The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1885-04-30
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
The Weekly Collection About the Ma
tiOnal Capital
WAR TO THE KNEE.

there is TO be no peace between Carlisle ana
Randall. until one Of those great chieftains OF
the Democracy lays his rival IL his political
grave Which will overcome the other is now
the most exciting question which throbs in the
Democratic mind. Beside this Cleveland's
policy is of secondary importance and the fill
ing of the great offices in the gilt OF the Presi-
dent a mere trifie. Aessrs. Bayard, Lamar.
Garland, Pendleton, Thurman, Mcdonald, and
all that class OF gentlemen, are meTe y the orna-
ments on the great Democratic machine, while
Carlisle and Randall represent tie active, driv-
ing forces of the party. 1t could lose every
man now in place and likely to be put III place
by Mr.. Cleveland without being the worse for
it. Nay, would possibly be better for It, But
without such men rs the ex-Speaker OF the
House it would come TO . standsull at once.
The difficulty now is, rs it used TO be sometimes
in the army, when il was said, There was one
or-General too many in the field" Either
Carlisle or Randall is entirely competent to lead
the Democratic party, Tor both are large, strong
men, with splendid abilities rs leaders. Each, as
is customary with men capable Of chiettalnshlp,
is distinctly of the opinion that the others pres
ence in the party is superfu0us, and should be
dispensed with III the Interests of harmony
and success" Carlisle downed his opponent IN
the fight for the SpeakeTship, but the defeated
Pennsylvania built himself mp on the floor of
the House quite as rapidly as his rival did in
the Speakers chair and it is believed that he
success in controlling appointments by the new
Administration Now another trial of strength
is at hand. Carlisle is a candidate for re-elec-
fion as Speaker. and doing al that he can to
secure the gavei for two years more. Randall
IS opposing him strenuously, but IL is said he
will not be a candidate himself, but beat the
Kentuckian with a man from Ohio, Indiana, or
Illinois whom be is preparing for the nomina-
ton.
CAPITAL SHARKS.
new terror to the Office seeker and holder
has arisen or rather an old one has taken upon
himself increased activity. The office-broker
and the man who has Influence" now rage
through all the hotels and the Departments
man named Mitchell who claimed to be Presi
dent of the ST. Louis Cotton Exchange and to
stand in with almost everybody of Importance
in the Admnist ration, made descent on the
Agricultural Department last week with offers
of making the employees there secure IN their
situations if they would pay handsome re-
tainer to him. He managed 10 get considerable
money from the trembling clerks before his
operations were detected, and he found it con-
yenient TO retire from the scene with precipita-
ton. In all the other Departments similar in
stances have occurred, though Ione so fragrant
as this. The hotels abound with men who are on
the lookout for oliice-seekers from abroad, and
have their faculties SO sharpened that they can
tell one of these expectant ones clear across the
street and size up pretty clearly about how
much he is willing to pay to secure the place.
OF course, not one of them thai approaches the
stranger with offers of helping him has the
slightest earthly influence in the way pre-
tended, but this does not prevent the anxious
aspirants from bleeding greanbacks pretty
freely to these leeches. One would-be Post
master from Missouri gave 500 last week to a
man who has about as much influence with
the Postmaster-Gencral as he has with the
Khan of Tar.ary. 1t is no more use TO warn
people against these sharPers than II is To warn
them against bUuko steerers. The man who is
fool enough TO be steered into bupko game or
TO pay money TO All office broker has his folly
too deeply ingrained into him 10 be affected by
newspaper counsel.
GovERNoRsHIP OF THE SOLDIERS HOME.
A change which will be of decided interest to
all old soldiers was made last week III the super
session Of Gen. :. u. Sturgis az Governor of the
Soldiers Home by Gen. Henry J. Hunt Gen.
Sturgis who is Colonel of the 9TH Cav, had an
experience in the West which makes his men,
DRY by no means a pleasant one to the men, and
the relatives OF the men, whom he led TO the
terrible disaster at GuntOwn. On the other \
hand, Gen. Hunt has one OF the most brilliant
regulations of any officer in the army. At the
outbreak of the war he was Captain Of q Regular
battery. which distinguished itself at the battle
of Bull Ram and he was promoted until he be-
came the Chief OF Artillery for the whole Army
of the Potomac. and ia all the great battles of
that army he handled that important arm with
wonderful Yis0r and success. The appointment
of Gen. Hunt was another element Of fitness, in
that he is retired officer, which seems the
proper thing for commandment OF Il Soldiers
Home TO be. Gen. Siurgis viii have to give UP
his very pleasant berth, which he has held for
several years, and return 10 bis regiment on
the Western frontier.
Capt. RObt. Catlin, also on the Retired List,
is appointed Deputy Governor, vice Capt w.
Lyman, of the 9th Inf Capt. Catlin was in the
45th Inf. during the war, and lost a leg during
the operations on the Weldon Railroad
A GALLANT SOLDIER.
Gen A. V. Rice has been in the City the past
week. He was a recent graduate from college
at the time Fort Sumter Was fred on, and i'm
mediately enlisted as private IL the 2lst Ohio,
IN which he was made Lieutenant. At the re-
turn of that regiment from three months serv-
ice he raised a company for the 57th Ohio, and
became that regiments Major. On the bloody
field of Shiloh he was the only field officer who
remained in his place, and he there laid the
foundation for a splendid fighting reputation,
which he and his regiment always maintained.
From that time forward his history was identi-
fed with that of the Army of the Tennessee,
and he participated In every battle that it
fought. He was severely wounded at Vicks-
burg, again at Rcsaca, and lost a leg at Kenesaw.
The General has been prominent in Ohio poll
ties since the close of the war, and was sent to
Congress several times by his ncighbors and
friends. While there he did a great service for
soldiers of the country in securing the passage
of the Arrears of Pension Bill. He is one OF
the foremost men of his party in the State
There was a strong pressure to have him ap-
pointed Commissioner of Pensions, but he did
not feel at the time as if lie was in a position
to accept IL.
NO PRECEDENCE.
IL is first come first served with President
Cleveland, and he adheres 10 the rule rigidy
in his reception of public officers. Heretofore
it has been customary to give Senators a hear
ing in advance of the Representatives, and
these again in advance Of those vino rank lower
than they ia their official scale, but Mr.. Cleve-
land now instructs his messengers to arrange
the cards received in the order of their recep-
ton, and every man takes his turn much 10 the
delight Of the men who are down the scale
some distance and to the disgust of those who
arc at the head of il.
THE GETTYSBURG EXCURSION.
J. Z. N, Louisville Pa. is informed that lie
is in error in regard to the excursion TO Gettys-
burg being confined to shoulder strapped
gentry" IL he will look over the roster of the
committees he will find that each has on it the
names of several private soldiers. The excur-
sion is intended to be as comprehensive in its
character as the one which Gen. Meade con-
Quoted to Gettysburg % years ago.
THE RUSSIAN MISSION.
Gen. Lawton, the recently-appointed Minis
ter to Russia, has now positively declined the
l.. H. 4