Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-05-28

WASHINGTON, MAY 26-"Decoration Day" is
next Monday. Very little preparations are
beng made here to observe the day. The day
is a holiday in the departments, but the clerks
all take themselves on excursions or stay at
home. fan themselves and drink lemonade.
The day has within the past ten years become
a very sorry farce at Washington. A commit
tee with labels on them, saying that they be-
long to the Grand Army of the Republic, have
charge of things on that day. From the gov
ernment hot houses they get flowers
enough to decorate .about one-half a
grave In every Thousand Of them
In the different cemeteries around the city
Then they have orators and poets. These
gentlemen deliver their efforts to small crowds
OF eolored people, with few carriages be-
yond in which are seated white people. The
day has truly degenerated. The only reason
that it Is looked forward to is because il brings
with it a holiday. Last year there was a little
picking up in the attendance and interest mani
Tested. That was because there would soon
be change of administration. and some pao-
pie who stay in Office on their supposed former
connection with the Union army wanted to be
conspicuous as paying tribute to their dead
comrades" This year there is no such incen-
tive to take an interest in the day, and it
promises to be even less regarded than before
Ex-sEcRETARY SHERMAN.
Honest John Sherman's name comes out In
the Treasury stealing Investigation He knew
of it all along and allowed it to fatten right
under his nose when he was Secretary. 1t has
got into the papers that evidence is before the
committee proving that Sherman took work
men from the cabinet-makers shop of the
Treasury and made them labor on his new
house. the Treasury paying them, and that he
made Pitney, an officer of the government.
act as agent far his houses. This has much
exercised Mr.. Sherman. He does not like it.
IL looked all right to him to do these things,
but to have them printed is a,bad feature the
thinks. So he has rushed in to the defense of
Pltney and the Treasury ring. He is to be
seen every day at the Treasury, laboging with
Secretary Window, telling him that every
thing Is all right beyond perhaps a little
to have the pending investigation made
whitewashing one. Window will
stick to his original determination to have
ascertained.
DRUNKENNESS IN THE ARMY.
officers of the army who get drunk on duty
will not have the same immunity extended to
them by the Garfield administration as by Mr.
Hayes. This has already been shown. Mr.
Hayes. 1t will be remembered, had a habit of
resembling the verdicts of the court5-martial
dismissing officers from the army for drunk
enuess. The result was very demoralizing to
the service. Recently number OF such cases
dent Garfield. Instead. however. of rescind-
ing the sentences of dismissal or
in any way ameliorating the
punishment prescribed for the drunken Off
GERS he has approved the findings of the courts
martial and the officers are dismissed the ser
vice.
NAVAL CHANGES
A good many changes are being made In the
navy in those positions regarded as "soft"
ones for the occupants Secretary Thompson
succeeded pretty well in getting all those
places filed by his favorites, at which there
was grumble. AS soon as Hunt came in to
succeed Thompson an attack all along the line
was made upon Thompson's favortes. Admi-
raj Porter, who had been shelved by
the Indiana Secretary, was brought
out and busted for active service. Being so
long shorn of any authority in the body the
dAmiral evinces desire to make up for lost
time. OF course he is in sympathy with those
who have Started after the scalps of Thomp-
sons favorites. The hunters are getting pref
ty good game too. Every day one more of
the Thompson regime is removed from a snug
berth and sent to places remote and uncon-
genial. There is in short, an entire revolution
in the personnel of the navy MS regards easy
duties. Those who get the nice places are
we'll satisfied, but somehow the old favoritss do
not seem to relish the changes that have come
Potomac