St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-09-19
THE RESIGNATION OF TANNER.

Corporal James Tanner resigned
his appointment as commissioner OF
pensions on Thursday last. Below
are comments from the press on the
matter. Only extracts from repubE-
can papers are given as the demo-
cratic press are unjustly severe.
What it Was Coming To.
Under Tanner there have been
abuses that threa ten the very ex1s-
tence of the pension system. the as
tendency of the republican party and
the success of the administration
New York Press, republican.
Private DaIzeH on the War Path.
Remove Corporal Tanner! Oh, l
guess not. 1t would cost the repub
leans every northern state and both
houses of Congress. Woe be to the
republicans if they down Tanner; for,
by the God that rules and reigns, it
they touch hair of his head we will
scalp every man of them Private
Dalzell on Tuesday.
The Tongue Is an UnruIy Member.
Commissioner Tanner is a man
without executive ability, without
common discretion, without a keen
moral sense; but had it not been for
the unru1y member which has wag-
ged so constantly since his appoint
ment, he might have continued in Of
flee until the end of his term. Per
haps it is well that his tongue is SO
nimble-[ Boston Transcript, indie
pendent republican.
VIII Not Be Widely Regretted.
The resignation of Pension Com
missioner Tanner will not be widely
regretted. While his integrity can
not be impeached, it has been evident
for some time that he lacks the pru-
dence and sagacity required for his
place He has been headstrong and
regardless of admonition, and the
pension bureau under his admins
tration has been the object of severe
criticism from even the friends of the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Union,
republican.
Only Himself to Blame.
Corp. Tanner has only himself to
blame for his removal He was hon
CSI anu Sll dISIl, VI lis SIShliSS
would have pointed out his derelic
ton very quickly. He has not vio-
lated the pension laws or we all
would have known about it without
much delay. But he was too elo
quent. The sound of his voice capt.
waited him, and he could never find
the heart to check its mellif1uous flow:
The policy of the administration in
regard to pensions will undergo no
change in consequence of Tanners
retirement, which is as it should be.
Il Lynn Item, republican.
Reckless Course and Reckless Tongue.
Commissioner Tanners resigna-
ton will cause a general feeling of re-
lief in the republican party. His reck
less course during the six months of
his administration of the pension bu-
reau has been exceedingly mischiev-
Gus. All reasonable men among his
friends and well-wishers have been
reluctantly compelled to acknowl
edge this But Tanner has done
quite as much by his Incorporate
speeches as by his official acts to
bring himself into popular disfavor.
The Milwaukee deliverance capped
the climax, and since then few have
been found, even among veterans,
who were willing to defend the rash
commissioner any further Port
land Advertiser, republican.
A Refreshing Relief.
Corporal Tanners enforced resig-
nation comes as a refreshing relief
from the incompetency that had
characterized the conduct of the pen
sion office, and has disguised alike
the President and all candid republic
cans and Grand Army men. Tanner,
in the role of a bull in a china shop,
has seriously compromised the adj
ministration and made himself at
once its most conspicuous and most
discreditable feature; and the Presl-
dent, after temporizing with his COM
missioner much longer than patience
or fairness demanded, has made his
best move since he entered the office
by cutting the rope that held him to
a milestone that was fast dragging
him down beyond hope of saving
Rutland Herald, republican.
He Was Ahead of the Procession.
Some months ago, before Commits
sioner Tanner had been very long in
office, but after his peculiar policy
had become manifest, the Journal
suggested that he was going too
rapidly, and that if he did not look
out he would get ahead of the pro-
cession. He has got ahead of the
procession. The administration has
been lenient with him, and he has
i 4 4
and admonition. But he has disre-
garded the advice and chafed under
the admonitions until patience has
ceased to be a virtue His resiena-
ton has been demanded, and the
vast and delicate responsibilities of
the pension bureau will soon be trans
ferred to other and firner and more
efficient guardianship Boston Jour
nal, republican.
"a COwardIy Act"
At last, weakly yielding to the de-
mands of the democrats and mug
wump press, President Harrison has
decided that Pension Commissioner
Tanner must resign or be removed.
This action on the part of President
Harrison, we respectfully submit, is
the weakest kind of trucking to a
class of men who, by every means
within their power, sought to bring
about his defeat in the last election.
Tanner being removed, why should
it not be in order to appoint to the
place Brig.-Gen. Thomas S. Rosser,
who made such rampant, fire-eat-
ing speech recently, in which he de-
clared that one southern soldier
could whip three Yankees? By all
means, since crippled Union veteran