The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-04-11
THE NEW CABINET MINISTER.
The Obtrusive Stranger Who Always Appear
I'm Company with Mr. Garland.

The Obtrusive Stranger Who Always Appears
I'm Company with MIR. Garland.
New York Sun.
Ali of the chairs at the big table were filed
except one. The constitutional advisers OF the
President sat in their accustomed places waiting
suited his watch. s'This is rather odd said he.
He is always punctuaL. Something must be
the matter"
Something was the matter. The Attorney
general, looking nervous and ~furried, came in
twenty minutes late. accompanied by q stranger
who proceeded to make himself at home.
The stranger flung his shabby hat of soft felt
into the corner Of the room, nodded easily to the
gentlemen present, and drew up TO the council
board the most comfortable chair which he found
unoccupied. He placed himself between the At
torney general and the Secretary of the Interior,
8 little back from the table, with his feet upon
the rung Of Mr.. Garlands chair, and his hand
resting lightly upon the arm OF the same piece of
of a pile of official papers, which he scrutiniZed
one by one, tossing the to the table
again across the Attorney-generaIs shoulder.
In countenance he was a most ill-favored in
~dfvidual; In manner most unprepossessing.
Everybody watched his actions with astonish.
ment, except the President, who was 80 intently
engaged in perusing the report of some local
board Of civilservice examiners that he did not
appear to notice the intruder's presence.
Gentlemen" said the new conner, "its get
ting late. Suppose we proceed to business-eh,
Then Mr.. Garland stood up and spoke.
Il am aware" he said, 'that this may seem to
you to require an explanation. | can't escape
him. He insists on going wherever l go. / saw
him first at Hominy Hill last summer where he
forced his company on me at a time when ! par
ticulariy desired seclusion. He came to Wash
ington by the same train. He turns up every
where. What can I dot When l threaten to
hand him over to the police, he merely laughs
in my face. He takes a seat at my dinner table.
He pushes his way into my bed room. and sits
on the edge of the bed until I go to sleep. He
follows me into houses where / am a guest. L
hoped to keep him ont OF here, at least, and /
have used every possible expedient to evade him
on Cabinet days.. you see how useless it has
been. What can be done? / would willingly
give every cent l am worth to be rid of him
without publicity and scandal. Now, at last. he
has thrust himself among YOU"
The President, still absorbed in the details Of
reform by competitive examination, did not look
up. The stranger arose and saidi
II have given tine subject referred to by the
Attorney general much attention. There Is
nothing in his statement to disqualify or inca
pacitate me from acting as q member of this
Cabinet. have closely examined the authori-
ties, and am clearly Of the opinion that my pres
ence here in nowise infringes."
Then tho Secretary Of the Navy, who has the
habit of going directly to the heart of a case,
turned his eye glasses upon the intruder and
aSkeu, VINO the deuce are you, any WayF
The stranger smiled and nudged the Attorney
general.
''You don't know me, MIR. Whitney, and Mr..
Bayard doesn't Garland does. My name is
Dishonor. / propose to stay in this administrar
ton as long as Garland remains"
Here che President spoke. II wish to call your
attention, gentlemen. to what seems to me to be
a very grave defect in the present rules regulat-
ing the priority Of applicants for examination for
letter carriegships in towns Of less thar 5000
population. The matter is serious; and until the
Cabines has devised some remedy. / can
not help feeling that the whole policy
Of the administration with regard to
civil-services reform will be open to the miscon-
s~truction on the part Of the thoughtless, if net
to misrepresentation by the mallciously disposed.
Let us endeavor, by a careful revision of the
rules governing the appointment of letter-car-
riers in the smaller cities to do away with even
the appearance of Inconsistency, so that there
may be no ground on which the enemies Of good
government@
And so on.
The meeting broke up. 1t was observed that
when the Encouragement and the new member
of Cleveland's Cabinet departed, Garland went
first and Dishonor Immediately a~fterward. Dis
honor stayed in the room until Garland had
stepped out.