The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-05-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.

| from the West Point Military Acade-
my for alleged INSTRUMENTATION called
at the war department this morning
and sought an audience with Secre-
tary Root. Their names are Henry
L. Bowlby. of Nebraska; John A.
Cleveland, of Alabama; Trangott F.
Kelley, of New York; Raymond A.
Linton, of Michigan, and Birchie o..
Mahaffey, of TeXe 3. They came alone,
but were joined soon after by Sena-
tor Cockrell of Missouri, and Sena-
tor Hawley, of Connecticut, each of
whom saw Secretary Root separately
and urged that the boys be given a
hearing. Senator Cockrell is especial
ly interested in the case of young
Clevela nd, who is a son of an officer
who served in Senator Cockrell's bri-
gade during the war of the rebellion.
Sens tor Hawley told the Secretary
of War that his only interest in the
cadets arose from a desire to have
them treated with kindness, and given
an opportunity to state their side of
the case. One of the cadets, speak
ing for all of them, had an interview
with Senator Hawley, and after hear
ing the statement the Senator
thought they were entitled to hear
ing before the Secretary of War. Fur
ther than making a request for the
hearing, Senator Hawley has no CON
nection with the matter.
Secretary Root said that he would
see the cadets at $50 o'clock this af-
ternoon, but simply for the purpose
of hearing what they had to say in
their own behalf, and with no idea of
reversing the action already taken by
the department, which resulted in
their discharge from the Military
Academy.
The dismissed cadets claim that
they have been tried and condemned
without hearing, and without know
ing the testimony against them, or
having an opportunity to reply to it.
The law officers of the department
who have investigated the matter
say that there is no way in which dis
missed cadets can be restored to the
academy, save by reappointment
through misrepresentation of the dis
trict to which each is accredited,
which musHhave the approval,of the
academic board at West Point.
1t is stated at. the navy department
that no definite information has been
received there regarding the time of
the launching of the battleship Maine
or the selection of the sponsor for the
ship on that occasion. The published
statement that the vessel would be
launched on Memorial day is evident
ly premature and unauthorized. No
official information on the point has
yet been received at the navy depart
ment. Captain Sigsbee, chief of the
naval intelligence office, has made a
statement in regard to the selection
of the Maine sponsor in which he
says:
1t has been the invariable custom
for the battle ships built for the
United States to be christened by
some maiden selected after the firm
building the ship had consulted with
the governor of the State for which it
was to be named. am sure that this
procedure will be followed in the case
of the new Maine.
Il desire most sincerely to make it
plain that no member of my family
has sought this honor either directly
or indirectly. We recognize that, be-
ing natives of New York State, we
have no claim on the governor of
Maine"
Although there is no definite infor-
nation on that point, there is an i'm
preston that the governor will desig-
nate Miss Caroline Frye Biggs, gran
daughter of the senior Senator from
Maine, to christen the battle ship.
George A. C. Christiancy, acting
assistant attorney general for the
postoffice department, today recon-
mended to the acting postmaster gen
eral that a fraud order be issued
against the American News Clipping
Company of Chicago. The recon-
mendation has been approved and
the order has been issued.
1t is charged that the company
named advertised that IS hundred
would be paid for newspaper clip
plings. Persons who wrote to the
company were informed that the
necessary outfit would cost $2.75.
Upon receipt of this sum an outfit of
small value would be sent and the
correspondent would be advised that
IS hundred would be paid for press
clippings relating to spinal curvature
and locomotor ataxia. There was
also sent schedule of prices which
would be paid for clippings upon rare
subjects.
The company was cited to appear
before the attorney general for the
postoffice department and show cause
why fraud order should not be is