The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-05-12

| CHICAGO, May 11-Brigadier-G Cen
! eral John r. Brooke, commanding the
| Department of the Missouri. is absent
! from his post. He is in Washington by
| order of the Secretary of War and it is
| said to assume the command of the
! army.
! No such distinction has ever been be-
slowed upon an officer of his rank
since the days just after the revolu-
tionary war. when for a year lieuten-
ant was in command of the remnant of
! the Continental army.
| General Miles, the senior Major-Ge
eral. is off for Europe to get a sight of
! war abroad, and General Merritt has
| been granted a. leave of absence to
cross the seas. This leaves the army
| without a Major-General. as Major
General Wheaton was retired last Sat
urday under the longevity rule Cen
eral Brooke, not being ranked as a
Major-General. is ordered to Washing
ton as a Brigadier- General, presumably
to take command of the army.
General Brooke is the senior Briga-
dier-General of the army and his selec-
ton for the command of the army in
rift aboard would indicate that he will
| be the next Major General the sue
cessOr of General Frank Wheaton.
In army circles in this city there has
/ been no doubt of General Brooke's pro-
motion.
1t has been believed that he would
follow in the precedent established Il
year ago when for a month General a.
Med. McCook was given the prefer
ment over General T. H. Ruger. to be
succeeded by the latter, The promo
ton of Wheaton over Brooke about
thirty days ago had all the features
about it that characterized the ad-
vancement of McCook for a month over
| Ruger, entitled by rank to the pre-
motion.
1t is said in army circles that Cen
eraI Brooke's claim to promotion at
this time is to be disputed by two of
his juniors in years of service-Briga-
dier-General J. W. Forsyth, Tony"
formerly of General Phil Sheridan's
staff, and Brigadier- General Bliss. only
recently appointed from a colonelcy
They submit that if General McCook
over-sloughed Ruger year ago be-
cause he would retire in a month. and
Wheaton the same this year, one or the
other should be preferred over Brooke
at this time as he retires in 1902, while
Bliss goes out in 1898 and Forsyth in
1899
General Miles, who ranks them all,
will not be retired until 1906
WASHINGTON, May 11-General
Brooke commander of the Department
of the Missouri, is in Washington. He
is stopping at the home of Senator
Quay. When seen in regard to the re-
port that General Brooke is to assume
command of the army during the alb
sence of Major General Miles in Eu-
rope, General Ruggles, the Adjutant-
General of the army. said that no such
order had been issued by the War De-
partment. When asked, however if
such an order was in contemplation, he
said it was a matter which he preferred
not to discuss for publication. The
army a present is without a commando
er. General Miles is on the ocean and
does not expect to return to this coun-
try for several months. Secretary AL
ger is nominally in command. though
orders are being issued by the Adiu-
tant-General. When General Miles re-
ceived permission to go aboad it was
believed that the army would get along
during his absence without a COM
mander, though the Secretary of War
expected to transfer General Merritt TO
Washington in case the services of a
commanding officer We're needed.
About the time General Miles decided
to go aboard, General Merritt, the COM
mander of the Department of the East,
asked for leave of absence and permits
sion to go beyond the sea. This was
granted.
1t is believed by army officers that
General Brooke has come here on a
matter of much greater Importance to
himself than the temporary command
of the army. General Wheaton retired
Saturday and the President now has
under consideration the appointment of
a Major General. Brooke is justly en-
titled to this honor. He was the senior
officer a month ago when General Rug
er retired and was then entitled to pro-
motion. Brigadier- General Wheaton
was to retire so soon, however, that it
was decided to promote him so that he
might retire with the highest rank 1t
was tacitly understood then that Cen
eral Brooke should have his promotion
when General Wheaton retired Cen
eral Forsyth, however, who commands
the Department of California, and Cen
eral Bliss, who commands the Depart
ment of Texas, have now both applied
for the vacant Major eneralship on
the ground that they will retire before
General Brooke and that they should
be permitted to enjoy the honor of
higher rank for the same reason that
it was a month ago given to General
Wheaton. While General Brooke's
friends say that it was we'll enough to
adopt this plan in the case of General
Wheaton, who had only a month to
serve it would not be fair to apply it
to General Forsyth or General Bliss
Illinois Inheritance Tax Law.
SPRINGFIELD Qll), May 1.-THE
Illinois Supreme Court to-day decided
the inheritance tax law passed by the