The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1888-02-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.

from our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 80, 1888.
A ripple of amusement has been caus-
ed here by the publication of letter
written by Senator Ingalls, three weeks
after Cleveland's Inauguration, in which
he pays Cleveland some compliments.
About that time there were great many
Republicans who would have written
similar letters, so completely were they
humbugged by Cleveland's professions
of civil service reform, but now that his
character is more fully known and I'M
derstood, he stands in the eyes Of OBJ
servant people as the representative of
the spoils system, and his administration
will stand IN history as having removed
more officials on account of their politi-
cal opinions than any other one in the
movals have been steadily going on
while this arrant political fraud was re-
peating mo man shall be removed on
account of his political opinions" and
other such catch phrases. The publica-
ton of this old Ingalls, letter was doubt
less intended to help Cleveland, but it
Is more likely to prove a boomerang
For the first time, Cleveland was seen
on foot on the streets of this city, Satur-
day, when accompanied by Secretary
FairchiId he walked to West Washing
ton and returned. A short distance be-
hind them walked two detectives, to see
that nobody should hurt the dear inno-
cent little things. Bah! It's enough to
make one sick to even think of, particu-
larly when it is remembered that when
Gen. Grant was President, he made a
regular practice of walking about the
city alone; and it would been a very
reckless man who would have dared to
suggest to the brave old warrior that he
should be followed by detectives to pro-
tect him from his fellow citizens. But
it's long ways from Grant to Cleveland
one was the real man of the people; the
other is bogus representative of the
people, who tries to palm himself off on
the masses as a great reformer.
That Republics are ungrateful" was
never more strIkinglv shown than in the
case ofthe survivors of Lieut.. Greeley's
expedition to Lady Franklin Bay, who
have not to this day received from the
Government their regular allowance for
fuel and quarters. If they had been on
some easy duty at home, they would
doubtless have long ago received their al
lowances; but their absence in the Arc
tic seas and the form of the order de-
failing them, made an act of Congress
necessary to authorize their payment.
A bill was reported to the Senate in the
last Congress, and easily passed, but 1t
was defeated in the House, through the
efforts of General Bragg NOW minister
to Mexico) solely because it was report
ed from the committee on claims instead
of from the military committee. A bill
has already been introduced in the SEN
ate this session to give Brainard and his
brave comrades their pay, which
amounts to about 500 for each of them.
Senator Henderson made the report on
this bill, in which he said: "The APP
peal of these men is not only just, with
precedent in support of it, but the hero
ism exhibited and the hardships endur-
ed by the petitioners should have stimu-
lated earlier action as an evidence of a
desire on the part of the representatives
OF the American people to reward those
who were willing to sacrifice their lives
and their health in the cause of science.
Justice has been tardy. Fourteen of the
nineteen persons named in this bill are
dead, and at the rate of progress which
their prayer for relief has, all may be
deceased before action is taken" Think
of a report like that being made in the
Senate. And vet it may be years before
the heirs of these brave men get their
money.
Hon. S. V. White, of New York, has
introduced bill that will strike many
people favorably, IN view of the rapid
rate at which our forests are being de-
stroyed. His bill proposes to separate
the forest lands from the other public
lands of the United States, TO withdraw
them from the control of the General
Land Office, and to put them under the
special care of the Commissioner of For
ests and four assistant commissioners,
with the view of having the forest lands
cultivated and nrpseryad