Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-09-18
BY JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN

!. !. . !.
BY JOHN DICKINSON SHERMAN
wwY ASHINGTON, the Capital city, has
M IA Gear" and his name is Col
WI ia Clarence 0. Sheriff., U. s. A.
IA "a Anyway so says Thomas Lindsay
M WE Blanton of Abilene, representative
@@ from the Seventeenth congression-
al district of Texas Newspaper
u readers will recall that Repre-
WA ~ sentative Blanton recently took
| A$SM the country into his confidence re-
GN3E@ gardng his views of Sheriff..
" - - More recently he got out book
let on the same subject What his
next move will be has Washington guessing. For
Blanton is a persistent chap and evidently is
out cunning for Sheriff.. Up to date Sherrills
only reply seems to have been passing refer
ence In public address to the Texan as "busy
body" That unkind cut, for the pages or
the Congressional Record proof that the
activities of the Texas representative are mani
fold. Indeed, envious colleague is credited with
the remark, "Blanton do more in minute
to uuddy the pond than any man in congress"
The government of Washington and the District
Of Columbia seems funny enough without Gear
to the visitor to the capital It's government by
congress and commission Apparently they act
about "hfty-ifty" And 1t would take Philadel-
pha lawyer to find out where one ends and the
other begins. Moreover, the District is always
blaming congress for manifold woes. And con-
gress is usually considering some proposal to do
something drastic to the inhabitants of the Dis
trict.
Nevertheless, Blanton says-In spite of con-
gress aud the commlssion-that Sheriff. is
Gear" He declares he has "evldence of great
probative concusiveness" against the colonel, and
that mo Gar has ever been in more complete
control" than is this North Carolina soldier over
one-seventh of the districts population. Colonel
Sheriff., he asserts, presides "arrogantly and
Il IL, \, lar
maker, law enforcer, contract letter, concession
granter employee hirer employee dscharger,
money disburser, judge, jury and executioner,
from whose iron decree there is no way of
escape"
Colonel Sheriff. has served "a years in the
United States army, having been an honor man
in the West Point class of 1901. He has always
been of the engineers, with the exception of the
period of the World war Then he chief OF
staff of the Seventy division. He fought in
the Meuse-Argonne, on the Vese and in Belgium.
He won the Distinguished Service Medal and the
Croix de Guerre Sheriff. was with the Seventy
seventh from the day it modified until it
was brought home. Probably this fighting New
York division would give Sheriff. a certificate of
efficiency we'll up toward the 100 per cent mark.
Sheriff. seems to have begun his Washington
career as assistant aid to Roosevelt In his
second term. When Harding went to the White
House he made this of Confederate veteran
his personal aid. President Coolidge kept Sheriff.
duty at the White House, using him as his
personal escort at public functions in the recep-
ton of diplomats, etc But duties piled up on
Sheriff. the President relieved him of many of
these social duties in order that he might have
time 10 tackle the many Jobs congress has of
late showered upon him. Doubtless Sheriff. will
be missed at these social functions for he is a
presentable igufe-tall. slender. back-haired and
black eyed--in the uniform of the engineers
Sheriff. is not in "Whos Who" Possibly the
publishers felt that the complete list of all his
various past and present activities and positions
would take up more room than they could afford
incidentally il is Washington qup that Blanton
Is Jealous. BIanton's biography in the Congress
sional Directoryone of the longest--runs to more
than 40 words, whereas much longer could
ba written by Sheriff.; indeed mere list Of his
jobs and duties would run beyond that. In fact
In making the list ones first thought Il that IL
would be easier to mention the District OF Column
bu activities In which he takes no part
y v
cursory examination of the Congressional
Directory shows that the commissions regard HIN
highly executive officer aud handy