The Washington critic., 1886-02-11

universally designate Brigadier.Gen'
erals Howard and Terry for the vacan.
cies, with possible chances for Generals
Crook and Miles. In this connection
it may be safe to suggest that the YER
dict of the court of inquiry on lloward's
case decade ago, regarding his al
legged maladministration of the affairs
of the Freedmen Bureau, was much
in the nature of "Scotch verdict
not proven. The wise ones Of the
Army say that Terry of the old Tenth
Army Corps" as Miles O'Reilly sang,
will be the first promoted and that
Crook or Miles will succeed Pope
TIE death of Hon. John G.. Thomp.
son, which occurred at Seattle, Wash.
Ter, yesterday, will be generally re-
GREETED in this city, where he had many
friends He was man of excellent
qualities, both Of head and heart, but
in politics and otherwise of late years
had seen pretty hard lines. His ap-
pointment to special land agency in
the West was not considered an ade.
quate recognition of his merits, but it
was believed that 1t would put him in
q fair way to retrieve his fortunes in a
new field and under skies more auspi.
cious than those of Ohio. Had he lived
such would doubtless have been the
case. AS IT is he leaves memory
which hosts of friends will hold in
tender respect.
Now the shipping interest is taking
turn at General Hazen. The Signal
Bureau orders the hosting of danger
signals at points from which vessels
put to sea, which constitute warning
that there is danger in so doing; but 1t
frequently turns out that the signals
are kept flying when there is no danger
at all, and money and time are lost by
the consequent delays. The represen-
tatives of the shipping interest are in
correspondence with the Chief Signal
Officer on this subject with the view of
having some better system. They
should not, however, be too severe
upon that officer. He is 50 frequently
in great difficulty that it is almost q
second nature with him to hoist danger
signals.
A BUREAU of mines and mining, as
recommended by the bill which Rep
resentatiee Clardy of Missouri proposes
to introduce, would doubtless prove of
much practical utility. The magnitude
of our mineral products and the near
relations sustained by the Government
to two Of them at least, suggest without
argument the need of such a bureau.
IT will strike the country at large
that the time spent by the Senate in its
efforts TO trip up the President on the
Civil Service Law is time wasted 1t
is politics in its most partisan shape
out of which only the politicians ex-
pect to profit. How long shall the in
terests of the people be kept in the
background?
| TIE Senate Committee on Finance
being indisposed to confirm the nomi-
nation of Collector Pillsbury of Bos-
ton, Mr. Pillsbury very naturally de-
sires to know the reasons therefor. The
committee, to be consistent with itself,
can hardly refuse to accommodate him.
|
If the President concludes that il is
not compatible with sound public
policy in all cases to comply with the
requests of the Senate relative to his APP
pointments and removals, then what?
Who is to be the judge of his duty
himself or the Senate?
THE debate in the Senate yesterday
on the silver question developed
nothing new in the pending contro.
versy respecting Presidential appoint
ments.
THE TARIFF reformers in Congress
appear to be in no great hurry with
their plans for revision. In fact, nc
great disposition to hurry is visible
anywhere about the Capitol. Even the
Appropriation Committee that We
were to hear from in such good season
is slower getting round than usual
What's the matter with the new rules,