The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-01-31
Nomination of Col. Asa b. Carey to- BE
of Brigadier General stanton.
BREVETS FOR MANY OFFICERS
BOARD OF PROMOTION HONORs NU-
MEROUs SANTIAGO HEROES.
COMMITTEES on Judiciary Opposes Com
frmation of JudEe-Cruiser Phil
adeIphia to Sail soon.
.cIaI % the Indianapolts JournaI.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal,
WASHINGTON, jan S0.-There is a
proverb that says Great oaks from little
acorns grow People are reminded of this
proverbial wisdom when, by learning that
one consideration that is making for the
ratification of the peace treaty is the desire
of the Democrats to prevent the Republic
ans, who will have a clear majority in the
Senate after March 4, from reoTganizng
that body before the regular session of the
Fifty-sixth Congress next December. Under
the existing organization Democrats fill
fully one half the offices. They are particu-
larly plentiful under Colonel Bright SER
geant-at-arnls. He is a regular Indiana
Democrat and has filled all the places about
him with men Of the same faith so far as
it has been in his power to do so. AS the
Senate now stands neither party has a ma
jority, though the Republicans have plural
ity When this condition came about in the
last Congress a compromise was effected by
which the Republicans took the chairman-
ships of the principal committees, but left
the chief offices, including the secretary and
the sergeant-at-aTms, in the hands of the
Democrats. Naturally most of the employees
under them are Democrats Another part OF
the compromise was to give the Democrats
an unusually large number of chairman-
ships of unimportant committees each Of
which has a room in the Capitol and a
clerk. These clerks are, of course, Demo-
Gratis. In all there are about one hundred
places now filed by Democrats. Reorganiza-
tion means that about so per cent. of them
will go and they want to defer their dis
missal as long as possible If there is no
extra session of Congress they will hang on
nine or ten months with nothing to do and
a comfortable salary for doing it. Petty as
this consideration may seem it has weight
with Democratic senators and 1t all helps
to turn the scale against forcing the treaty
over to special session in the spring. 1t
may be that this would not be sufficient
to cause any senator really opposed to the
treaty to vote for it's ratification, but 1t GER
tajnly has effect in reconciling them to
the taking of the vote at this session with
the knowledge that it will be ratified. This
would be indeed a slender thread on which
to hang a great national policy, but it seems
that it is one of the threads just the same.
John B. Newman, of indianapolis, vet
eran railway mail clerk, has been appointed
to a position in the Cuban mail service I'M
der Major Z. b. Rathbone. Representative
Overstreet was especially earnest in his
advocacy of Mr.. Newman.
Representative Overstreet to-day made a
personal appeal to the President in behalf
of w. D. Bynum, who is seeking appoints
ment on the Board of General Appraisers
in New York city a place that pays $1,000
a year. Mr.. Overstreet succeeded Mr.. By
mum in Congress. The latter has since be-
come squarely identified with the Repub-
lican party and makes his candidacy for
appraiser sauarely as az Republican He
rendered distinguished political service for
sound money in 1896. He is here in person
to press his claims on President Mckinley.
DR.. o. w Brandon writes First Assistant
Postmaster General Heath to inquire if
sistant surgeons in the army will be selected
according to civil-servlce regulations un-
der the provisions of the pending army re-
organization BILL The answer given is mo-
the President having the appointments.
What the bill will provide when it finally
passes Congress, If at all, is an unknown
quantity.
The long pending dispute over the post
.nastership of oxford, o., a controversy that
has contributed more than any other one
thing to engender ill-feeling between the
Hanna and Foraker factions, win be settled
by the appointment of Charles A. Shera
First National Bank of Oxford, and seems
10 be the only man in the community
against whom the factions have no grudge.
Captain w. IL. Elliott, of New Castle,
Ind, the newly appointed director Of the
posts for Porto Rico, has arrived in Wash
ington. He will take a couple of weeks
practical training in the Washington post
office before sailing for Porto Rico. Lee
Nixon, his secretary will reach here to-
morrow
DR.. Garrett d. Leach. Of Muncie. Ind.
will probably be appointed to the post of
physician and nurse in the army smallpox
hospital at Savannah. His son is there suf-
fering from the dread disease, and the
father sought an opportunity to be with
him. DR.. Leach made reputation in In
diana many years ago by consecrating him
self to the work of stamping out a smallpox
plague in Muncie, giving up nearly a year
of his time TO it and making the pesthouse
his home. He is a heroic character
The government commission for the re-
vision and codihcation of the criminal and
penal laws of the United States is now
considering. and # is understood viii i'm
corporate IN its final codification an amend-
ment TO the existing law prohibiting the
maintenance in any city of any private let
ter-box scheme While intended 70 break up
the facilities now fourishing in many cities
for clandestine immoral and improper cor
Tespondence. the promotion of fraudulent
schemes and the boycotting of a postmaster
through subsequent direct delivery 10 trains
by using private letter boxes at cigar stands,
stationery stores and other private places.
the proposed aw Is directly the result Of the