John Riley Tanner

Infobox Governor
name= John Riley Tanner


caption=
order= 21^st
office= Governor of Illinois
term_start= 1897
term_end= 1901
lieutenant=
predecessor= John Peter Altgeld
successor= Richard Yates
birth_date= April 4, 1844
birth_place=Warrick County, Indiana
death_date=May 23, 1901
death_place=Springfield, Illinois
party= Republican
profession=
spouse=
footnotes=

John Riley Tanner (April 4, 1844 - May 23, 1901) was a U.S. political figure. Born in 1844 in Warrick County, Indiana, he served as the Republican governor of Illinois from 1897 to 1901. He is said to have "loved pomp and circumstance." But he also was one of the most remarkable governors in the 19th century in respect to workers' rights. He refused to use troops to break strikes, going further than had Governor Altgeld in his position on this issue. He proclaimed: "The laboring man's only property is the right to labor, which is as dear to him as the capitalist's millions, and he has the same right to carry arms in defense of his property as the capitalist has to protect his millions." (From an interview with John R. Tanner of Illinois. St. Louis Post-Dispatch 10 October 1898.) He died shortly after leaving office in 1901 in Springfield, Illinois. He is interred in Oak Ridge Cemetery. [ [http://www.findagrave.com/php/famous.php?page=cem&globalSearchCriteria=&globalSearchType=&FSlastinitial=&FSstateid=&FSctf=&firstName=&lastName=&FScemeteryid=107259&FScityid=&FScountryid=&FScountyid=&FSstartrow=41&FSbirthmonth=&FSbirthday=&FSbirthyear=&FSdeathmonth=&FSdeathday=&FSdeathyear= Find A Grave - Oak Ridge Cemetery ] at www.findagrave.com]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.lib.niu.edu/ipo/ii001208.html Article on restoration of Illinois Senate chamber to its appearance in Tanner's time.]
* [http://www.remembervirden.niu.edu "Remember Virden"]