Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-13

THE PENSION COMMISSTONERSHrP.
The dispatches OF Wednesday regard
ing the case of Commissioner Tanner
we're vague and somewhat coDtradic-
tory. Later information shows his re-
tirement to be final, he having rendered
his resignation, which the president ac-
cepted.
The correspondence which brought
about this interesting result is brief and
pointed. The commissioner states as
the reason for rendering his resignation
the existence OF differences be-
tween the secretary OF the interior
and himself as to the policy
to be pursued IN tho administra-
tion OF the pension bureau, which
had reached a stage that threatened to
embarrass him to an extent he felt he
should not be called upon to suffer. The
completed investigation OF the pension
bureau having discovered nothing re-
lecting upon the integrity of the COM
missioner, and he being DESTROYS of re-
lieving the administration Of any
further embarrassment in the matter,
sent to the president his resignation.
In accepting it, to take effect on the APP
| pointment and qualification of n success
sor, the president did not
think it necessary to discuss the
causes which have led to the
present attitude of affairs in the pen
| sion office, and disposed of the matter
by stating that so far as advised the
honesty of the commissioner has not at
,... ...,o loo. ,,l1ol L., n,apttN, non.
Guiding with an expression of personal
good will.
What differences there have been be-
tween Secretary Noble and Commits
sioher Tanner Is left largely to c%onjec-
ture, but whatever their nature it is safe
to assume that the secretary has
not been at fault. Both he and
the president are old soldiers,
and are as heartily and earnestly
the friends of old soldiers as Commits
sioner Tanner. 1t cannot be reason
ably supposed, therefore, that there was
any desire on the part of either to en-
barrass the commissioner in the Judi
cious and proper performance of his
duty, and if he was threatened with en-
barrassment it was simply because his
plumbers and indiscretions had COM
PEELED the secretary, undoubtedly with
the full concurrence of the president, to
put a check upon him. Obviously the
desire of the administration would be
to sustain so important u public
official as the commissioner Of pensions
as long as a reasonable excuse could be
found for doing so, and from this point
of view the result proves that Com
missioner Tanner had outworn the
patience and liberation of the president.
In implying that the responsibility, or
blame, for the differences between him
self and the secretary of the interior
rests upon the latter, it is not to be
doubted that Commissioners Tanner does
an injustice to Secretary Noble.
Corporal Tanner, like many other
well-meaning and honest men, fell a
victim to his inordinate passion for talk
ing. Early in his short incumbency of
the pension Office President Harrison
felt obliged to warn him mot to talk
too much.' The friendly warning, I'M
fortunately. only seemed to grease the
hinges of his jaws that speech might
follow interviewing. In his anxiety to
accomplish reforms which might in
crease his own popularity and redeem
pledges made. he felt it incumbent
to mount the housetop of publicity
and shout his Hosannah of wide open
libera,ity so that the world might hear.
The recoil of his mouth may not have
been more damaging to himself than
his shots were to his friends, but it has
kicked him out Of Office. The obvious
moral in the case may be commended
to all executive officers OF the govern
ment.
1t is reported that Major William
Warner, of Missouri, ex-commander-in-
chief of the Grand Army of the Re-
public, has been rendered the office of
commissioner of pensions, and that he
has gone to Washington in response to
a telegramf from Secretary Noble. Major
Warner has the full confidence of the
old soldiers, is a man of ability and ex-
perience in affairs, and his appointment
would undoubtedly be regarded with
very general approval.