The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1886-10-29
Our Washington Letter
From Our Regular Correspondent.
Washington, Oct. 25, 1886.

washington, Oct. 20, 1856.
There is little or Dthing ahoat inst now,
connected with the President and his Cab
met Everything is quiet in the social
world too. Mrs. Cleveland is living quiet
ly at home gaining strength to perform the ,
arduouS duties of her position during the
coming winter. The 4th OF December is E,
the date set for her first receptionDf the ,
season. The wives of all the Secretaries
have all returned from their summer tours
and are now absorbed in the all-important
questions of house cleaning, furnishing and ,
repairing, modstes millinary ana other
preparations for the gay whir! which will
begin few weeks hence.
Several weeks ago at the request of lead
ing Democrats Of East Tennessee Mai r
Wagner was appointed U, S. Pension agent
at Knoxville to succeed Robert Taylor the
Democratic nominee for governor. The
new appointee has served with honor as
ajor Of the 18th. Tenn. cavalry of the
Union army. Immediately after his APP
pointment certain Democrats came here
and urged the Secretary of the Interior TO-
recommend to the President the reconsiC--
Grafton and revocation OF the app ointment.
Their complaint was that when Mr.. Wag-
her was member of the legislature in 1865
he voted to dlsfranchise ex-confedera:es,
and also voted for resolution Offering
reward for the apprehension Of ex- governor
(now U. S. Senator) Harris. Of Tennessee.
In resp pnse to the demand of these per-
sons, Secretary Lamar said he declined to ,
propose Il revocation Of the Majors COM
mission because he had been appointed up
on the recommendation of the leading and
best citizens of Tenn. of all parties, who
represented him as man fully qualified by
integrity, intellect and character for the
duties of the position, ard as man en-
deared to the people by his consistent support
during the past twenty years, of their high
est and best interests. The fact brought
out against him since his commission was
issued that he had given an unjust and un-
wise vote when he was a young man, and
just after the war, when the passions of
both sides were reused to their highest
pitch, (Mr. Lamar insisted) should not
now be used to ostracise him from public
trust among people to whose rights and
interests he had ever since been true and
loyal. "We have been contending,' wrote
the Secretary, "that the issues of the war
and the passions growing out of it should
not be kept alive, and do not know of any
instance in which precept can better be en-
forced by example than this. Both sides
in Tenn. showed the courage to fight. 1
am confident they have also that higher
gu lit n g animity to mutually forgive"
There is something strange Iii the myster-
ious hold that Secretary Lamar has on the
hearts OF the old soldiers in this city.
They declare that-althongh an ex-confed-
crate, and a prominent one at that, t,-heshas
appointed more Union soldiers to office
than any preceding head of the Interior
Department has in twelve years past, and
larger number than all the other Cabinet
officers OF the pending administration COM
bined.
Although the Congressional elections are
only about ten days distant, but little is
known here as to the probable result. The
Democrats think they will hold the House.
Owing to the Civil Service law. the cam.
paign committees headquarters here re-
ceived almost daily reports from the closely
contested districts and it was the custom
for hard pressed candidates to rash to
Washington for money to help them out.
This year neither committee mad any mon
ey to distribute and as result they have
almost been ignored. 1t has been pretty
we'll demonstrated that unless national
committees can furnish money, the Con-
gressonal candidates take very little ac-
count of them