The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-06-14
TALK OF THE WEEK.

Not since Queen Victoria issued the order
permitting ladies in delicate health to wear
high-necked gowns at royal drawing-rooms
has any foreign question so intensely agitated
Newspaper Row as the Gordon Cumming bac-
carat scandal. The correspondents are split
up into two hostile camps, one composed of
the partisans of Sir William Gordon Cum
ming, the other of those who back the Prince
of Wales and the Wilson's. Feeling runs very
high, and protracted joint debates have been
held, at which the evidence pro and con as to
Sir Williams guilt has been exhaustively dis
cussed with an acumen, eloquence, and vigor
hardly equaled in the arguments of leading
counsel in the London trial. The Gordon
Cumming camp hold to the view that that
gallant soldier is the victim of a foul con-
spiracy on the part of the Prince of Wales
and the Wilson's while the other side ridicule
this contention vociferously and hurl great,
hard hunks of evidence at their opponents,
which the latter can only dodge without at
tempting to respond in kind, for the reason
that they have no evidence. They have, how
ever, suspicious strong enough to run the
Seventh-street cables that the conspiracy
theory is correct, and they disregard the
evidence given in court and the doctrine OF
probabilities with a hauteur and grandiosity
that can mean nothing unless it be that they
have direct inside sources of information
from Sir William Gordon Cumming himself.
The latter would certainly be highly flattered
and measurably consoled If he could witness
the enthusiasm which some of the CORE
spondents evolve in defending him, while the
Prince of Wales would no doubt be fright
fully cut up If the appalling view these cor
respondents take of his morality and general
character ever came to his knowledge.
4 4 X
The adage "It is poor rule which will not
work both ways" was never more pertinently
illustrated than by an incident which happened
last week. The dramatis persona consisted of
young Treasury clerk and bank clerk,
whose principal duty it is to draw drafts on
New York and be of1icious. By way of in
PRODUCTION it may be stated that this particu-
lar bank is a near neighbor to the Treasury
Department. At noon the private secretary
OF distinguished Treasury official entered
the bank and rendered to the draft clerk 500,
for which he desired draft ON New York
The imposing-looking clerk curtly informed
said the secretary, sisn't my money as good
as any of your patrons, and why do 1 need
identification?" "Well," said the draft clerk,
SIT is a rule Of this bank and il you want
draft some one will have to identify you.n
The private secretary, humiliated and amazed,
snatched his 500 from the counter and dis
appeared unceremoniously. He went into an
other bank nearby and asked if it was custom
ary for bank to require Identification of
person who desired to purchase draft on
New York, and rendered the money therefor.
The teller courteously replied that it was not,
and inquired why he asked the question. The
private secretary then rested his experience
And the sequel. The next day the officious
draft clerk called upon tie Treasury official
and requested a pass enter the building
after O'Clock. The official was out, but his
private secretary, who had his little expert
ence the day before with the draft clerk
coolly informed him that it was beyond the
power of the Department to issue pass to
him without identification"
Secretary Noble is expected to return to
the city tomorrow after his prolonged
absence at the Hot Springs, of Arkansas,
where he went to look after the Government
reservation and for his health. There are
many people who believe the Secretary's
resignation will be handed to the President
very soon after he returns here. There have
been rumors of Mr.: Mobiles impending
resignation in circulation for months,
which have been repeatedly denied,
until most people have lost all faith
In them. Last week, however, they were re-
vlved and some slender evidence in support
OF their truth was adduced. The fact that
the furniture in Mr.. Mobiles house on
street was being packed for removal and that
1t was said the family intended to go to
Europe, was part of this evidence. At the
Department it was also found that the reports
OF Gen. Mobiles alleged intention to resign
heretofore Special Significance was
attached to the statement that the
family were preparing to go to Europe, as
the gossipers have put Gen. Noble down for
European mission, probably to st. Petersburg,
when he went out of the Department. The
knowledge that Gen. Noble is tired of the
embarrassment of his Cabinet place, makes
that he will retire at the first opportunity,
and it is certain that great
many people who have not found him as ac-
commodating as they desired in the matter
of distributing patronage and expediting
claims would be glad to see him go. But the
President is understood to be opposed gen
orally to making any changes in the Cabinet
Gen. Noble will remain as Secretary of the
Interior.
There are some glaring Inconsistencies In
recent stories about Senator Quay. When he
was here last week he had long conference
with the President at the White House.
During the conference, the correspondents
had it, Quay told the President very frankly
what he must do to be saved politically and
what he must do If he wished the Republicans
of Pennsylvania to contribute to his saliva
tion. 1t was alleged that the President indi-
Gated desire to be at peace with the Junior
Senator from Pennsylvania and that
when the conference broke up a
satisfactory modus viUerdi had been ar
ranged between tine parties to it. But a
couple of days after this an interview with
Quay appeared in the Washington correspond
n a xUff oh ll.rax