The times., 1897-11-28
GEN. ORDWAY'S SUCCESSOR
The President VIII Make an
Early Selection.
SENATE DOES NOT CONFIRM
Adjntant General Breck Quotes tie
Statutes Governing the Appoint
ment Of the District Militia Chief
Local Desire for District Man
for the Place.

1t is teueysd that the President viii
consldet.lthfs Week the question of a sue
cessor 10 the late Brig. Gen ordway, OF
the District militia. So far, MAJOR Tarries
and Cols Clay have been mentioned as he
ing desired by their respective and col
lecttve friends for this place.
The President has been by no means
allowed to forget that there is such a
place to be filled. lie has already re-
ceived several letters ma king recofnnae en.Ia-
tions, but it was stated yesterday at the
War Department tnat recommendations,
Endorsements, petitions, etc, are not good
form as to this particular office. They
can find III the War Department no record
of any petition, Endorsement or letter urg-
ing the appointment OF Gen. Ordway.
Whether this was given out as a sug
geStion that the President be let lone
in the matter, OF course, does not ap-
pear Oh the record. IL may be only a
coincidence.
The military OF the District, and, Tor that
matter the people Of tl,e District, expect
the President u appoint District man 10
the place. An outsider would undo i1tedly
be not accept5 bic To the people Df Wash
ington. It is not a certainty, however,
that the President viii appoint a District
| man. IL is the unders landing that he dGes
not favor The home rule idea as applied to
| the District, not regarding it in the same
| light as be does State. Report rad IL
yesterday that the President might ap-
point Mr. Hahn, of Ohio, although it was
| scarcely credible that the same man wcUId
| be selected to fill the place Of district
| marshal and brigatlier general of militia
| The matter Of the appointment las al
| ready been taken up in the War Depart
ment, the Secretary tn make the appoint
| ment on the suggestion of the man y the
| President. Adit Gen. Freck has looked
| into the manner of the appointment and
| finds, according to his construction af the
law, that the President has autoeratic au-
| thority as to this appointment, and that
therefore it is not an appointment 20 be
| confirmed by the Senate.
| Adjt. Cen Breck made an interesting
| abstract OF the law relating TO tile sp
| pointment, also referring incidentally to
| other offices and the progress of The mill
tia since 1903.
| Gen. BreeR's abstract is as follows:
| ''Phe act OF March, 1903, with two minor
| ssupp1emertaryt thereto, OF July 1, 1872,
| and March 8, 1925, provide for the organ
| fzation of the District Of Columbia militia.
| ''The act OF 8o3 wasin force until super
seded by the act of March, 1889, to provide
for the organization of the militia of the
| District of Columbia.
This was formerly quite large or
| ganization under the 1903 act. but tIds
was practically broken UP in consequence
| OF the war of the rebellion. The 1903
act provides that the President shall ap
point and commission during pleasure the
| proper officers Of the District of Columi Ia
militia
1.-The question of organizing the militia
was discussed more or less In Congress and
| by the Wa+ Department for ten or twelve
| years prior TO the act of 1889, and Gen.
| 0rdway was commissioned brigatlier gen
| eral in the District OF Columbia militia
| April 10, 1897, by the President.
There is no record in this office Of any
letters or Recommendations for his appoint
/ ment, which was directed TO be mace by
the Secretary OF War.
Section 8, of the act of March, 1889.
| provides that the President Of the United
States sftaH be commander in chief of the
militia of the District of Columbia.
"sectfon Z provides that there shall be
appointed by the President OF the United
states a commanding general of the militia
of the District of Columbia, with the rank
OF brigatier general, who shall hold of
flee until his successor is appointed and
qualified, bdt he may be removed any time
by the President.
''Section 19 provides that all officers
shall be commissioned by the President.
Section 9 provides for the appointment
of al officer Of the Army to act as al
jutant general Of the militia ofthe Districtof
Columbia. who, while 50 assigned shall ,e
commissioned as such, and be subject to the
orders Of the commanding general provided
by this act
'Neither the hrigadier gener nj COM
manding the militia nor any of the offcers
are nominated TO the Senate. Every ap-
pointment rests entirely with the Presi
dent