Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-05-20
WASHINGTON LETTER
Washington, Mag 10, 1895.

of the somewhat erratic course the
administration took in the Nicaraguan
business. This is not a guess, but a
positive statement of fact obtained
from trustworthy sources. 1t has
been known from the first that the
republican Senators would demand
this information, but now sufficient
number of democratic Senators have
pledged their cooperation to make it
certain that resolution calling for
all the documents will be put through
the Senate with rush. And that is
not all. 1t is on the programme for
the Senate to reaffirm the Monroe
doctrine as the people, not the law
yers ofthe Cleveland Gresham stripe,
have always understood it-Euro-
pean hands off American govern
ments; and there is little doubt that
the republican House will promptly
adopt the same. Whether the ad-
ministration will be allowed to go
with the tacit rebuke carried by a
Congressional reaffirmation of the
Monroe doctrine will depend upon
the nature of the explanation it sends
with the Nicaraguan correspondence.
That gallant old tar, Admiral Meade,
after forty years of service in the ma
Wy of which any man might be proud,
has been so nagged by the present adj
ministration that he has asked to be
retired from active service; aud,
smarting under the petty insults
which have been heaped upon him, he
SO forgot himself as to publicly ex
press his opinion of the administra
ton, and that opinion was far from
complimentary. This has greatly ex-
asperated Mr.. Cleveland, and Secre
tary Herbert, who has demanded an
explanation or denial from Admiral
Meade, holding out the threat of a
court martial for violation Of naval
regulations if the Admiral declines.
Admiral Meade was unquestionably
wrong in expressing his opinion, but
he was also very human. Brave men
seldom stand logging silently, what
ever the consequences of resentment
may be.
Although Mr.. Cleveland makes
great claims as to his devotion to civil
service reform, the Civil Service Re-
form Association, of Washington, at
its annual meeting, which was ad
dressed by Comptroller Of Currency
Eckels, unanimously adopted report
made by its secretary which contain
ed statements calculated to raise
doubts as to the sincerity of Mr.
Cleveland's claims in that direction.
This was particularly true of that
portion of the report dealing with Re-
corder of Deeds Taylor, whose viola
tions of the civil service law were so
notorious that the Civil Service Com
mission recommended, in report
made to the President that he be dis
missed from Office. The report which
was unanimously adopted, says: cat
the direction of the executive COM
mittee of the association I inquired
into the charges against Taylor and
learned that most Of them, if not all,
were we'll founded, and I so reported
W ULS ~ COIuullUUOO Ol
the association, in an interview with
the President toward the close of the
winter, urged immediate considera-
ton of the report and recommends
tions ofsthe Civil Service Commission
which were made to him last August.
So far as is known, however, the case
has not yet been disposed of. 1t is
much to be regretted that in this and
other cases where charges of viola
tions of the civil service law have
been made by the officials who adj
minister the law, there has not fol-
lowed an immediate consideration of
them by the Executive authority, and
where sustained, that swift punish
ment has not been melted out to the
offenders"
The Supreme Court has reached a
decision on the income tax cases, but
this time there was no leak and the
decision will not be made public until
next week. The impression was gen
eral up to the time the decision was
reached, that Justice Jackson would
vote against the Constitutionality of
the tax, but several things, unimport
ant in themselves, have occurred
which caused a reversal of opinion,
and a majority now appear to believe
that he voted the other way A little
patience and we shall know all about
it.
BOSTON LETTER.