Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-07-24
Our Washington Letter.

When Columbus set the egg on
end by breaking the shell, he not
only astonished the wiseacres who
had ciphered out the conclusion that
the thing was impossible, but he also
broke the thick shell Of prejudice
which grows and aggregates around
old methods and ideas, forms and GUS
toms, to maintain them long after
their original use and virtue has died
out. We were thinking Of this in
connection with President Grant who,
whatever may be his merits or short
comings in a partizan view, dis
plays streak of originality not ex-
ceeded by the great Christopher him
self. 1t was an old time theory,
strongly intrenched in the sentiments
of the American people, that the
institutions Of the country, and the
well being, if not the safety of the
people, depended upon having at the
seat Of government the official head
of the nation, with an eagle eye
ceasclessly on the watch to detect
the first insidious approach Of danger,
to guard the temples Of justice, to
incite the lazy official to activity, and
to keep things in order generally.
People verify thought the Govern
ment wheel might stop some day
were the President absent from the
capital any length of time, but Grant
has exploded the notion and proved
by demonstration that it is all the
same, so far as results are concerned,
whether the Government is at Long
Branch or Washington. Now that
we are used to it, complaint has ceas-
ed almost, and it is taken as thing
Of course that the President will
avoid the heat of Washington if he
can. All right. We not only get
on, but are freed from the idea that
we couldn't, and it is just as well.
The fact is, that Mir. Richardson let
out little secret when he said that
certain papers were signed by ''rou-
tine" Mr.. Routine is quite a little
| fellow not much known, but he does
an extensive business in Washington.
He is the A. I. Stewart of politics.
He reads all the letters, hunts up the
authorities, fishes out the precedents,
makes the foot-notes, and in nine
cases out of ten, he practically de-
cidcs what is to be done, for the See
rotary usually has before him only
what MIR. Routine has prepared, and
therefore sees only the case as pre-
scented by him. Mr.. Bristow thinks
he will get along without Routine,
and the announcement plcases, be-
cause the people don't like the little
fellow; but Mr.. Bristow is mistaken,
and Routine knows it, and laughs.
Mr.. Bristow is what Hosea Bigelow
describes as a "dretlle smart feller,"
but he has limitations. He can't read,
digest, consider, and answer 700 i'm
portant letters in a day, and after he
has spent some seven hours upon
seven OF the most important, he must
cave in, and the old 693 will then
fall to Mr.. Routine, as Routine is
well aware.
The mistake of Richardson was in
confession. When he gave credit to
Routine and shirked responsibility,
people jumped to the conclusion that
there had been no Secretary of the
Treasury, which, though not true,
came nearer being than ever before,
no doubt. 1t was not well to have it
known that the Secretary does not
know all the details, and inspire all
the decisions, as it tends to loss of
confidence, and in measure impairs
the personality of government, but
it explains i'll part, how the Govern
ment goes on when the President
and Cabinet are away. Mr.. Routine
is the chap who then performs, and
has his say about matters. Mr.. Rou-
tine is accused Of being slow, and of
having invented the plan of chow
not to do it" but in the Sanborn bus
mess there was no complaint of this
nature, and Mr.. Foster and Mr.. Daw-
es seemed to think he was spry
enough, and quite good enough mem-
Der of the hurry-np-society, which
hasn't a large membership in the city
of Washington, according to COM
mon report. Mr.. Routine was the
death Of Richardson as Secretary, af-
ter having been his faithful servant
so long. . .,
The new Secretary seems to have
abandoned the syndicate method of
placing the loan, so we shall see
whether the money Rings will be
able to stop investments unless they
are allowed to levy their '.per she'st."
1t will require nerve and patience to
stand out against the rascals, but all
true patriots will rejoice if the sharp
ers and shavers are defeated.
After all the effort to close up ac-
counts on the 3Oth of June, it wasn't
done, and many bills due had to go
over, and the claimants must wait for
their money until the next winters
deficiency bill goes through.
Newspaper Ovnership.
The Sioux City Journal gives ut