, 1889-06-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.

s.
WASHINGTON. May 81, 1859.
President Harrison Is holding pretty
firmly to the policy OF permitting com
Dni,sioned officers Of the civil service 10
hold over until the expiration OF theii
farms. The one answer 10 the Impo.'
inmate congressman who insists upon
prompt removals and speedy appoint
rneni, is -Four years. The terms must
s1pire before removal They have all
met with this reply 70 their urGlnGs' ana
have come to uudcvsta2d that this policy
il 10 b. iutIexiJle. There must be some
very good reason to secure removal
before the expiration. This causes
much dissatisiaction among the eaHdI-
dates who are waiting for appointments
and the congressman talk as though
they were dissatisfied whether or not
they feel so. Out Of this and the dis
position Of the president to make only
such selections for Office as are salts
factory to himself, grows all the grum-
bIjns that is heard about hotel lobbies,
and the gossip about disagreement IN
the cabinet BY taking the RESPONSE
bility Of the appointments upon himself
the president relieves his cabinet officers
Of O great deal OF responsibility. When
pressed to make appointments by men
who think they have some claims upon
them the members of the cabinet can
honestly say that the final settlement
of the matter lies with the president,
and they must look to him. In this way
ihe president takes upon himself all the
5laIne for delays, ETC., and the politi-
clans who are disappointed give it out
thst the cabinet officers are as powerlsss
Is they are, and as much dissatisfied.
All the statutes of soldiers and pa
triot statesmen throughout the city
were wreathed and garlanded with flags
and flowers when people began TO stir
on the. streets yesterday morning. The
committees charged with decorating the
statutes performed their duties the
night before. The clouded sky OF early
morning caused apprehension, not only
among the Grand Army men, who con-
seerate the day to the memory Of fallen
comrades, but to the thousands who had
planned to take advantage OF the holi-
day to have days outing. Before 10
o'clock however. the sun dispelled the
olouds and shone forth in May glory
Many hundreds of the people went ors
Of the city to attend excursions, and
thousands congregated in the cems-
teries. where memorial exercises were
held. The general programme was as
usual, but the ceremonies were OF more
than usual interest. The parade of the
G. A. r in the morning was made
more imposing than customary by the
presence OF the district national guard
As escorts. Formal decoration day ex-
srcises were held in the Soldiers Home
and Congressional cemeteries in the
morning. Tn addition. detachnents of
the Grand Army visited other smaller
cemeteries aud placed flowers On the
graves OF the soldiers buried in them.
Tho exercises at Arlington began at
noon. The day was made especially
memorable by the unveiliDg of the
Sheridan memorial, and the dedication
OF the monument erected to General
Gabriel R. Paul.
The retirement OF Adjuiant- General
Drum at noon Tuesday was marked by
no especial incident. Several of the
chiefs in his division in his Office called
on him and bid him goodbye, and there
Ess quite a number of officers at his
door during the day to give him their
Official adieus.
OF course the main topic of conversa-
lion among those in the department. was
the selection OF a successor to General
Drum, which has proven go fruitful
source OF speculation for weeks past.
The general drift OF opinion TO-DAY was
In favor OF General Kelson, although
there were many who shook their heads
and gave it as their private idea that
Col Whipple is promising candidate.
Although the contest for the vacancy
has waxed warm OF late there has been
an unmov d calm in the conduct and
manner Of Col. Kelton throughout; in
tact he has scarcely taken any steps him
sslf In the matter. and whatever bes
oeen done in his interest was by his
friends. who have volunteered their ser
vices.
General Kelton by virtue OF his senior
rank in the corps began to act as adju-
tant geEeral ad interim at noon Tues