The National tribune., 1900-05-31
CHAT OF THE CORRIDORS.

Serious charges are brought In the press
against the management of the Washing.
ton City Postofice by the General Post
office. 1t is claimed that large sums have
been paid out to favorites who render no
service, or are at least drawing two or more
salaries. Among these is q newspaper
reporter who has been an industrious
trumpeter of Henry Clay Evans, and who
was carried on the Postoffics rolls at 81, ZOO
u year.
The statement that exposures were to be
made in the administration of the Cuban
tariff which would rival those as to the
postal system, does not appear to have any
basis of fact. Gen. Wood expresses the
utmost confidence in Col. Bliss, who has
charge of the customs. There have been
some populations, and about 200 employees,
| mostly CubanS, have from time to time
been detected in these and dismissed. But
every account and act of the Collector will
bear the closest investigation.
i =
For three days last week, Washington
laid herself out to entertain the knights of
the Mystic Shrine, and did it up to concert
| pitch. The weather was all that could be
desired, even for Washington weather,
which can be the finest in the world, when
| it tries. The flowers and the trees did their
prettiest, and the Shriners enjoyed every
| thing to the utmost. In return they gave
w dSllIiS iOH O1lt OI Tie SlEccl
| parades ever seen. In variety and beauty
| Of costumes it was probably the very finest.
| The novelty and taste of some Of them
amounted to genius. And the drilling was
superb.
Among the private pension bills passed
| by the House last Friday were the Senate
| bills to pension the widow of the late Capt.
| Gridley, who commanded the Olympia in
| the battle of Manila, at $50 per month; the
widow of the late Commodore r. W. Meade
| at $40 per month, and the widow of the late
Gen. NJ. F. Force, of Ohio, at $50 per month.
| The latter case is a very pathetic one.
| Gen. Force was on the bench in Cincin-
matt for years, was the author of a num-
| ber of historical and legal works, and
served with great distinction in. the civil
war. Since his death Mrs. Force has
| fallen into destitute circumstances, and is
now engaged in truck farming near Gin
cinnati.
1t is believed that the new battleships
Georgia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey
will be the most formidable things afioat.
They will be of the Indiana class, with all
| the improvements since she was built. They
will be 40 feet long-that is, just one
twelfth of "A mile in length; 75 feet wide at
their maximum breadth, and, upon a dis
placement of Ia 500 tons, will draw "a feet
of water, which is two feet less than ships of
like weight building abroad. They will
be able to make 10 knots an hour, and their
compliments will consist each, of quite
600 officers, seamen and marines. The
main battery will consist of four modern,
high-powered, Pinch breech-loading
rifles and eight up-to-date eight-inch rifles
The secondary or main rapid-fire battery
will be composed of u powerful six-inch
guns, and the tertiary or auxiliary battery
will be q body of no fewer than 40 rapid-fire
pieces, of which II will be 14-polmders,
a dozen others will be three-pounders, six
others will be one-pounders, eight others
will be of the deadly automatic type, and
the two remaining will be effective field
pieces.
The Senate will be much in evidence
in the National Republican Convention
Senator Hanna will call the Convention to
order. Senator WoIcott will be temporary
Chairman. Senator Lodge will be perma-
nent Chairman. Senator Foraker will be
Chairman of theComInittee on Resolutions
Senator Spooner was wanted as the prin-
cipal orator of the occasion to nominate
President Mckinley, but declined on ac-
count of his wife's Illness.
Representative Dolliver, Of Iowa, is sug-
gested as possible formal orator, but it
may be that his Vice-Presidential boom
would interfere. Mr.. Dolliver is being dis
cuSsed as the most likely OF all those Sc
lected for n Vice-Presidential nomination.
and it is significant that one of his strongest
advocates for thus honor is Gen Grosvenor,
the Presidents close friend and Representa-
tive on the floor Of the House.
. =
The position Of Chairman Of the Com
mittee on Resolutions will not be an onerous
one as the platform will be written in
Washington and approved by the Presi-
dent before the Convention assemblies, and
the work of tie Committee will consist
merely in formally approving the decIar-
alton submitted to them.
The Division of Customs and InsliIar
Affairs Of the War Department has made
statement in regard 10 the nationality
of the civilian employees in the Customs
Service of Cuba. According TO this state
ment the total number of employees, on
Bee. 81, 1899, was 66S, of whom SIS were
Cubans, 80 Spaniards, 50 Americans, and
four belonged 10 other nationaitieS.
The Division of Customs and InsuIar
Affairs of the War Department also gave
out the statement that the average annual
salary per man III the United States Gus
toms Service is 81 ,205, while the average
annual salary per man in the Customs
Service of Cuba is $500, making differ
ence i'll the average annual salary in favor
OF the Cuban Customs Service of 1888 per
man, as compared with that service in the
United States. Of the total employees in
the Cuban Customs Service only seven per
cent. are Americans.
Col. Benz f. Marsh, of Illinois. is one of
the characters in the House. He went into
the army in April, 1861. us private in
the 10th ILL.,, became Il Captain III the I'd LII.
Cav. and later Colonel of the regiment,
served four full years, and received four
bullets in his body, some of which he still
carries. So he has record" behind him.
He has a leonine voice and name, and
when he gets started something is going to
happen.