The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1893-05-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.
iFrom our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, d. O., May 10, 1898.

this WeekGglven the country an exn1-
bition of extreme political partisanship
that was never surpassed even during
the administration of that most partisan
President, Andrew jackson. This is all
the more surprising because from his
judicial training fairness at least was
expected of him. 1t has been the Gus.
tom ever since there have been Medical
Boards to examine applicants for PEN
sions to make those boards nou.partisan
by having them composed Of two men,
bers 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 Republican
party and the veterans reform" Verify,
Democratic reform is but another name
for partisan narrow.mindednees.
The administration has no apparent
intention of trying to prevent the Sum
day opening Of the Worlds Fair, not
withstanding its being direct violation
Of law, and it is reported that as much
was intimated to representative OF the
local board of control who was here
some days ago to ascertain what would
be done by the administration If the ex.
position were opened on Sunday. This
is not question of the personal prefer
ences OF the individual members OF the
administration. 1t is against law Of
the United States to open the fair on
Sunday, land every member of the ad.
ministration has sworn to observe and
enforce the law, and failure to do 80
will be violation OF the oaths they took
upon assuming Office. Attorney General
Olney has given an opinion, at the re.
quest Of the Postmaster General, stating
that the opening of the branch post.
Office at the Worlds Fair on Sunday
would be unlawful, and it is presumed
that orders will be issued in accordance
with that opinion not to open the post
office on Sunday.
The administration is itself solely re.
sponsible for the unique position it
found itself in when the Chinese exclu.
sion act was declared constitutional by
the Supreme Court. It had allowed
those who control the actions Of nine
tenths OF the Chinese in this country to
know that it expected the law to be
declared unconstitutional, and that it
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 SO
largely followed that advice. Had the
Chinese registered, as they probably all
would have done if satisfied that the
authorities intended to. enforce the law,
the administration would not be in the
present embarrassing position of being
unable to carry out the law, even if Sc
disposed, for lack of::..funds. There is
only one redeeming feature about the
situation-nobody here wants the
Chinese already in this country forcibly
driven away; and nobody seems to ex'
pect 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 position because the aforesaid
editor had once said in his paper that
Mr.. Cleveland was a mugwump. 81
will appoint no man to any Office" Mr..
Cleveland is reported to have angrily
said, "who has ever.accused me of being
a amugwump." No man is to be blamed
for objecting to being called amugwump,
but it had been generally supposed that
Mr.. Cleveland took a''sort of pleasure in
being classed with them. The amuse.
ment is caused by the knowledge that
some of the very best places at his dis.
posal have been.given Mr.. Cleveland to
those who nave openly charged him
with mugwumpery, ex-senator Eutis, of
| La. for instance, who is. now ambassador
to France. The real reason for the
failure of the Georgia editor to get the
office he wanted is believed to have been
his refusal to recognize and bow down
to the greatness OF Hoke Smith.
1t was long ago predicted in this
correspondence that Representative
Springer would not be at the head OF
the Ways and Means committee of the
next House, the committee which will
have the very doubtful honor OF ratify-
ing and reporting to the House the tariff
bill that the administration is now hav-
ing prepared by such eminent free
traders as David Wells, and that pre-
diction was verified this week by the
semi. official announcement that Mr.
| Cleveland had decided upon Representa-.