The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1871-11-04
albany Be0istef.
orr WASHINGTON LETTER..
WASHINGTON. Oct. 20. 1871,
OFFICE SEEkEsss.

IN a0tlcilatioJ VI tii| SH HNAae "'' ~ |
are crowded with Office seekers from
all parts OF the country, who are pre-
pairing their claims to present ~ TIE
different departments, The majority
of them are here awaiting the arrival
of their Member or Senator, SO rs to
-be the first to receive any tiEoss, II
these distinguished individuals are dis
posed to grant them. Senators anu
Representatives viii, no doubt, be
thankful when ali the offices are filled, |
-as they are bored to death by the inev-
liable Office seeker and their private
-sanctums are invaded at all times by
the persistent applicant who will not
he put off with 40 for an answer, but
must have their names on their (thc
applicants) papers before they Will
leave; or their case must be made Il
special one, and the SenatoS or Repre-
sentative is compelled to drop all other
business, 10 matter ho~ important
>and go to the Department and get the
office, before he will be permitted to
rest. Long John Wentworth, while Il
Meber, told your correspondent that
~'.thes&-d office SEEK RS would not give
him time to pay" L knew of one
Senator WHO was compelled to change
his pace of residence two or three
times during the last session to get rid
OF these pests; he would scarcely get
settled down in new quarters before
they would be down OIL him like a
pack of hungry wolves, and at last he
was compelled TO give up in despair
and submit to the torture.
The old members, who Lave passed
tllreagh the ordeal, and have been ini-
tiated into the tricks and workings of
these chaps, get rooms in Georgetown
or some other oIt-of- -the-Way place, and
thereby manage to eyade these stick
ing plasters to a great extent. No
person can form an idea to what extent
office seeking is carried on, and what
means the parties interested resort to
to gain their object, money and women
sometimes being freely used. it IS Il
shameful fact that Senators ard Repre-
sentatiyes are compelled, at times, to
recommend men for office whom they
never saw before. Both houses of
Congress, some time ago, cndeayored
TO abolish the present system of recon-
nendtieis, bat wege defeated in the
good work for the want of time. Last
session they passed Il bill creating the
Civil Service Commission, whose duty.
the bill stated, was to prescribe rules
and regulations for the admission OF
persons into the civil service of the
government; but, up to date, the COM
mission has failed to protect either the
Departments or our lawmakers. |
have it from good authority, that al
effort will be made during the coming
session of Congress to pass bill pro-
Viding for the retention of clerks, etc.
in office during good behavior. This
will, to Il great extent, do away with
the nuisance. Some stringent meas.
ures must be adopted for the protec
tion of Congress and the Departments
as the thing has become a disgrace tc
this nation, and opens the way to f1aut
and theft. Merit, to-day, is not con
-sldered as recommendation for DO
;sition. The Civil Service Commission
might and could make itself famous
and receive the applause of the Ameri
can people, by breaking up the presen
mode of distributing public patronage
The President is still absent, in Bos
ton, Mass. lie went there the early
part Of last week. in company with the
Postmaster General, to assist in laying
the cornerstone Of the new post offic.
that is about to be erected by the gov
ernment in that city. He will not re
turn until Saturday or Sunday next.
General Sherman has obtained
leave of absence, to visit Europe. III
will be accompanied by Col. AndeI:
reid, of his staff. While away TIN
General will make military inspec
ton of the European armies and forti
fications, and visit the late battle field
III France. The Object of the visit is
10 doubt, to ascertain the modus ope'
<,,,dt Of European warfare.
INDIAN BUREAU.
The position OF Commissioner of In
dian Affairs still remains vacant, not
withstanding there are hundreds OF ap
plications on file for the position, ant
numerous gentlemen are visiting tn
Secretary every day and attempting t
convince him that they are the Yer.
men for the place, and could serve tn
government faithfully in that capacity
The place was rendered to Mr.. Bruno
some time ago, by the President, bu
he IlCSitiyalv refuses the honor I'll