The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1893-06-23
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, JUNE 10, 1898.

The President has been suffering from an
attack of rheumatism for several days, which
taken in connection with the knowledge that
he has been dieting himself for some time TO
reduce his flesh, which notwithstanding the
enormous quantity of the hardest sort OF work
he constantly does, has been increasing, was
made the foundation for numerous sensation
al rumors concerning his general health.
Your correspondent is assured by those who
know that Mr.. C.eveland's general health,
barring the rheumatism, is excellent. he ex-
poets. in company with Mrs. Cleveland and
Raby Ruth. to leave Washington some time
this week for his Buzzard Bay cottage, where
Mrs. Cleveland and Ruth will spend the sum
mer Mr.. Cleveland will return to Wash
melon within week or ten days, possibly
sooner and Will remain, making occasional
visits to Buzzard's Bay until the last OF july
when he expects to 90 for at least a months
stay. The fact that he expects to spend the
month of August away from Washington e.
fectually disposed OF the rumol ed earlier call
ing of the extra session OF Congress, a E'tmor
that probably had its only origin ih the
wishes of those who have been here clanoi-
inc fer an immediate extra session.
The coroner's jury has nearly completed its
task of investigating the Ford's Theatre cas-
trophe, ami its verdict is looked forward to
with the greatest interest. 1t is we'll nigh
certain that it will blame Col. Ainsworth for
contributory negligence, it for nothing worse.
In that case the grand jury will probably in
diet Aipsworth for mapslaughter, and its find
ing will also necessarily carry some weight
with the Army Court of Inquiry which will
look into the matter this week. Col. AIMS
worth is still at the head of the Records aud
Pension Office of the War Department, and,
owing to the peculiar conditions surrounding
the position, would still be the legal head OF
The office aud continue 10 draw his salary,
even if he were suspended by the President,
as he NAV be before the end Of this week
Ainsworth is Colonel in the Army, but he
has neither regiment nor command; he is not
in the line of promotion and cannot be trans
ferred to other duties by the President, and
he is the only man in the army who cannot
be. Col. Ainsworth can only be removed
from the army by Court Martial, and so long
as he remains in the army it is doubtful
whether the President has authority to ap-
point any other man chief of the Records and
Pension Office, although lie can designate an,
other army officer to perform the duties tenn
porarily. A little political tinge has beer
given the matter by the appearance VI Senator
Proctor as the special champion OF Aims
worth.l
AlllOu0u ScC ulCSudHi Will uSAIASa AIM IL
nor DENY the statement that Minister Blounl
has resigned those who know the intention!
of Mr.. Blount say it is true and the presence
of Hon Proctor Knott, of Kentucky, in Wash
inoton. has caused the belief that he will be
his successor.
Twenty army officers have been detailed
under the act of July 1892, to set as Indian
agents. III e vas considerable difficulty in
finding officers willing to serve and the Pres
ident did not care to detail men for the duty
against their wishes.
When next pension day comes around there
will be some disagreeably surprised men, a
mons those who will apply for their checks at
several of the Pension agencies throughout
the country The failure TO receive the GUS
tomary check will be the first notice these
men will have that they have been dropped
f ON the pension roll as result of the exam
nation now being conducted by select COM
mittee of examiners, of all the pensions grant
ed under Raum's construction of the act OF
1890. Although this work has inst commenc.
ed many names have already been dropped
and many more will follow. The men who
are being dropped by this conmittee are mol
strictly speaking fraudulent pensioners, al
though they have drawn public money to
which they were not entitled. The wrong
was committed by Raum in SO constructing
the law as to m Ike t"em eligible for pen
,ions, and for that reason it is not probable
that any attempt will be made to recover the
money already paid to those who have been
II will be dropped, as will be done in cases
where the pensoner got Oh the roll by fraud
ulent acts his own.
Congressman Tucker, of Virginia, says ''If
Mr.. Carlisle keeps on the way he has begun
he will be the ideal of democracy and their
candidate for the Presidency in 1896. He
mas done two things that commend him might
lily to the popular favor-replacing OF repub
lican officials with democrats and his refusing
to be bulIied into issuing bonds