well as
secretary of the interior, that he ought to
have chance to prejudice and maybe ruin
the interests of litigants whose cases are
in the supreme court by having vote and
voice in the bench thereof
Yet we doubt not the deal will be con
summated. The secretary will go to the
judicial position and the commissioner will
remain where he is. This will be a victory
for TANNER and no mistake His superior
in Office has repeatedly objected to the
spendthrift if not criminal manner in which
pension disbursements have been made and
regulated; it is an open secret that the pen
SION bureau is already tainted with corrup-
ton, and well known fact that scandals
have grown up within its doors. But what
of thatl To a President who looks upon
the offices as his personal property, to give
or withhold as he may see fit, what differ
ence is it whether the people are satisfied
or not, so long as he is satisfied!