John Riley Tanner

John Riley Tanner (1899)

John Riley Tanner (born April 4, 1844 in Warrick County , Indiana , † May 23, 1901 in Springfield , Illinois ) was an American politician and from 1897 to 1901 the 21st governor of the state of Illinois.

Early years and political advancement

John Tanner attended local schools in his Indiana homeland. Between 1863 and 1865 he took part in the Union Army, more precisely in the 98th Illinois Regiment, in the Civil War. The Republican Tanner had been politically active since 1870 . In the following years he held various political offices. So he was from 1870 to 1872 Sheriff in Clay County . He was a bailiff from 1872 to 1876 and served in the Illinois Senate from 1880 to 1883 . In 1883 he became US Marshal for the southern District of Illinois. This was followed by the appointment of State Treasurer of Illinois - an office he held between 1886 and 1889. In 1891 he became a railroad commissioner for the Illinois government and from 1892 to 1893 he was city treasurer in Chicago . His party nominated him for the upcoming gubernatorial election in 1896 as their candidate.

Illinois Governor

After winning the election, Tanner took up his post on January 11, 1897. The Spanish-American War fell into his four-year term in 1898 . Illinois provided the federal government with 12,000 soldiers. Due to the brevity of the war, its effects on the state were minimal. Domestically, the first employment offices were introduced in larger cities in 1899. Private employment agencies were also allowed. At the beginning of Tanner's term in office there was a budget deficit that he had run through by the end of his term. What is remarkable is his tolerant attitude and understanding towards striking workers. Even so, when the miners went on strike in the coal mines, he had to deploy the National Guard to keep order. It is also worth mentioning that the Chicago River was turned around in the course of a canal expansion and still flows in the other direction today. By 1900 the population of Illinois had risen to over 4.8 million, an increase of one million since 1890.

Tanner waived a possible re-election in 1900. Therefore, he resigned from his office on January 14, 1901. Instead, he applied for a seat in the US Senate . The unsuccessful but tough election campaign undermined his health. He died in May 1901.

Web links

Commons : John Riley Tanner  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• John Tanner at the National Governors Association (English)
• Illinois Blue Book History and Election Results, p. 368

• John Riley Tanner in the database of Find a Grave (English)