The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-03-09
THE FAILURE TO
CONFIRM BREYETS
Lies At the Door of Senator
HaWley.
PRESIDENT DISAPPOINTED
The Promotions Are Merely Honorary,
and Garry No Increase of Salary
Whatever An Honor Roll
Will Be Devised.

Washington. March -(speciaL)-There
is much indignation felt in army circles
because of the failure of the senate to con-
firm the brevet appointments made for
bravery. These appointments merely con-
ferred rank without pay on the heroes of
the war with Spain. Everybody from Shat
ter down suffers from this oversight. The
president thought they would certainly go
through, and paid no attention to them
after he sent in the names to the senate.
II must be said, however, in defense of the
senate that the fault does not lie with that
body as whole, but with the committee
on military affairs and with its chairman,
Senator Eawley, in particular.
The president will try to make up for the
failure to confirm as far as he is able. In
order that the country may know just
whom to honor he will cause to be printed
the names of all those he recommended for
brevets. He will have them published in q
pamphlet form to be known as sort of
roll of honor. This idea, If carried out
properly, as doubtless it will be, will be
even a greater honor than If they had been
conferred and filed away in some musty
office in the war department.
The bad management of these nominal
lions seems inexcusable. They were sent
to the senate three weeks ago. and every
day some member of the senate asked Sem
ator Hawley about them. He kept delay
ing matters until finally IL was too late.
The fact of the matter Is, the chairman of
the military affairs committee Is getting
too old to hold that responsible position.
Senator Hawley is one of the most courte-
GUS and graceful men in the senate, but in
capable of handling bill if not in accord
with a large majority of the senate. He
was a good fighter, and pursues now the
methods he did when in command at Men,
phis after the close of the war. He does
not like to give reasons, and in fact, knows
none save the Importance he attaches to
some proposed legislation.
He is called in the cloak room the knight
ly member of the senate, but, like many
knights. he is dogmat'c. Once year he
makes a speech. 1t is not much of speech,
but it is of sufficient Importance to him
that he makes 1t every year and about the
same time. 1t is always on the dignity and
power of the central government. But he
is getting forgetful now. or else good ma
tured. which is about as bad in a man who
is at the head of some big committee. AS
long as a chairman will let himself and his
bills be sidetracked, just so long will some
other head of a committee sidetrack him.
1t was doubtless case of sidetrack in the
matter of the brevet nominations.
AT the first session of the next congress
the president will send the names which he
will at this time embody in book form to
the senate. and they will then be confirmed
In the meantime this book with the names
of the heroes in It, will be distributed freely
to members of congress and the house, and
the president will also express his hope
that they will be printed in the press OF
the country. A. w. B.