Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1893-06-23
NATIONAL CAPITAL.
THE FINANCIAL SITUATION I'M
PROVING.
Responsibility for the FOrd's Thea
ter Tragedy-Effects of the silver
law-Thc President Supplants N
Notwithstanding .'the RaSeals"
Out-IIlegaI Pensions.

Ter ITagedy-EffeCts OF the silver
iaw-Thc President Supplants N
Notwithstanding .'the Raseals"
Out-Illegal Pensions.
From our Regular Correspondencc.)
WASHINGTON, ID. G., June 16, 1893.
President Cleveland Is deeply inter
cS'ed in the efforts that are being made
to ascertain if the carcicssness OF any
person Was responsible for the horrible
tragedy in Ford's old theater, which
killed 81 and injured sixty-odd clerks
in the Records and Pensions Office Of
the War Department, although he has
wisely refrained from taking any ac-
ton that might he considered rs inter
fcring with the properly-constituted
authorities now engaged in that task.
Great pressure is being brought to
bear on him to suspend or remove
Colonel Ainsworth. the army officer
who Is at the head OF that office, and
upon whom a great many people are
disposed to place the blame, but Mr.
Clevelands idea of fair play is such
that it is not probable that he will
take any action until there is more
tangible evidence of Colonel Aims
worth's guilt than public clamor for
making him scapegoat. II he be
guilty, surely that fact can hardly es-
cape the coroner's jury now investigat-
ing and the army court of inquiry
which will take the matter up at the
close Of the inquest.
The improvement in the financial
situation has been very marked during
the last fnw days. and Treasury Off
Gals and others whO'keep close watch
on financial affairs believe that the
turn has come in the flow of gold
abroad and that the situation will con-
tinue to improve. 1t is certain that
the gold in the Treasury is again in
creasing at gratifying rate and that
there is at present no demand for gold
for shipment abroad. Secretary Nor
ton expresses the opinion that from
now on our cereals will take the place
of the gold which we have been ship
ping to Europe, and the fact that the
large amount of gold which the Roths-
childs contracted to furnish Austria
has all been delivered is also thought
To have been n factor in causing n ces-
sation IN the European demand for
gold.
The Government has lost in actual
cash, according to Secretary Carlisle's
figures, in carrying out the provisions
of the Sherman silver law, nearly Sill :
OOO,OO0, representing the difference be-
tween the amount paid for the silver
now stored in the Treasury vaults and
its present selling price. II it really
had to be sold at once the loss would
probably be much greater because of
the further depreciation in price that
would follow such large quantity of
silver on the market.
Among the consular appointments
made this week was that of Benning-
ton Il. Bedle, of New Jersey, to be
Consul at Sheffield, England, in place
of Benjamin Folsom, resigned. Mr..
Folsom, who has held the position
since his appointment early in the
first Cleveland administration, is a
cousin of Mrs. Cleveland and as
cousin Ben" he figured in all the
Republican papers as proof that Presi-
ient Cleveland was not in earnest
when he declared himself opposed to
nepotism. Wonder what those same
fellows will say now that Mr.. Folsom
has voluntarily resigned? The
chances are that they will ignore it en-.
tirely and say nothing.
Secretary Carlisle has, in one re-
spect, a long lead of all the other
needs OF departments. Since taking
charge of the Treasury he has replaced
more than POO Republican officials,
outside the classified service, with
good Democrats.
Democratic Congressman after a
hard and stubborn fight, nave sue
ceeded in convincing Postmaste r
General Bissell that his rule against
the removal of Republican fourth.
class postmasters who have served
four years or more, unless charges are
filed against them, is bad one, and it
will be recalled and all Republicans
who have been in office four years or
more will be replaced by Democrats
just as soon rs they can be got Mt in
Mr.. Maxwell's Office.
A letter received by Mr.. Cleveland
this week furnishes conclusive proof
il proof were needed, OF the wisdom OF
the establishment in the Pension
Bureau OF a Board of Revision, the
sole duty of which is to go over all the
pensions that have been granted nm
der the law Of 1890 and determine
whether they were granted in accord
ance with proper construction oil
that law. The writer of this letter
Mr.. j. M. Burnett, is an ex-employe
of the office, who voluntarily resigned
during the last administration be.
cause he could not conscientiously
take part in carrying out Raum's
methods. He tells the President of a
large number of pensions illegally
granted. and gives names, dates and
the numbers of the applications, sc
that his statements may be easily
verified. He says that thousands OIL
pensions have been illegally granted
and that they are not confined tc
cases in which the law was wrongfully
construed, but include an enormous
number granted in direct violation
OF law. Mr.. Burnett concludes by ex
pressing the belief that at least $50,
O0O,OOO year can be saved by q
thorough and rigid purging and re
vision OF the pension rolls. Dem.