The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-10-25
now AROUT THIS, CINCINNATI?

Col. Asa Bird Gardiner, the Tammany
Greater New York campaign, is receiv-
ing, by reason Of his candidacy, an un-
usual amount Of publicity. quite out Of
the limits OF the sphere In which he
ordinarily shines
Hero in Rhode Island Col. Gard liner is
who are OF Revolutionary ancestry. and
to the newspaper reporters. The latter
are wont to interview him once each year.
on the Fourth day of July. either in this
city or Newport. that being the date and
one capital or the other the place of the
annual meeting of tho Rhode Island
Chapter OF the Society of the Cinci nnati,
the "toniest, OF the Revolutionary or
ganizations, since 1t had its beginning in
Revolutionary days was then limited In
mcik bership TO officers Of the Continental
army and is now limited to descendants
of officers by the law Of primogeniture.
George Washington. was its first president.
and Asa Bird Gardiner is secretary of the
Rhode Island Chapter as we'll as secretary
general OF the order of which six chap
ters survive, we believe. To the reporters,
annually. on each Fourth of July. Col.
Gardiner nffably and accurately furnishes
the official details of the sombrs and
stately proceedings of the annual meet
ing of the Rhode Island Chapter.
Now. here comes the Sun, which is
"aRin" Col. Gardiner, In common with
the whole Tammany ticket, to accuse the
secretary OF tho Rhode Island Chapter of
tho Cincinnati OF being good deal of q
fakir as Cinclnnatus of standing. 1t
docTarts that when the Rbode Island
mem bers of tho order pethought them
selves to revive their lBpsed charter.
back In the middle '70's, they were ad-
vlsed TO secure tho services of lawyer
with tho right kind OF influence to look
after their interests The name of Asa
Bird Gardiner was suggested to them.
lie was retained. ard through his efforts
tho Rhode Island Chapter was revived.
with its revival Col. Gardiner came
up for mem bership ana was elected.
Since then he has been prominent in
tho organization.
Now, declares the Sun, "Some time no.
fore tho death of the late Hamilton Fish,
Secretary of State under Grant the then
president general OF the society. he was
called upon by gentleman Interested in
historical matters, to get datn for an ar
ticls on the society. In tho course Of the
historians talk with Mr.. Fish. the name
of Col. Gardiner was mentioned. The
mere mention OF the name seemed to ir.
ritate the venerable statesman. When
the name had been mentioned several
times Mr.. Fish said TO his visitor; The
least said about Gardiner the better. Ho
has no more right to belong TO this So
ciety than somebody whose ancestors
never know there wns an American Revo-
luton. He asked the Rhode Island
people to get him made a member. ana
they did IL in return for the work he did
in getting them in I"
Moreover, President John Coohrane OF
the Wv York branch Of the society is
quoted as having declared that Col. Gard
liner would have much more difficulty in
establishing his own right to membership
than he had in making out the case of the
Rhode Island people. Mr.. Cochrnne also
said that one of the members of the
Rhode Island Chapter bad told him that
IL had been agreed as one OF the condi-
tions on which Gardiner undertook to se.
cure the renewal o. tho Rhode Island
charter that In case he was successful he
should be made "a member Of the society.
And, finally, specification Ia tho
charge that the sun inakes is to ito effect
tnnt Col. uardiner's last name is not
Gardiner by the way, but Gardner. On
July IL. 1884 upon his application, the
Court of Common Pleas changed tho
name 20 Gardiner. There is wcll-known
Revolutionary family by the latter name.
SO far as history records, there is mono by
the name OF Gardner.
All this Is very grave and Of serious i'm
port Perhaps some Of the Revolutionary
descendants either in tho line OF tie frat
born from the Cincinnati or .frum tho
rank and nlo know something Of this.
Perhaps MIR Sidney y Rider could en-
Tighten an interested public II isapity
n Col Gardiner has been DETAINED in the
matter OF bis Revolutionary prestige just
teesase he-kurrruS have taken
plunge into the boiling sea of politics
The New York Central Railroad. one
OF the best equipped and test managed
properties In the world has yet suffered
some Of tho most appalling disasters In