The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1869-10-30
Dr.. Of the woRKMsMAN's Advocate.
: FROM WASHINGTON.

The Scdy Fbssed officials try to Control The Ladependen
Frsss-They Attempts 10 WTthhOld and Suppress all I'M
formation ia Relation TO Government 4fairs srcept-
such il nrits their Inherent to furnish.
WAsHINGroN, Oct. q, 1869.
Little is known to the public Of the man.
ner in which the special correspondents in
Washington obtain the news presented each
day for the readers benefit in the Washing
ton letters and dispatches. The heads and
sub-heads. of departments and others who are
possessed of facts that the country has O
right to know, studiously cultivate a mYs-
FERROUS bearing and conversation when
called upon by a special correspondent.
Heretofore the rule has been the reverse.
Everybody had a chance. There was room
for all, plenty to write about, and CORES
pondents were facilitated aud assisted in
their search for correct information. Now
the specials" are avoided, and when there
is news to be given out, three questions
arise First, 10 ths item one that will give
an exalted idea Of the administration Of the
department or bureau? Second, will 1t
contain the name and be puff for the head
thereof. Third, has any information ii may
contain IA relation to government affairs,
that 10 the estimation Of the chief clerk, the
people-the taxpayers-ought not to have,
been carefully expunged2
Other considerations are overlooked If il
m Gets these three requirements il is com
municated to the Asso ciated Press The
theory Of the tycoons Of the departments
chief clerks and heads CT Bureaus-is, that
governments are instituted for the benefit Of
governing class; and therefore the press
of the country should be made a mere record
of department bulletins and puffs, instead Of
a medium Of correct news.
Let US 60 through the Departments and
see how the thing is done. Take first the
Interior Department It's Secretary is pro-
badly the most accessible and accomUda-
ting Of any. Our business in bis depart
me1t is principally with the heads of
bureaus. The Commissioners Of Indian
affairs and Pensions will answer any ques-
tion fairly and squarely, either affirmatively or
negatively. The Commissioner Of the Gen
eral Land Office, good old soul, has each day
without fail, one or more items ready writ
ten for publication in which his full name
and Office may always be found, upon the
first two lines, and the Commissioners in
tention in the case are announced further
down. The good people of the country
read every day Of the immense amount Of
public lands sold for cash, located with
scrip or military land warrants Of the
thousands Of farms added to the productive
area of some State in the Union during the
past month, all through the policy adopted
By Commissioner Wilson, Of the General
Land Office. Probably a thousand infat Gus
land grabs have been fixed up 10 that Office
during the past thirty years, in which time he
has filed every position in the Office, from
messenger to commissioner. He knows more
about public land matters than any ran il
the United States, and yet not one Of his
prepared paragraphs make the most remote
mention Of the numerous land SUindLes that
are continually before his office, and cues
lions in relation thereto are met by a series of
eU0siUe replies.
Let Especial" visit theState d epartment.
The statement Of his business il listened to
by the airy and i'll injured chief clerk Of
that establishment, Mr.. Chew, who, in the
blsndest manner possible, informs him that
when news is communicated from there, il
is written out as they desire it published, and
given to the public through channel under
their control. If the Speciar' insists upon
obtaining the information he desires, he is
told that be must wait until Secretary Fish
shall return to the city, and consult him.
That gentleman and his assistant are always
willing to authorize denisls of dispatches
upon foreign affairs, BY the Wholesale, ven
ture to furnish news. "Upon that
point" says Mr.. Craw6sh, +" caunot re-