The Evening critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1881-1885, 1882-12-06
A Word with General Drum.

The CRITIC has, from time to time, in
discussion of current events, found it wise
to differ with one r. c. Drum, Adjutant-
General. We have never considered this
privilege inestjmable, but we have held it
to be inalienable, and we still so hold.
General Drum, however, does not seem to
share our view Of the organic law on this
subject. On the contrary, he .resents our
exercise Of our constitutional privilege of
differing with him, and his resentment
found expression yesterday in a violent
scene, that must prove as. humiliating 10
General Drum as it was disgraceful to the
service which he does not adorn.
The Offices occupied by the Adiutant.
General are located in building con-
structed by the United States for the use of
the State, War and Navy Departments.
This property is owned by the people of the
United States, and Drum is one of their
employees. There is no law, custom or
precedent by virtue of which any citizen
or class of citizens can be excluded from the
offices of the said building during Office
hours 1t is the custom of all responsible
officers to be accessible to the. public at ccr-
tain hours for the transaction of business or
the reception Of visitors, and this custom
includes reporters for the press
The reporter who gathers news for
The CRITIC at the State, War and Navy
Departments was making his usual
rounds yesterday, when he received mess.
age from the Adjutant-Gen requesting
an interview. He at once waited on that
officer, who proceeded with violence of
language and rudeness of manner to inform
him that he Drum "did not like The
CRITIC" and "would not permit its repre-
sentatives to enter his offices !"
The question whether General Drum mas
any right to exclude our reporter or any
other from his Offices is not worth discuss
ing, and it would be foreign to our present
purpose to discuss that question in any
event.
We concede General Drums right to
dislike THE CRITIC" We even grant his
right to refuse to speak to its representative
unless upon public business appertaining to
the duties of his Office. But we declare,
without fear of successful contradiction,
that he has no right or power under any
law, organic or statutory, to exclude any
person from that portion of the public do
main occupied by him as an office, so long
as that person behaves in an orderly man
ner and violates no legitimate regulation
ofthe premises. Consequently our reporter
will continue to make his daily pilgrim
ages throughout the public building in
which General Drum finds Office room. And
he will continue to be treated courteously
by every public officer in that building OK
cept Of course, General Drum, who will
treat him discourteously and in an ungen-
tlemanly manner.
Passing from this branch of the subject
we remark that General Drum undoubt-
edly has good cause to dislike THF
CRITIc.p The CRITIC dislikes General
Drum. It's dislike is based upon the fact
capacity Of Commissioner of the Soldiers
Home, acguiesced, il he did not participate
in certain petty and contemplate fraud;
upon an asylum for pauper cripples.
These frauds were exposed by TIL
CRITIC. But the reporter whom Genera
Drum assailed yesterday had nothing to dc
with that exposure, and was not RESPONSE
BILE for any Of the reflections which neces
sarily ensued upon General Drum. He wa
therefore not the proper object of Genera
Drums resentment. So that Genera
Drum blundered alike in his mode o
wreaking his vengeance and his selection o
its object.
The person responsible for the reflection
upon General Drum which have appeare
in The CRITIC is not reporter.
He never visits the offices of the Adju
tant-General But he can always b
found at his own office, No. oil Mint
stroet, during Office hours, or at his resi-
dence, No. 1909 @ street, during domesti
hours, invariably willing to entertain an
proposition for redress Of grievance an
ready 10 give appropriate response TO an