The Ouachita telegraph. [volume] (Monroe, La.) 1865-1889, 1889-02-23
WARRINGTON NEWS.

WAHlNGTON NEWS. -
NO HOPE FOR THE RIVERS AND
-aea IIARBORS BILL.
Judge Edserton Writes a Severe letter
10 the President-Mr. Fister. Super
.i.i,as Architect Frerct's Chief Clerk
70 he Punished for Contempt.
$50 s--,s s1s
The Rivers and Harbors Dill Virtually
..sf l-. Dead.
Special to the Times-Democrat. .....
WASHINGTON, Feb. l8.-Atl the ln-
u;ca,ious are that the rivers and mar
burs bill is dead. AT all events the
committee has 80 little hope in secur-
,ux an uppertuDity for its consideration
,hnt ,tS me,ubers can give no assur-
as e. that they will even make the e1-
fort. The chair las not consented to
recognize the chairman Of the rivers
and harbors com mittee to move sus-
pensiun Of the rules, and it is inposst-
BILE to get it up 10 any other way.
Even # this motion could be put be-
fore the House Mr.. Sowden would
fight. 1t .:us,th and nail, with fair
prospect Of preventing twe.thirds
vote being cast for it. In the present
state Of legislation the House would
not endure protracted fight that
might prevent more important legis-
iation from being considered. The
other possibility, that the President
will veto the bill anyhow, Is sufficient.
~ discouraging to the supporters OF the
bill to make them hesitate about get
ting into struggle Ia the House
which, even if they won, might prove
n prGfit!ess victory.
The senate Going for Col. Frerets
,E Chief Clerk.
TIE probabilities just now point to the
speedy appearance before the bar OF
the Senate Of Thomas D. Fister, chief
clerk in the office of the Supervising
Architect Of the Treasury Department.
Mr.. Fister, as was stated at the time,
refused to reply to certain questions
asked him BY tho esub-commjttee OF the
public buildings and grounds, now en-
guged in investigating Col. Freret's
administration of the architects
office.
A number Of witnesses had testified
70 the fact that Mr.. Fister had aided
~ the collection and forwarding of
campaign funds during the last elec-
tion. When Mr.. Fister was summon
ed to appear and was asked why he
violated the law, he refused to reply,
and all the persuasions OF the commits
Tee failed to have any effsct upon
him. '. @
A mee ting of the full committee was
called tor this morning and the mat
ter was discussed there at length. just
what was decided upon cannot def
niteiy be learned, but 1t is generally
understood that the committee will
some time to-day ask the Senate to
order the arrest of Mr.. Fister, and to
have him brought before the bar of the
Senate, there to reply to the question,
,or be sent down to the congressional
ssfarin" for contempt. In some man.
,er or another tho committee got into
"A discussion OF Mr.. listers public his
tory, and in this way the fact was ex-
posed that in 1860 Capt. John G.
Breshwood and Lieut.. s. B. Caldwell
and Thomas D. Fister were dismissed
from the revenue service Of the United
States by Secretary OF the Treasury
Dix, for having surrendered the reve-
nue. steamer Mcclellan to the State of
Iouisiaua. The record Of the case Is
in document sent to the House OF
Representatives by Secretary Dix on
January %, 1861.
Judge Edserton's Letter to the Presi-
dent.
WASHINGTON, February 1S.-Judge
A. P. Edgertop, who was recently re-
moved from tbs office Of civil service
commissioner, has written au open
letter to the President. He says,
among other things;
81 was indebted to you for the only
appointive Office ever held. You now
declare by your action that you re-
eret the appointment. I, with equal
right, can say that regret the acceP-
tance. Your regret was never made
known to me by you in any word or
uttersuce or action until now, al the
close of your administration, and on
the day before my removal. OF course,
il YOU believed me unit for the posi-
ton or neglectful of duty, you should
have removed me long ago; but l pre-
suu,e there were prudential political
reasons why you did not make the
removal until after the election. In
this regard, it would almost seem AS il
YOU we're willing TO play false with the
muswumps to win with the Demo
Gratis.
uAud here permit me 10 define the
term sMugwump' as referring TO a
class of politics! reformers who have
the spirit of reformation without the
IT.