The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-05-17
Washington Letter.

WASHINGTON, May 1lth, 1888.
Secretary Bayard has endeared him.
self to every patriotic American citizen
by his manly and courageous instruc.
tions to Mr.. McLane, our minister to
France, in the cases of several natural.
lied American citizens who have been
and compelled to do military
duty in France. When their reiea, e
was demanded by our Minister, the
French Minister replied in each case
that the question of allegiance was one
over which the administration had no
Jurisdiction and must be settled by the
courts. 1t was fully set forth that
under French principles citizenship
is conferred by parentage ami not by
the place of birth, and that expatria.
ton of the French citizens requires the
consent of the French Government
Upon these points Mr.. Bayard has
instructed Minister McLane to
inform the French Government
that the Government of the
United States holds that the certificate
of naturaliZ irion granted by it to a
French citizen is not open to impeach
ment by the French Governme MT,
either in its executive or its judicial
branch. In plain English we propose
to see that American citizens are al
lowed to travel unmolested wherever
they may desire to go. But to return
to Mr.. Bayard's Instructions. He says
in conclusion: You will further say
that if subjected to forced military ser
vice of the citizens whose cases you
report is based upon an assumption
that they are not citizens of the United
States, this Department asks for their
immediate release and for q proper
compensation for the losses which
they have received from such deten
ton. 1t cannot be admitted that
American citizens, not charged with
any crime, should be detained under
arrest for eveh - single day after their
proofs of citizenship have been pre-
sented. In cases like this, the United
States can never admit the propriety
of submitting to the ordinary delays
of judicial action" That's the kind
of talk to make the United States flag
respected the world over.
Senators Edmunds and Evarts, the
two leading Republican members OF
the Senate Judiciary Committee, to
which the nomination of Mr.. Fuller
for Chief Justice has been referred, are
charged with having conspired togeth.
er for the purpose of delaying report
upon the nomination until after the
presidential election, and should Re
publican by accident be elected, to de
ay it until after his inauguratit n that
he may nominate Republican for
Chief Justice. l don't believe this
charge, not that the Senators named
would object to carrying out such a
plan were it feasible, but because they
are entirely too shrewd to undertake
anything which they know it is i'm
possible to accomplish, and this would
certainly be impossible. If were dis.
posed to wager on this subject, should
have no hesitation whatever in laying
odds that Mr.. Fuller would be con.
firmed inside of three weeks, and un.
less something more serious than any
thing yet brought against him should
be unearthed. his confirmation ia like
to be unanimous.
Another good republican office hold
er has gone wrong. His accounts are
short something like $l0,O0O. His
name is Gen. JAS. w. Ewing, and he
was appointment and disbursing clerk
of the Department of Justice. He was
appointed as a republican some six ol
eight years ago, from West Virginia
1t is said that the defalcations began
in 1882 and have continued right along
until they amount to the above sum
The government will lose nothing a:
he was under bond. He has been dis
missed and Frank o. Branigan, o.
Steubenville, o., good Democrat, ap
pointed in his place. Had this beer
done in the early days of the admins
tration Ewing's bOndsmen would moi
have had so much to pay.
The Senate has passed the bill for.
feiting all unearned railroad land
grants.
The House Committee on appropria
tions has reported a bill appronriatine
So, 500 900 to meet deficiencies In the
appropriation for the payment ofArmy
Pensions during the remainder of the
present fiscal year.
Senator voorhees,, who was confined
to his room with a carbuncle on his
leg for nearly week after his recent
speech, on Tuesday apologized to the
Senate for the language he used in re.
plying to Ingalls, charges.
The river and harbor bill has been
passed by the House by a more than
two thirds majority. 1t apprepriatea
500, 900, 900.
The caucus of the democratic mem.
bers of the House held on Wednesday
evening did not discuss the proposed
amendments to the Mills tariff bill, as
1t Was generally supposed 1t would,