The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-02-13
And May Prevent His Becoming a Member Of
the Cabinet-The Nominations of Thomp-
son and Stevenson Not to Be Confirmed.
Robert Smalls Delivers a Strong Speech
in the House of Representatives,
Clearly and Conclusively Showing His Right
to a Seat in that Body-Treasury Analy-
sis of House and Senate Tariff Bills.
COLNIAN's NOMINATION..

Charge That Prevents Immediate Confirms.
tion-Cases of Thompson and Stevenson
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Feb. lathe nomination
of Norman j. COlman to be Secretary of
Agriculture was taken up in executive ses-
sion of the Senate, to-day, and referred to
the committee on agriculture. 1t was ex-
pected that his nomination would be
promptly confirmed, but there are objec-
tions to it which may yet defeat confrma-
tion. A recent purchase of seeds from A. B.
Cleveland & Co., of Sackett's Harbor, N.
Y, was brought up in executive session.
and resulted in the reference to committee
of the nomination, instead of immediate
confirmation. Cleveland & Co., it
was alleged, are not regular seed
dealers, and when given a large
order by Colman for seeds, went about in
northern New York buying old, and, in
some instances, worthless seeds, which they
shipped here and were paid a price worthy
of the best stock. The newspapers at
Rochester denounced the transaction, and
traced the purchases of old seeds there to
the depot, where they found them boxed
and addressed for shipment to the Com
missioner of Agriculture. The seeds, on
their arrival here, were sent out to farmers
as good goods. 1t was alleged that tho
worthlessness of the seeds was known to
Colman at the time he made the purchases,
but he accepted them and made distribu-
tiOns.
The nomination of Thompson, of South
Carolina, to be Civil-service Commissioners,
vice Edgerton removed, and Stevenson, of
Illinois, to be justice of the Supreme Court
of this district. will not be confirmed. OBJ
lection Is made to Thompson on personal as
well as general grounds. In the first place,
he is not considered fit man for the posi-
tiOn to which he has been nominated. He
was elected Governor of South Carolina at
time when there were wholesale intimi-
voters and high-handed frauds at the ballot
boxes. He is not regarded in any
sense civil-service refOrmer, and those
who have studied his political career arc
amused that the President, who pretended
TO be civil-service reformer, should ap-
point him to position of this kind. South
Carolina Republicans have asked the Sem
ate to Withhold action till they can be
heard. They propose to discuss the part
Thompson and his friends have taken in
South Carolina politics, and the Senate
will not only wait to hear of the political
charges which may be brought against
Thompson, but they will wait till Presi-
dent Harrison makes nomination
position of Civil-service Commissioner
Smalls, the colored man from South Caro-
lima whose contest for the seat of Elliott lie
now pending in the House, will lay before
the Senate committee having Thompson's
nomination in charge, some testimony bear
ing upon the part Thompson has taken in
the elections in his STAT, which, Smalls
says, will be highly inter Iesting and very
important He thinks it would be an out
rage upon the Southern Republicans and
an affront to decent politicians in all Sec
tions of the country to confirm the nomina-
tion of Thompson.