Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-18
Acting Commissioner Smith Re-
sends Two Rulings.
DEMOCRATS WILL FILleusrER.
Baruum on the Winter outlook in
Congress-Mrs. Logan Ridiculcs
the Idea of Making Her
Pension Commissioners.
WARRINGTON BUREAU, THE OMAHA BHE,
5l3 FoURTEESra STREET
Ii Can't ~

plicatlon, be examined Tor re-ratlnR. ms
order was issued by Commissioner Tanner.
MIR. Smith has also rescnded The order that
the evidence of one reputable private soldier
would be regarded as sufficient to establish
the cause of disability of a comrade. Th old
practice has been resumed to require tho ev
idence of one commissioned officer or two
private soldiers.
The Evening Star says on tho su bicct:
The acting commissioner, when asked to-day
about the reversal of these orders of Mr..
Tanner, refused to say whether he had done
so or not. A reporter learned from other
sources that the orders had been signed by
Mr.. Smith The latter, however, it is un-
derstood, has the fear of MIR. Tanners fate
before his eyes and he therefore deems 1T the
part of wisdom not to talk Mt all.
Commenting on the reversal of these or.
ders, which is considered an important step,
this evenings Capital says: Just why the
evidence of an officer should possess double
the value of that of a private soldier Is not
clear to the mind of the plain average tax
payer. The prvates who enlisted in the war
of the rebellion were not the rag tag and bob
tail who might get in the army in peace
times, but were the flower of the land. 1t is
not maxim at all, generally, that shoulder
straps DrlnR II Truthful tongue. IL - uelu Nv
the ordinary citizen that the man who car
ried musket is just as reliable as the one
who carried u sword, and no distinction is
made between the evidence of an eX-lieuten-
ant and an exprivatc in the courts of justice.
FiIIBUsTERING PROSPECTS.
Several congressman arrived to-day.
Among them are Judge Kelly and General
Heisland, of Pennsylvania, Snyder, of West
Virginia and Catchings, OF Mississippi. MIR.
Catchings is getting up his brief in the elec.
tion contest brought against him. Most of
the members now, in Washington have come
to secure quarters for the session or place
their children in school.
Mr.. Barnum, the democratic representa-
tive of the INDIANAPOLIS district, has been
here several days, and talking about the
outlook for legislation this winter he said
this morning. ~ think there will he moth
ing much done. There will, however, be a
lovely time from the start. We have a lot
to worry the republicans about and we will
be very apt to make it interesting for them.
1 do not think they will do anything with
the tariff"
How about the rules"
''They cannot change the rules so as to
avoid the constitutional provision that a
majority of all the votes shall be necessary
to constitute a quorum, and with but one or
at least two more than quorum all told
they cannot hope to have enough memoers
present ut any time to carry through any
radical measure. OF course we shall not in
terfere with the organization of the house,
but they cannot do anything that our party
is determined they shall not do"
MIR. Barnum represents the views OF
majority of the democrats in the house. 1t
is the intention to tilibuster against organ
lzation the adoption of the new rules and
every step taken by republicans having in
view the legislation demanded by the coun-
try Then i'll the next campaign the demo-
Gratis will charge the republicans with hav-
ing fai ed to fulfill the promise made ut
Chicago in 1888
MRS. LOGAN NOT A CANDIDATE.
An enthusiastic admirer of the late Gen.
eral John A. Logan observed in a conyerSa-
tion yesterday that Mrs Logan would make
good commissioner of pensions The sug
gcstion was repeated so many tunes that it
was seriously discussed by several of her
friends to-day despite the impossibi!lty of a
woman holding the position. reporter
who called on Mrs Logan and broached the
subject was told this:
II would not consider such an idea for q
moment and do not think that the president
or any one in power has ever done so either.
have too keen an appreciation of the du-
ties and responsibilities of the office and OF
my own unftuess to assume them ever to
think of it for moment even If the place
were proffered me, which is absurdcdly i'm
probable. / think the Office of commissioners
of PENSIONS IS one of the best gifts the
goyerpment has to offer in point Of import.
ance In my opinion 1t requires man of
marked ability 70 fill that position. l think
there will be no difficulty in finding good
men for the place."
FLOWING IN WASHINGTON.
Rain has fallen almost constantly in the
district of Columbia during the past four
days and nights. The water courses are not
greatly swollen, on account of the long con-
tnued dry weather during the summer and
autumn.
work Of re-usphalting Pennsylvania avenue
for the Knights Templar conclave. OF
course, the old asphalt had to be torn up
first, and to expedite matters the blowing
was done by steam instead of with four big
horses, as before. The contractors got a
traction engine, and the way it ripped up the
asphalt amazed the thousands who stood
about and watched it till the rain began. A
long heavy chain was fastened to tho back
end of the traction engine, and Il big plow
was hitched 10 the other end of the chain.
Then q hole was broken in the asphalt sur
face the point of the plow put in it, and the
engine began to puff and roll up burrows ol
asphalt.
cAusTIo CONTROVERSY.
The civil service reform controversy
which has been going on for some time
through the columns of the Washington Pos,
between ex-Postmaster General Frank
Hatton and Civil Service Commissioner Ly
man, to-day assumed O caustlc tone. Mr.
Lyman has always been credited with fran
ing the original civil service law, and having
been at the head of the commission from its
inclplency, IS held responsible for most
things 1t has done. Mr.. Hatton gives promi
nence to-day to these observations along
with others Of q similar character;
''When YOU were the only commissioner
after O'Leary ana Edgerton had gone out
when You alone We're spreading YOU
majestic wings, and in solitude tryinl
TO cover the reform nest, dId you not pro
mote your brother-in-law, one Campbell
from a 81. 900 to Il 81 200 place without re
curing him TO pass civil service examina
tioni Please answer this question and dI
net make the mistake of thinking it lis non'
Of the public's business One greater tnaI
you once said, the public be do and th
public put on its stogie boots and Kicked hin
into the middle of eternity. And again, Mr.
Lyman, will you be kind enough TO tell /
there is a single clerk now employed witt
. your commission who was required TO pas
the same tests which your august body in
sists shall be applied TO clerks in other dc
partmentsih
ARMY MATTERS.
The leave of absence granted Captain
Charles Potter, Eighth infantry, August n
Department OF the Platte, IS extended tw
months on surgeons certificate Of disability
Private William Martin, Company II, Sew
enteenth infantry, now ut Fort ID. A. Rus
SELL Wyoming, Private George w. Abbott
light battery Il, Fifth artillery, now with hi
battery, and Private Henry White, troop l.
Ninth cavalry are discharged from the army
MISCELLANEOUS,
Commissioners Tanner has been called upo