The morning times., 1897-02-21
.RETAL|ATED ON Mr.. ROSS
The Presidents Reason For Not
Reappointing That Official.
MIR. CLEVELAND GOT EVEN
The Chairman of the Commission
ers Accused of Having Declined
10 appoint Mr.. III. G. j. Taylor
School Trustee-Disbelief Ex-
pressed in Third Term Objection.

Quite an interesting bit of ne ws has come
10 the surface in relation to the reason
why Commissioner Ross was not made by
Mr. Cleveland his own successor. ~ has
been common comment that b! a.. e;and
had an ardent affection Ior -. Is, l,ut
tnae The reappofntment or tile popular
commissioner involved an Endorsement
or the third term idea, and that this third
term notion was something utterly alb
horrent to the Presidents political ethics
ae least his ethics for public circulation.
For ali this there appears to be rather
more than the usual foundation for
poIticai gossip in.the assertion that Mr.
Cleveland was actuated i n the Refinement
OF MI hosS by motives ofpique and resent
ment. In other words the President IN
tended to and did discipline Mr.. Ross
Tor running counter to the grain OF the
Presidential mind
IL Is said that when Mr. Ross case was
ABOUT to be considered. Mr.. Cleveland had
1t IN mind toreappoint him. and would have
done SO but for his powerful memory, which,
In this case, was powerfully refreshed
Mr Ross is chairman of the Beard OF Com
mlaSioners, and, or course. everything Of
Importance that is done or not done is
charged up promptly TO that officer.
1t happened that the friends of Mr. II
O. j. Taylor, who is well known to be
political protege Of the President, and
his recorder OF deeds, thought it would be
good thing for Mr. Taylor to be one
OF the school trustees OF Washington, a
position OF honor and desirabiHty, not for
its emoluments, but for the prominence il
assures. No matter what were the reasons,
the Commissioners did not see the force OF
the application OF Mr. TayIor's friends, and
he was not appointed II is only fair to
say that Mr.. Taylor did not appear Der
sonally in his own interest, nor is it to be
presumed that he knew anything whatever
or the movements OF his friends
An tins made Mr.. Cleveland atrabilious,
ana everybody knows that when the time
comes he gets even, and he has more
chances to get even than anybody else in
the republic. The President, according to
the grapevine telegraph accounts Of this
little affair. was informed by one Of the
friends WHO doomed Mr.. Taylor that it
was all done through spite, and that it
was direct insult 20 His ExceIIency. be
cause MI Cleveland has virtually stood
sponsor fof Mr.. Taylor's eligibility for
the position of recorder of deeds, which
is one Of more money and honor than that
OF school trustee. 1t is also said that Mr.
Ross was charged specifically with having
done this horTid and horrible thing to the
President. SO when the time came around
for the reappointment of Mr.. Ross the
ghost OF the vacant Taylor-tTusteeship
walked the upstairs floor of the White
House. and Nj. Ross is now suffering
from severe attack OF snlckeTsnee
Confirmation of this story was sought
yesterday, first from some of the school
trustees All OF them seen said that
they had never heard OF it, and yet it is
a fact that such application for the po-
sit;on OF trustee was made on behalf Of
Mr.. Taylor. At the District Commission
crs' office Times reporter was turned
down almost as badly as was the recorder
OF deeds. possibly through the inprudence
OF Ills friends in offering him up as a
sacrifice.
Enough Of the gossip, however, is afloat
10 say that the President was informed
that the Commissioners would not appoint
Mr. Taylor, because he already had one
office, and that another would create a
statutory incompatibility. Information ON
liiiS po.ht was al tilat could be obtained
at the office of the Commissioners. One
Of the clerks said that at least Mr. Ross
could not have been the author of this OBJ
iecticn. because Mr. Ross was at one and
the same time both postmaster or the
city and school trustee.
Another clerk in the office, who is in
clined to look on the humorous side Of
things, remarked that it was very funny
that Mr.. Cleveland would not reappoint GIr.
Ross on account Of the third term theory
or condition." when the President himself
was spoken OF all summer for a third term
President, and did not openly refuse the
sop until he had been utterly routed by lis
own party