Omaha daily bee., 1889-02-19
BARNES BLOCKS THE WAY,
He Opposes the Immediate Admis-
sion of South Dakota.
FORT oMAHA's PROPOSED SITE
The Secretary OF War Disapproves of
the Clark Tract and RcCom-
mends a Site Farther
From the City.
WASHINGTON BUREAU tbs OMAN, BEE,
5l3 FOURTEENTH STREET,

| Inc Dakota men VINO are IN washington
are very much put out tonight over the ac.
! tion of the house conterees to- day. 1t seemed
| this morning as though there was only lit
| tie formal work to do before the territorial
| bill would be agreed to, but owing to the uu-
warranted position assumed by MIR Barnes,
| of Georgia, one of the house conferees, things
begin to look rather bad for South Dakota,
| after all. Barnes is determined that he will
not agree to any proposition looking to the
| immediate admission of South Dakota not.
withstanding the positive instructions of the
house to the conferees. Mr.. Barnes
happened to be absent st the
time when the resolution of instruction was
adopted, and he makes this a reason for as
serting that he is not bound by that action
Springer processes to be willing to acquiesce
in the wishes of the house, which voted for
the division and immediate admission of
South Dakota, by majority of forty nine.
| But it is feared by the Dakota men that he will
be influenced by Barnes, and that it will be
| impossible to agree on q report. No final
| action has vet been taken The confcrecs
viii meet again tomorrow and Mr.. Baker,
the republican member on the part of the
| house, expresses the opinion that an agree
| ment will be reached and that May 10 VIII be
fixed as the day for holding the election for
state officers in the territory and for the rati
| hcaton of the Sioux Falls constitution.
| CONCERNING FORT OMAIIA'S NEW SITE.
The president pro TEN before the senate
to-day read letter from the secretary of
war under date of February 10, which read
| as follows ''In reply to the resolution of
| the senate dated the Sth inst, calling for all
the correspondence and reports pertaining
| to the relocation of Fort Omaha, Neb., and
for an expression of my opinion in regard to
the matter, have the honor to state that
the act of congress approved July 23 1883,
authorizes the purchase of not more than $40
acres of land situated within ten miles of the
city limits, at price not to
exceed SG6,666 Generals Schofeld, Crooks
and Brooke, recommend the purchase
of 1900 acress of land north of Omaha, por-
tion of which will cost 1928 per acre, and the
total cost for the 900 acres would be about
Sl66 0OO This ground is situated ten miles
from the Omaha postoftice. 1t can only be
supplied with water by the City Water COM
pany, which proposes to furnish water at
meter rates. The cost for water, judging
from the charges made at Fort Omaha, might
amount to 5000 per annum in addition to the
cost Of five miles of pipe estimated at S32, 600.
l do not recommend the purchase of this site
and in my opinion it will be better to pur
chase ground at greater distance from
Omaha where land is not held at so high a
price and where good water may be had in
abundance without the payment of a large
annual tax. l enclose copies of the following
papers which will, it is believed furnish all
the information called for.
/. Abstract of bids received in response
to the advertisement under authority of the
act of July 23, 1885,
2 Report of the major general command
ing the army, dated the llth inst.
3. Report of the commanding general, De-
partment of the Platte
4. Tracing showing the land owned by
Mr.. II. T. Clark which is recommended by
the department commander to be purchased.
.. Abstract of offers received for the sale
of land IN the state of Iowa, all of the land
covered thereby being reported by the COM
manding general, Department of the Platte
as not suitable for Il military post.
q. The recommendation of the command
ing general, Division of the Missouri
All of the information contained in the
papers scheduled above by the secretary of
war and not indicated in the above letter has
been published by The BEE. The secretary's
letter and accompanying documents were re-
ferred to the senate committee on military
affairs, which will likely recommend larger
appropriation than was made last year, for
the purpose of carrying out Secretary Endi-
cott's recommendations.
CABINET MATTERS.
The only real hitch in the work of the
cabinet makers to-day was in the name of
Representative Thomas of Illinois, who be-
lieves that he is slated for the navy. When
asked this evening if he had been given any
intimation direct from General Harrison or
any one authorized to speak for him, Captain
Thomas replied that he had not. He had
been told by friend who very recently
talked with the president, that his name was
under consideration and the prospects were
tnat he would be rendered position, that
was all the information he had of reliable
nature The most of his information he had
learned from the newspapers. Yet he be-
lieves he will be secretary of the navy. To-
night the slate named in these dispatches
twcnty-four hours ago has not been mater
tally changed. 1t now stands in this form in
the minds of those who know most Of cabinet
matters:
Blaine, secretary of state
Window, secretary of the treasury
RuSk, secretary OF war.
Swift, secretary Of the navy.
Noble secretary of the interior.
Wanamaker, postmaster general.
Baxter, attorney general.
Miller or Palmer, secretary of agriculture.
Senator Stanford believes that Mr. Swift
has already been selected for the navy, and
the California senator will nave as much if
not more influence than any other man in
naming cabinet officer from the Pacific
slope. 1t is stated upon what seems to be
good authority that ex-senator Platt refused
the navy because he was offered it with the
understanding that if accepted he should not
attempt TO control the patronage for New
York No one well informed on the subject
believes that Mr.. Platt will be in the cabinet. |
At the senate this afternoon it was
stated in republican circles that further |
protests had been sent to Indianapolis |
against Mr.. Window. This time his bust |
ness in Wall street is urged as reason why
he should not be in the cabinet. 1t is feared |
by some that the country might regard the |
ex-senator as under the influence of the New |
York City brokers and bankers, and it is |
argued that 10 make him secretary of the |
treasury would be. going into the very heart |
OF the spot General Harrison has been rep |
resented as desiring to avoid. Nevertheless |
Washington believes that Mr. Window has |
been invited into the cabinet and has ac- |
cepted the treasury portfolio.
People here have come TO the conclusion |
that Colonel New has refused the treasury |
ship.
A Michigan member of the house, who is |
very intimate with General Alger, and who |
talked with him a few days ago, says |
'Senator Sherman kept Alger out of |
the cabinet. About two weeks ago Cen
cral Alger heard that Senator Sherman
had sent a protest against him to Indian
apolis and he asked his friend, Senator-elect
Mcmillan, TO go TO General Harrison about
IL. He authorized Senator Mcmillan. in the
event it was learned that Sherman had pro-
tested, to state to General Harrison that
General Alger could not accept place in
the cabinet in the face of an objection from
so distinguished a republican as the senator
from Ohio. The day after Mcmillan re-
turned TO Detroit from Indianapolis General |
Alger wrote his letter to Senator Stock
bridge, which has been mentioned in the |
press and which stated that he (Alger)
would not be member of the cabinet.n
MILLS 'TURSED DOWN.
Chairman Mills was compelled 10 abandon
bis nr0.ect 70 hold caucus tonight to give