New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-06


To RfsiGN-HER RfPLY
,,v TEL noRAru TO THE TRBusRJ
cu,c.co. Aprll 5-The public generally hearu
.ritb nndisguised astonishment that the au-
tborities at Washington had demanded .he Ie'iH
nation of Miss Ada G. Sweet as pension aeeh, nei'
She had retained her position through various "u
ministrations and though numerous enor's "eio
made to secure her place, public sentiment was 81
strong in her favor that place hunters were III
yarably bafled. Yesterday she receiVeu 'no ioi-
lowing telegram: a
to this office Your resignation to take take
effect ON June 80: You Wi VIII
readily appreciate the fact which gnaf ssae or TO-
yonr management of your Office which induces this
request. am, very respectfully yours, ss;oner
The last request was promptly complied with' out
the reoly was not such might have been expect
cd hv the Bourbons Miss Sweet stated that she
could not resign in justice to herself and' siicc
was con ceded that the request Tor resignation was
croundless she decliued to resign. At tne SAM
time she sent dispatch to the PRESIDENT VI "ii0n
the following is copy: -
The commissioner of Pensions telegraphs me to-
day asking me to send HIM my resignation Las as
United States Pension Agent, to take euect June nc
30 1850 AT the sae Lssf 1s oy to fe mv management
of nv Office, induces the request. My commission
from the President runs fGr nr 9pr M ssS have
Ssiesr'''0 pSfaeS with an eye single e,o to the S9
interests confded to my charge CONSCIOUS GU rso Sl
son why should take action that might seem 70 pe
voluntary. when in reality it would be taken nnder
protest Very respectfully, your oeedieHv serr"''
United States Pension Agent
reporter called on Miss Sweet at her home.
She declined to exhibit her reply to General BLACK
q hat haG
as she considered that official She SAID tnat III mas
been customary to transact certain business py
telegram, and although that was not
the regular way of transacting business of this
kind. she did not doubt that the telegram was
from the Commissioner. Her object in sending
dispatch to the President sh G said, was to place
tine responsibility for the change where 1t properly
belonged. She said that she doubted whether the
President knew that the telegram had been sent,
Int she did not anticipate that her telegram would
prevent change
al have kept perfectly cool all along" she said'
.'beeying the change would come. whenever
nv friends have asked me about the matter l
have told them that had made up my mind that
it would take place in short time. nave not
allowed the subject to worry me, ana
decided from first not to resign, but to put them 10
the necessity of rem owing me and of putting them
selves on record at the same time. have done my
duty and | know it, That being the case, resgna-
ton would not look well. When person
RESIGNS it looks as if there something IN tner
record that he she was AFRAID OF, and tnat they
had stepped down and out to avoid lnvestlgailon;
j do not fear investigation. Then, why shoula
resign ~ ~
Miss Sweet said further that June 80 was the end
of the fiscal year and was as long
as She could remain if her removal had been de-
cided upon by the Administration. She SAID that
she expected TO hear by Monday that her successor
had been appointed. If they meant 10 oust her they
would proceed SIMPLY to appoint successor ne nc
Telegram was periunetory sort OF courtesy To
her she SAID as her resignation was OF little I'm
portance to the Administration If the chahge was
desired Her only object, therefore, In refusing 10
resign was TO place the Administrator III lts true
lgat before the country. MISS sweet
is the daughter of General B. y. Sweet,
who was her predecessor. Dut
who afterward became Deputy Pension CommlS
ejoner HIS death occurred III Washington wnlle
holding the latter position. Miss Sweet was hrst
appointed by President Grant on April 10, 1874,
The first women appointed to a position OF Tespon-
sjbiuty in the Government service, and she says
that she fears that tine circumstances OF her case
indicate that all these employees must CO. Sne mas
about thirty female clerks ID her own once
all her own 3ppointees. There IS some DOUBT
as 10 who will succeed to the position. but MIS-
Mulligan who lives III Chicago, IS believed
10 have been chosen. Miss Sweet has herself no
idea as to who it will be, except from hearsay;
She saws that she has heard the names of General
Jieb Miss Belle Lanigan and even that of Joe
Mackln (befsre the electlOn,l mentioned lor ",
but she thinks either General Lieb or Mrs. Multi
q year and the cashier gets 5000.