The National tribune., 1885-12-10
IN MOURNING FOR Mr.. HENDRICKS.

| a profound sensation in Washington. 1t was
| so wholly unexpected that it was at first re-
ceived with universal doubt of its authenticity.
Numerous private kilograms however, soon
confirmed the tidings. Expressions of grief and
| regret were heard on every hand, not only from
members Of his own party, but from Republic
cans as well, for outside of politics, Mr. Hen
| bricks had many personal friends among the
| latter.
The news was severe shock to the President.
| Mr.. Hendricks and Mr.. Cleveland had never
met until their names were coupled on the
national ticket last year. Pleasant aud cor
dial personal relations were Immediately eS-
| tablished between them, and continued up to
the present time. Each had sincere esteem
| and respect for the other, although they had
| honest differences of opinion on some questions,
notably that OF civil service reform. Mr..
Cleveland has shown too much political hexi-
biity to suit the rock ribbed partisanship of
| Mr.. Hendricks. The latter was a Democrat
| of the old school, who clung to the faith of the
| fathers of the party. He made no secret OF his
disagreement with the President in the matter
of turning the Republicans out and appointing
| Democrats in their places
The public buildings have been draped in
mourning, in accordance with the usual custom,
| aud flags everywhere are at half mast. Sew
eral members of the Cabinet, well as many
other prominent men at the Capital, attended
the funeral at indianapolis. Special trains
were run from Washington for the convenience
of those who wished to be present. Few men
were better known in Washington than Mr..
Hendricks. He has been prominent in politics
and in public life for more than 80 years aud
much of that time his official station has been
here. His private life was blameless, and his
| kindliness of heart had endeared to him large
circle of personal friends.
Four Presidents and four Vice-Presidents
have died while in Office The former were
| William Henry Harrison, April a, lS41 Zach
airy Taylor, July 9, 1850; Abraham Lincoln,
April Is, 1865; James A. Garfield, Sept. 10,
1851. The Presidents were: Elbridge
Gerry, Nov. %, 1914; William r. King, April
1S, 1858; Henry Wilson, Nov. p, 1875; Thomas
A. Hendricks, Nov. %, 1885
| DEPARTMENT nF AGRICULTURE.
Hon. N. J.Co er of Agri-
President. He says that the year, which opened
in gloom over the threatened destruction Of the
| Winter crops by frost, closes with bright pros
poets of abundance for man and beast, produced,
too, at cost which is not a burden to the pro-
ducer, and to be sold st price which is not a
| barrier to the poor consumer
He reviews the work of the various bureaus
| showing the results attained by each and the
| future operations mapped out. A change in the
method of distributing seeds is suggested, by
which they shall only be sent to such cul-
tivators as comply with a few simple aud easy
requirements thus insuring the greatest good
| to the largest number.
| "In conclusion" he says "I beg to represent
that the Department of Agriculture, growing
| iD importance and usefulness as our agricultural
population increases and its wants and neces-
sites multiply, should obviously be progress
sive institution in order to keep pace with the
| increasing demands made upon it. 1t is for the
| legislative branch to determine how far the
importance shall be recognized, and with what
powers it shall be clothed to enable it to par
TALLY meet the obligation which country al
ways owes to its agriculture"
THEY WANT HIS HEAD.
The members of the Jefferson Democratic
Association Of Washington have taken fresh
courage since the November elections, and have
| put their shoulders to the wheel, under the i'm
preston that the President will set the political
| guillotine in motion. They have filed formal
charges against E. 0. Graves, Chief of the
Bureau of Engraving and Printing. The
charges are To the effect that he has been guilty
of offensive partisanship, favoritism and gen.
eral iniguity. Mr.. Graves will probably be
surprised to find what very bad man he is.
He is one of those offensive partisan Republi-
| cans known as the reviled and deSpised Mug
wumps, who voted for Cleveland and who re-
| fuses to be governed by political considerations
| in the administration of the affairs of his bu-
reau. sir. Graves is conceded one of the best
bureau officers of the Treasury. The Bureau
of Engraving and Printing, however, employs
| large number OF persons It is outside of the
| civil service rules and is a tempting prize for
the politicians.
A NEW MARSHAL.
| Last week President Cleveland appointed
A. A. Wilson, of Washington, Marshal of the
| District of Columbia in place of Col. Clay
| ton McMichael, who was appointed by President
Arthur. Col McMichael rendered his resigna-
tion soon after Mr.. Cleveland's Inauguration,
but has remained in Office at the latters request.
| He has discharged his official duties in pre-
emnently satisfactory manner, and retres
| with the esteem of all who have had relations
| with him. Mr. Wilson was born in Washing
! ton in 1910, and has been for many years con-
nected with various local business enterprises.
| He is Democrat in politics. The appointment
/ is universally commended.
RULE THAT HAS EXCEPTIONS.
| 81 don't understand" said Western Demo-
cratic Senator the other day, " what the Admin
lstration means by removing Gen. HuidekOper
| from the Philadelphia Post-ofiice. l expect
| there will be a bitter fight made against the
| confirmation of his successor. What l mean
| when i say that l don't understand it, is that
it is not in accordance with my experience of
the policy of the Post Office Department. A
| Representative from my State had recommend
| ed the removal of a Postmaster in his district
This mans friends appealed to me and / repre-
sented the case to Mr.. Villas. The Postmaster
| had been Color-Sergeant in the Union army
and had his leg shot off while at tho head of his
| troop. Besides his small salary as Postmaster
| he had only his pension TO keep his wife and
| three children with. Upon my representing
this condition of things TO Mr.. Villas, he at once
ordered his retention, saying that there were no
such places for Democrats"
| GEN. sCHoFIELD WANTS MORE SOLDIERS.
Ma. j.-Gen. Schofeld, commanding the Division
! OF the Missouri, says in his annual report that
his forces, in round numbers, consist of $500
infantry, $500 cavalry. and $50 artillery, aggre-
eating $4,000 They occupy So different sta
tions, giving an average of 231 men at each.
He has the following to say about the means
necessary to prevent great destruction of life
| and property by savage Indians: "The Indians
are well mounted, having several ponies to each
man, well armed, and abundantly supplied with
| ammunition. Being trained from early child
hood, they are excellent horsemen and expert
marEsmcn, equal in these respects to the best
Regular troops in the world 1t is manfestly
impossible to permanently overawe and hold in
| suhjection such bodies of savages by the show
of any force far inferior TO them in numbers"
THE BATTLE OF FORT STEVENS.
Maj. J. II. Stine historian of the First Corps,
accompanied by several other officers, last
| week inspected the battlefield of Fort Stevens,
just north Of the city. which point was reached
by the Confederate advance in 1864 when Gen.
Early bivouacked his army almost in the sub
urbs of Washington. 1t is proposed there shall
| be Reunion next Summer of all the soldiers