Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-05-27
PARTISAN POLITICS.
VIRGINIA REPUBLICANS GETTING
OFFICIALS INTO TROUBLE.
TOBACCO MEN IN WASHINGTON.
They Adort Resolution. Protesting
Against Proposed Advance of Tax
on the Wced-Neprcscntn from
yirginia-PcrsonaI Points.


partisan politics in the various depart
ments here, and occasionally they succeed
in getting the chiefs. and even the secre-
taries. into embarrassing positions, II
not into serious trouble. They have In
a few instances secured the removal OF
Virginia Democrats on the ground that
they were offensive partisans, but invesi-
cations are now in progress, the results
Of which will more than probably recon
on the heads of those making the charges
with such force and effect as to nullify
| their influence in this direction in future.
The civil service law may have been
tempered with by both Republican and
Democratic administrations, but the in
vestigations so far show that the service
has been so much improved and benefited
by It that there IS no possible chance for
its repeal, nor will its main provisions
| be materially altered. Most of the Demo
Gratis who have been removed were under
the protection Of the civil-service law,
and it is claimed that the manner In
which their removal was secured Is
gross violation Of the law. and that the
new officials who were imposed upon TO
authorize these removals will be called
TO strict accountability.
Mr.. Mckinley, it is said will rigidly en-
force the law. to which both he and his
party are committed, and he will not con-
sent TO wholesale removals TO crafty
partisan hate or to provide places for
the horde of Republican party heeiers and
followers of congressman and candidates
who were defeated.
APPOINTMENT "HELD Up"
The Virginia Republicans. however not
content with overriding the civil-service
! law. went further, and invaded the sacred
precincts of the War Department. and
/ actually interfered with appointments I'm
the United States army itself. And that
| they did so to the extent Of successfully
| holding up an appointment TO West Point
shows to what an extreme their offensive
partisanry is being carried. and the trou-
/ bic into which they are likely TO get
some of the new officials.
The latest move of these troublesome
/ Virginia supporters of Mr.. Mckinley orlsl-
mated i'm the Fourth District, and was
no doubt engineered by Mr.. II. r. Thorp'
| who is contesting the seat 10 when rep
resentative Epes was squarely ana iaIry
elected. II appears that some months
]
member of the House. as the story has
been related TO me by an official, Mr..
Epes. as well as other members entitled
TO the privilege. received the usual blank
form, to be filed by him for the appointc
ment of a cadet 10 West Point. Mr..
[ Epes accordingly made the selection OF
Young Mr.. Pegram, Of Petersburg, and
/ sent his name to the War Department
I'm the manner prescribed by law. Imagine
his surprise when. after the lapse of some
months he received qetter from Mr..
/ George Pegram. father Of the young gem
tleman whom he had appointed, asking
him if he had not forgotten the matter.
as nothing had been heard from it. Mr..
Epes went at once to the War Depart
rnent. where. to his establishment. he was
Informed that the appointment had been
"held up" at the instance of Mr.. r.. I.
Thorp and other Virginia Republicans,
on the ground that he Ofpes) had been
elected by fraud and that his seat was
being contested by Thorp. This was a
most unparalleled bit of effrontery on the
part Of Thorp and his Virginia associates,
and it was a serious blunder on the part
of the War Department officials to act on
any such representations.
GOING TOO FAR.
Mr.. Epes was the certified member from
the Fourth District; had been sworn in.
and had been for months attending to his
duties as a member of the House OF
! Representatives and entitled to all Of its
privileges. just as much as is Representa-
| tive Reed. Of Maine. or Walker. of Viz
gnia. But an official in the War De-
| partment at the instance of Thorn ana
/ others from Virginia. sits in judgment
upon the case. holds up the appointment
I MI xrfr
! he IS not entitled 10 the privileges pro-
/ vided by law as a member OF Congress.
| This was carrying offensive partisanry
/ a little too far. Nothing Of the sort had
! ever been attempted before and nobody
but presumptuous Mr.. ThOrp and his as
sociates would ever have thought OF
making such a move; nor any but ma
! Hgnant Republican official in the War
! Department Of acting upon II.
OF course. when the matter was brought
| 10 the attention Of Secretary Alger, who,
| although he had signed the paper hold
ing up" the appointment, said he knew
absolutely nothing about It. he admitted
that IL was a great mistake, that he had
been imposed upon, and at once proceeded
to issue the official appointment Of Mr..
Pegram as cadet at West Point from the
Fourth District of Virginia. The matter
has created big scandal in the War De-
partment and the officials who We're 50
ofIicious are in disgrace with the Secre-
tary
PERSONAL
Colonel A. $. Buford, of Richmond, is
I'm the city to-day attending to some
private business. He is stopping at the
! Metropolitan.
Eppa Hunton, IT., Warrenton: John \.
Lamb. Richmond; Benjamin Mines, Pc
M II
ton Va. are at the Metropolitan.
The illness of the Rev. William Price,
chaplain at the Soldiers Home, Hamp-
ton. Va. has called there his father-in-
law, Colonel Charles Il. Lincoln, of this
city. who left by the Old Point steamer
yesterday evening
Evan p. Howell and wife, of Atlanta,
Ca. are here stopping at the Metro
politan.
w. w. Beekman. Virginia; II. l.. Lane.
Vireinia-Howard House.
]. w. Kenney and wife and Miss Ken
nev Virginia are at the oxford.
r. e. Wilsher and WIFE Lynchburg; G.
= Rasham Virginia: j. @. West, Vir-
einjt. Mrs. II. i. Dick, Miss c. Dick and
Miss NJ. Dick, Of North Carolina, are at
the ST. James.
II NJ Thomas and wife and J. Hasser-
~ Virginia; Mrs. l. Il. Taylor and son,
Richmond. are at the Metropolitan.
Superintendent c. Il. McCluer. Of the
Rell Telephone Company. and c. +. Nc
Cluer of Richmond. are registered at the
Metropolitan Mr.. McCluer is extending
lines and phones in Virginia.
POSTAL.S.
Among the fourth-class postmasters
,a,,,,rissioned to-day are the following:
IoSenh III. Beeman. Snow Ill., n. c.;
Thomas Brown. Hamilton, Va; Thompson
- ,sroclett Max Meadows Va; Charles