New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-03-06

1t ought to be said that General Kefer is the first
| Sneaker who has iuQgled with the important ap-
| pontmrnts of official stenographers to the House
from personal motives 1t is absolutely necessary that
these places should be held by thoroughly
competent men. who should be allowed to hold them
by merit. Mr.. Keifer last winter removed Msssrs.
| Devine and Hayes. who had held them many years,
in order tn make two personal appointments in their
stead. Now on the last day of the session, he re-
moves one of his own personal apDointees to give
his nephew, a newspaper correspondent, largo
| salary for doing nothing. 1t is possible
that this last action may result in the restoration OF
MesSrs. Devine and Hayes to their places next win
| ter and return to the Civil Service rules which
| have ALWAYS governed these offices.
| Ex-Speaker Keifer was not in good humor with
| the newspapers when TRIBUNE corraspond" saw
him at the apitol TODAY The action of the news
paper correspondents yesterday, he declared, was
grossly unjust, and was. he said, predcatad uoon
false statements He emphaticallv dep'ed that he
| had nsed profane language, when aooroqched Nv
the gallery tn a crowd Of unauthorized persons
on Saturday evening IL IN nlerstand a person
stated that was un Ter the inlunn"e OF liquor" the
ex-Speaker remarked with some excitement; that
is false. l never drink when ! am on duty.
do not care what the newspapers say
the truth The House was responsible
for throwing the press gallery open to the public.
member asked unanimous consent TO have II done:
that the gallery ought to be reserved for the use OF
the representatives of the press when the House
said that the wives of the members should be adj
mitted, could do nothing"
FLATLY CoNTRADICTING MIR. BURROWS.
"Mr. Burrows, of Michigan, said that he asked
you to recognize him. or OF Ter that he might ask
unanimous consent to have the gallery cleared, aud
that you refused" remarked the correspondent.
THAT is not true, aud l wish you would
tell Burrows that say, So" rephed
General Keifer. That would have been an
absurd thing to attempt after The wives OF
members had been given seats in the gallery; but
Burrows did not ask me to recognize him for
of the conversation General Kefer remarked:
do not care whit the newspapers say"
The wives Of Representatives tI comprised only
seriously nterfered with the corrrspondents at the
very time when they could least aft prd it. great
many of the visitors mems apparel and carried
canes, and made as mnch noise as they would have
done at an opera. General K"i,er said that was
true enough, but that the fault rested with the
doorkeepers, who had not performed their duty
properly.
w. Z. Barrett, the correspondent referred to
by Mr.. Kiefer, said tonight al went
to General Keifer Saturday night, aud
asked bin in respectful way that my seat in
the reporters gal cry might be reserved for me, and
remarked in the conversation that the Speaker
would not find it profitable 70 incur the ill-will
of the newspaper correspondents. | don't care
a Cd d-n for the press anSwe red General keifer.
He then said If the espoDdents wante their seats
they could 20 early and get them. When reminded
that they had tn leave the 10 file dispatches,
go over TO the Senate and perform other duties.
and il proper that their seats should be reseyed
thu SDeaker SAID. By Cd am not res 1OnslOe
for your seats. If YOU want the IN, you can 20 and
get them stated in the correspondents NEE lug,
yesterday, that the only way | could account Tor
General Keifrrs bearing and speech was that he
had been drinking, That is the only way | can ac-
count for them"
A WRITTEN DENIAL BY Mr.. KEIFER-
GENERAL PRESS D1sPArCHl
WASHINGTON, March 5.-Ex-Speaker Keifer has
written statement which Il gwen ou for publica
ton tonight, ON the subject of the resolutions
adopted by the newspaper correspondents on Sun
day. censurng him for his treatment of the press on
Saturday night. He says:
The coarse vulgar and prOfanc Ian which Is at
tribueI OF course, foundation In fact No
such angu4 &c used by and during the time
the galley occupied by the aies member OF tne
press the subject. | never thought OF using
such language and never did use 1t toward the
press These than fOOlisl resolutions, false
In her bases adopted without giving chance
TO make statement all. but must grown out OF
higu state excitement originating In the fact that
these distinguished spOndents SIrded themselves
they considered their dignity severely taxed
the unanimous action Of the House OF Representa-
tIves.