Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1893-04-03
FREELAND, PA, APRIL 3, 1898.
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, d. c., Mar. 81, 1898.
President Cleveland, if one may judge
from his remarkable career, needs no
"mascot" to bring him good luck" but
an old Jacksonian Democrat-Andrew
jackson Long, of Cedar Hill Tennessee
doubtless with the feeling that it is i'm
possible for a president, or anybody else,
to have too many good luck" bringers,
has, through Representative Washing
ton, presented him with mascot" in
the form of silver half dollar, minted
in the year of the presidents birth
1S37-which Mr.. Cleveland accepted in
the same spirit with which it was given,
and in due course of time he will for
mally acknowledge the gift in an auto
graph letter to Mr.. Long, which will
probably be more highly priced than the
best office at the presidents disposal.
Removing a United States consul by
cable is very seldom resorted to by the
department of state, but it was done in
one case this week by Secretary Gres-
han, and the man removed got just what
he deserved. The reasons for Secretary
Gresham's action, are, in short, as fol-
fows: In the early part of the presiden-
tial campaign, William r. Sorsby, of
Mississippi, was acting as Congressman
Catching's private secretary, and taking
advantage of his position he abstracted
certain papers containing important facts
relating to the Democratic plans for the
campaign from the private desk of Mr..
Catching and gave them to Thomas II.
Carter, chairman of the Republican ma
tional committee. In November last
Sorsby was appointed United States con-
sui general at Guayaquil Ecquador, a
position which pays $4,000 year, pre-
sumably as a reward for his treachery to
Representative Catchings and the Demo-
cratic party. AS soon as these facts
were brought to the attention of Presi-
dent Cleveland and Secretary Gresham,
Sorsby was dismissed by cable, and
George f. billiard, of Mississippi, NOM
mated to the vacancy.
So far from the nomination of DR.
Joseph S. Senner, of New York, to be
commissioner of immigration at New
York, having been secured by the steam
ship influence, as Republicans are alleg-
ing, it was made in direct opposition to
that influence. The contest for the posi-
tion has been quite spirited, there having
been number of candidates all strongly
backed In order to ascertain the senti-
ments of the steamship men towards
each of the applicants Secretary Carlisle
had trusty personal friend call on them
for the purpose of discussing the fitness
of the several candidates, and as soon as
his report was made the name of every
man the steamship men had expressed
themselves as being favorably inclined
towards them was stricken from the list
of possibilities.
Secretary Hoke Smith is giving the
bureau chiefs of the interior department
some new ideas about the service they
fl,n, e L..
ing the department daily at o'clock, as
the ordinary clerks do, and as they have
been in the habit of doing, they are
compelled to remain until o'clock, the
additional hour being devoted to a con.
ference with the secretary on the cur
rent business before their several bu-
reaus. There is some kicking among
the chiefs, but as most of them are Re-
publicans it is done very quietly. Secre-
tary Smith has aleady earned the sobri-
quet of 1.-THE steam engine" among the
employees of his department.
1t is not often that new official is so
well fitted to assume his duties as ex-
Congressman Stump, of Maryland, who
is to be superintendent of immigration,
a position to which he was this week
nominated. He was chairman of the
house committee on immigration during
the last congress and is the author of the
new immigration law, which, by the
way, would never haye gotten through
the house if it had not been for his un-
tring efforts in its behalf.
After the senate disposes of the cases of
the appointed senators, now under dis
cussion, it will take up the resolution
providing for an investigation of the
charge of embezzlement against Senator
Roach. S.