Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1893-06-01
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Pension Commissioner Lochren's
P~artisanism.
The Present Administration and the
Chinese Question.
From our Regular Correspondent

this week given the country an exhib-
ition of the extreme political partisan
ship that was never surpassed even
during the administration of that
most partisan President, An
drew jackson. This is all the more
surprising because from his Judicial
training fairness at least was expected
of him. 1t has been the custom ever
since there have been Medical Boards
to examine applicants for pensions to
make those boards n%on-partisan by
having them composed of two members
OF the party in power and one of the
opposition, but this custom has been
overturned by Lochren who boldly an
nounces his purpose to make these
boards entirely Democratic, and to add
insult to injury he has the audacity to
call this rank injustice to the Repub-
lican party and the veterans reform"
Verify, Democratic reform is but an
other name for partisan narrowmind-
edness.
The administration has no apparent
intention of trying to prevent the Sun
day opening of the Worlds Fair, not
withstanding its being a direct viola
ton of the law, and it is reported that
as much was intimated to a represent
alive of the local board of control who
was here some days ago to ascertain
what would be done by the admins
tration if the exposition were opened
on Sunday. This is not a question of
the personal preferences of the individ
ual members of the administration.
1t is against the law of the United
States to open the fair ON Sunday, and
every member of the administration
has sworn to observe and enforce the
law, and a failure to do 80 will be a
violation of the oaths they took upon
assuming Office. Attorney General
Olney has given an opinion, at the re
quest of the Postmaster General, stat
ing that the opening of the branch
p~ostoffice at the Worlds Fair on Sun.
day would be unlawful and 1t is pre-
sumed that others will be issued in &C
cordanes with that opinion not to
open the postofice on Sunday.
The administration is itself solely
responsible for the unique position il
found itself in when the Chinese OK
clusiOn act was declared constitutional
by the Supreme Court. 1t had allow
ed those who control the actions o.
nine tenths of the Chinese in this
country to know that it expected the
law to be declared unconstitutional,
and that 1t was opposed to enforcing it
anyway. With that knowledge it is
no wonder that these people advised
the Chinese not to register, not that
the Chinese 80 largely followed that
advice. Had the Chinese registered,
as they probably all would have done
if satisfied that the authorities intend
ed to enforce the law, the administrat-
ion would not be in the present en-
barrassing position of being unable to
carry out the law, even if 30 disposed,
for lack of funds. There is only one
redeeming feature about the situation
nobody here wants the Chinese al
ready in this country forcibly driven
away; and nobody seems to expect
that Congress will appropriate the five
or six million dollars that would be
necessary to send away those who did
not register.
Much amusement has followed the
refusal of Mr.. Cleveland to appoint a
Georgia editor, backed by ex-Speaker
Crisp, to a position because the afore
said editor had once said in his paper
that Mr.. Cleveland was a Mugwump.
II will appoint no man to any Office
MIR. Cleveland is reported to have ang.
rily said, who has ave- accused me OF
being a Mugwump." No man is to be
blamed for objecting to being called q
Mugwump, but it had been generally
supposed that Mr.. Cleveland took O
sort OF pleasure in being classed with
them. The amusement 10 caused by
the knowledge that some of the YER,
best places at his disposal have beer
given by Mr.. Cleveland to those who
have openly charged him with Mug
wumpery, ex. Senator Eustis, of La, TO,
instance, who is now Ambassador t.
France. The real reason for the fail
ure of the Georgia editor to get the of
flee he wanted is believed to have beer
his refusal to recognize and bow
down to the greatness of Hoke Smith
1t was long ago predicted in thii
correspondence that Representative,
Springer would not be at the head O
the Ways and Means Committee of tn,
next-House, the committee which will
have the very doubtful honor of rati
flying and reporting to the House tn,
tariff bill that the administration il
now having prepared by such eminen
free traders as David A. Wells, ant
that prediction was verified this weel
by the semi.oficial announcement
that Mr.. Cleveland had decided upor
Representative W. L. Wilson, of Yves
Virginia, as chairman of that com
mittee. When the House has been Re
publican the man who was electe,
speaker has had the naming of th,
committee chairmanships, but tn,
Cleveland idea is that all authority /
vested in the President, and the Cleve
land idea is just now very much on top