The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-08-04
A Few of the Sufferers by Mr. Vilas's Char
acter Assassination Bureau Set Right
Before Their Fellow Men.
Our Mexican Relations Considered by the
House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Some Of the Changes Made in the River and
Harbor Bill-General Lees Memoirs
to Appear-Capital Notes.
Why the President Preferred Mr.. jerks to
MIR. Montgomery.

Mr.. Montgomery.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 3.-The nomination Of
George A jerks, of Pennsylvania. to be Solici-
tor General. vice Goode, rejected, was one of the
greatest political surprises of the past three
months. No one supposed for a moment that
the President would select man for this Office
who had just resigned from another on the
ground that private business was too pressing for
him to attend to public affairs Yet the nomi-
nation Of Mr.. jerks is one of the best that could
have possibly been made. He is a clean, bright,
able and upright lawyer. man familiar with
the practice in the courts of the United States,
and one who will undoubtedly prove able to take
excellent care of the interests of the govern
ment when called upon to do so. There is one
man who was mentioned for this place, and who
would undoubtedly have got 1t, but for a pc
culiar trait In Mr.. Cleveland's character This
man is Martin v. Montgomery. at present
Commissioner of Patents. He was spoken of
for the place. and your correspondent is reliably
informed that the President would have been
only too happy to have appointed him if he was
not now in the service of the government When
Judge Baxter died. some time ago. Montgomery
was mentioned for the place, and the President
remarked that it was easier TO get good judge
than good Commissioner of Patents. and that
as he aid not desire to 60 cunning for new
head of the Patent Office, he would have to de-
cline to appoint Mr.. Montgomery because of his
objection to removing good man from posi-
tion in which he has been tried to a higher grade
in the public service and being compelled to find
a successor for the place made vacant by such
t. A.
not believe in promoting assistants about
him. It is certain that Mr.. jerks
would never have been made Solicitor
General If he had not resigned his Office as As
sistant Secretary of the Interior There is no
man in the service Of the government to-day for
whom the President has a higher regard than
be has for Commissioner Montgomery Al
though he knows that Montgomery's training
has been legal one altogether, and that judi
cial position would fit him very much better
than that which he now occupies, still it is prac-
tically settled shat Martin V. Montgomery will
not be chosen TO any higher position unless he
adopts the tactics of Assistant Secretary jerks
and resigns the place which he now holds first.
Why Southern Msn Was Not Appointed.
Special to the indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON. Aug 3.-It is stated upon
very good authority that the appointment of
George A. Jenks as Solicitor of the Treasury,
was brought about by combination of North
ern men who were looking for the place. Vir-
ginia considered herself entitled to it, and Vir-
ginia politicians believed that ]. Randolph
Tucker, the present member of the House from
the Second district. would certainly be appoint
ID ~. ~
York, who was also an applicant for the place,
and other gentlemen from the Northern States
who wanted it, represented to the President that
the whole federal machinery controlling the cleo
tions is now in the hands of ex-confederates,
and that to appoint another man from among
the followers of the lost cause to position in
which he would, in a measure, have something
to do with the appointments of deputy marshas
for duty at the polls throughout the country
would be an exceedingly unwise politi-
cal move on the part Of the Presi.
dent. and which would undoubtedly lead
to effective newspaper work in the North. For
this reason Mr.. Cleveland was urged to appoint
some man who had never been tainted with Sc
cession, and who while stanch Democrat,
could never be charged with completely in cleo
tion frauds The argument seemed to be atell-
ing one, and the President recognized its potency
and appointed Mr.. Jenks whom the Senate ac-
corded the almost unprecedented honor of con-
frmation without reference This confirmation,
by the way was a matter of universal satisfac
tion among Mr.. Jenkss friends. 1t is customary
when the executive appoints an ex-senator to
Office to confirm him without the formality of re-
ferring the nomination to a committee, but it is
very seldom that the same honor is accorded to
any man who has not served In the United States
Senate A notable exception to this rule in
the case of General Grant, who was appointed a
general on the retired list by President Arthur
on the last day of the last session of the Forty
eighth Congress, and who was at once con-
firmed, not only without the formal reference
but without the customary secrecy of an nexecu-
tive session.