Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-04
MIXED NUMBERS
A Bad Break in the Congressional
Record.
AN ERROR As TO CONFIRMATION
Mr.. TayIor's Nomination Was Not
Acted On.
HOW THE MISTAKE AROSE

That unique and interesting periodical.
the Congressional Record, Is usually a very
accurate mirror of events. While 1t may
occasionally arise to the plane of sensa-
tionalism. 1t is almost always correct In
its facts. Consequently. when the Record
makes break away from the line of
truth the scores and hundreds of its read
ers are apt to be disgruntled. This was
the case today when it enormously an
nounced that Mr.. Chas. H. ]. Taylor was
confirmed as recorder of deeds of the Dis
trict of Columbia. Indeed, nothing could
surprise this community more thoroughly
today than the authentic announcement of
Mr.. Taylor's confirmation, for that is
among the most extreme improbabilities
that ever existed.
How 1t Occurred.
The facts of this case are just about as
follows: Many months ago the President
nominated an individual by the name of
Henry o. Fairchild to be postmaster at
Hammondsport, n. Y, and. according to
the system in vogue in the Office Of the
secretary of the Senate, his nomination
was at once given a number, which chanc-
ed to be 50, and by which II should thence
forth be known.
1t is the custom of the Senate to refer
to nominations. under all circumstances. by
number, thus preserving the myth about the
secrecy of the executive session and the
senatorial courtesy, &C., as far as possible.
Mr.. Fairchilds nomination went to the COM
mittee on post offices and post roads, and
there slumbered for several months owing
to the indisposition of Mr.. Hill to permit it
to be recorded to the Senate. When the
President saw fit to go to Kansas for a
candidate for the local office of recorder of
deeds, the next available number on the
mediately assigned to Mr.. Taylor as his
official pseudonym.
AS all the world knows the District COM
mittee, to which Mr.. Taylor's nomination
was referred, did not take kindly to the sag-
gestlon of the President that the real
estate transfers of the District of Columbia
should be handled by a resident of the
bleeding state
After comparatively brief consideration
of the name the committee voted with al
most unaniinity in favor of an adverse re-
port, and some two weeks ago Senator
Proctor was, on the strength of a vote of
to = directed to report the nomination
adversely 20 the Senate. This was done,
and n few days later, when Mr.. Proctor
was arranging trip to his native state, he
secured unanimous consent that the NOM
tnation should not be acted upon until his
return.
Taylor Not Mentioned.
Yesterdays executive session was a brief
one, and after Senator Morgan had Sc
cured a postponement of the Chinese treaty
and Mr.. Benedict was confirmed as public
printer a number of postmasters' nomina-
tons were taken up and acted on without
any objection. There was no mention of
Mr.. Taylor or of his number, and the Sen
ators who were interested in his case went
away from the session without any thought
upon the matter.
The surprise of such Senators as voted
against Mr. Taylor in committee. as well
as that of his two supporters. Senators
Harris and Martin. may therefore be
imagined. when they read in this morn
ing's Record OF his confirmation. No one
was more surprised than Senator Harris.
who, though he voted for Mr.. Taylor. does
not at heart believe in the principal en-
bodied In his nomination. Senator Martin
nearly suffered a stroke of apoplectic glee
Tor he had long ago given up all hope OF
securing the confirmation of his fellow
statesman. and has practically announced
to his colleagues of the committee that he
viii not make any further fight on the
case. but will content himself with a mere
this vote NJ. Taylor will receive more than
ten voices in his behalf while the negative
vote Is almost sure to be upwards of forty
or ffty, according to the attendance.
Mixing the Numbers.
The executive clerks in the Senate, while
their position may not be exactly a sine
cure have the happy disposition to
reduce their labors to the minimum and il
was their intellects that bore upon the diff
cult problem of reporting combinations
with the least expenditure of time or from
BILE. Their solution of the problem has its
result in the present system, whereby ali
Information concerning combinations re-
jections or Withdrawals of executive cases
is communicated to the press, as well as to
the official reporters. by means of the origi-
nal numbers given the nominations After
yesterdays session. a list of these num-
bers, indicating the combinations was sent
to the clerk who complies that part of the
Congressional Record known as the execu-
tive schedule.
In this list, of course. was the number
14Si, which indicated a postmaster. Fol
lowing came the number ~. indicating Mr.
Fairchild. The numbers are so written that
II was easy to make the error that was
made. The clerk sat down, instead of Mr.
Fairchild. the name of Mr.. Taylor think
ing, of course, that IS following 14s7 was
an abbreviation of lass.
The confusion over this mistake has been
greater than that caused by any mistake
or error in the Record for many months
These errors have happened before but
revor in SO important an instance, and II
is doubtful If the Congressional Record will
ever again SO stir the community and the
Capitol by misstatement.