Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-03-17
WASHINGTON GOSSIP,
ARTHUR'S AND HAYES SU-
PREME COURT SELECTIONS.
mismanageWent of the Soldiers,
HOme-JObn Shermanss Ceat of
WhiteWash-The Attempt TO Gag
the, e,HOuse-RObesOn' UnIuekY slip
Up.

WASHINGTON. March 15-The President, after
two Intellectual attempts to fill the existing
vacancy on the Supreme Court bench, has, at
last, got his man. Judge Blatchford of New
York, who might be termed the last Of three"
viii accept the place to which he has been
nominated. 1t is only in numerical order,
however, that Judge Blatchford is the last of
three. He is better qualified for the place
than either Conkling or Edmunds, who were
offered it before him. He is an honest man, a
learned jurist, and has made his judicial train
ing one of imp4rtiality. He viii make much
better Supreme Court Judge than either Ell
munds or Conkling would AVE made.
Either Edmunds or Conkling would. how
ever, have been very. very far above the run
of Justices of the Supreme Court. Either one
of them would have been a decided improves
ment TO the Supreme Court bench. Both are
incorruphble, conscientious men. But Judge
Blatchford is better than either of them He
is only second to Judge Gray, who was but re-
Gently put on the supreme bench bv President
Arthur. The Supreme Court is now full There
are no vacancies in reality nor any caused by
the incapacitV of any of its members. 1t may
be expected to do the great work before it with
more expedition. As the work of the court ia
very far behind hand, it is a great thing that IL
again has a full number of Judges to do the
labor. President Arthur has been very upright
IN the Two appointments to the Supreme
bench which he has made. Judges Gray and
Blatchford carry with them to their positions
more brains than Is comprised in three-quarters
OF the other members Of the court. They are
not only chock full of brains but also of work
There is an almost irresistible desire to COM
pare Arthur's Supreme Court appointments
with the similar appointments made by the
late lamented, or, perhaps, unlamented Hayes.
Hayes made three appointments to the
Supreme Court. One was Judge Harlem, of
Kentucky, Southern Republican and genial
gentleman, but no more fitted for the place
which he now occupies-in the sense of judi
cial capacity-than Georgia country Justice
Of the Peace is fit for the place now held by
Judge Erskine Another was the weak and
varied Stanley Matthews, of Ohio, who wears
the yoke of Jay Gould The other and the
only decent appointment to the Supreme Court
that Hayes made was that of Justice Woods,
or Georgia. The latter is honest impartial,
and fairly able, but he would never have got
the place had he not been born in Ohio.
Arthur's two appointments in the persons of
Judges Gray and Blatchford, are so superior
to Hayes efforts that will resist the inclina-
ton to make the proposed comparison. 1t
might offend Judges Gray and Blatchford to
have any comparison made. While on the sub
ject it might be stated that it is now generally
the belief that the President knew very well
before he offered the Supreme Court vacancy
to Conkling. and then to Edmunds, that they
would decline.
ANOTHER SCANDAL.
There is growing out of the investigation of
the National Soldiers Home in this city, an
other scandal which promises to be a fruitful
subject of discussion. The Soldiers Home is
supported by small per capita taken each
month out Of the pay of soldiers of the regular
army, and is an asylum for old and broken
down soldiers The tnvirons of the Home COM
prise park, in extent and beauty second pro-
badly to none in the world 1t is the favorite
drive about the capital The affairs of the
Home are ruled by three commissioners. One
is Surgeon-General Barnes another Commits
sary- General MacFeeleY, and the other Adju-
tant-General Drum. 1t is in testimony before
the committee that the funds of the soldiers
have been injudiciously invested, especially
also in testimony that the inmates OF
the Home got but little benefit from
the fruits, vegetables and flowers grown
there. The bulk of these have been sent
to the houses of two of the commissioners and
to the houses Of friends-generally army Off
cers-who they wished to please. General
Drum, who has been but a comparatively short
time a member Of the board of commissioners,
refused to receive any of these perquisites and
when cartload Of early vegetables and berries
was backed up to his door, ordered their return
to where they belonged. He would have moth
ing to do with such an appropriation of the
money belonging to the Home. When Mrs.
Hayes and Mr.. Hayes went out to the Home to
reside during the summer, one of the cottages
was fitted up for them in extravagant style.
Mrs. Hayes and Mrs. Barnes, the wife of
the Surgeon-General, went around from
place to place ia the city and ordered the
most elaborate fittings for the cottage, all of
which was charged to the Soldiers Home
fund General Drum at first demurred to
the payment of the fitting up bills but finally
tacitly consented rather than insult bY
refusal the wife of the then alleged President
of the United States. These are samples of
what YVES done and what has been done with
the money which is levied upon all private sol
dierS in the regular army for the maintenance
of their old comrades. The disgrace is the
greater when the class Of poorly paid men who
are taxed much a month to support the
Home is taken into consideration.
THE TREASURY srEALINGs
In view of the fact that the Senate commit
tee, which has been investigating the Treasury
contingent Stealings, will exonerate Senator
Sherman, formerly Secretary of the Treasury
from all knowledge or mplcity therein, there
ia disposition among certain members of the
House, who do not think that the evidence
warrants such an exoneration, to attempt to
have committee OF the House make an inves-
tigation. 1t would be somewhat discourteous
to the Senate that House committee should
take up the investigation, but there are a num-
ber OF members who say that discourtesy in
view OF all the circumstances is more than
warranted In the light of truth and Justice
it is to be hoped that a committee not wholly
under the il rtluence Of John Sherman will
make an investigation Of the Treasury steal
ings.
THE GAG-LAw
The first filibustering of this session has
occurred in the House 1t over the anti
polygamy bill as it came from the Senate.
The Republicans wanted to rush the bill
through without allowing auy debate The
Democrats demanded debate and the privilege
of offering amendments This they could not
get except by filibustering. The Republican
majority attempted to force the gag-law
After two days the bill has been passed, but
after the Democrats by hlibustering had
secured a debate of it. Nearly all the
Democrats voted for the bill finally
They only opposed it in the first
place in order to check the Republican
majority in its attempt to gag the minority
with the operation of the previous question"
And they succeeded After this success and
the bill had been debated. the Democrats were
found voting for its passage. The only princi-
pie involved in the Democratic fight was one to
prevent the pushing of any scheme whatso-
ever through the House without debate, as
seemed to be part of plan of the Republi-
cans. One feature of the debate in the House
which was very laughable was afforded by
Bobeson. He was speaking in his usual grand
style and gesticulating ferociously. He threw
out his right hand in magnificent flourish and
swinging it behind him slapped Hazleton, Of
Wisconsin, in the mouth. Robson Immediately
dropped into his seat 1t was too funny for
him to have continued his argument with any
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