St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-06-08
Washington Letter.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, June ], 1877.

many sensible things since she came to
Washington, to attract the approval of
the thinking people of the country.
Her example, modifying the extrava-
years distinguished society at the Capt.
tai, and her noble stand in favor of
practical temperance have made her so
many friends that her popularity runs
far ahead of that of any of her prede-
cessors at the White House. The last
graceful act, giving indubitable evil
dence of having been prompted by a
good heart, was that of strewing flow.
ers upon the soldiers graves at Airing
ton on Decoration day. She in compa-
ny with her little daughter, proceeded
to the tomb of the Unknown, and evad-
ing as much as possible the public gaze.
deposited the sweet tokens of remem-
brance upon the resting places of those
who have not been identified, but whose
heroic sacrifices are known to Omnis-
cience. This simple act speaks volumns
in favor of Mrs. Hayes.
IvIL-sERvICE REFORM THE WORK OF
LEGISLATION.
1t is very evident that any system of
rules and regulations for the guidance
of the heads of Departments in making
appointments for the civil service of the
Government should be statutory, if it
be desirable to secure uniformity and
permanence. AS we have it at present,
there is no general application of well
considered set of rules, made to be ap-
plicable to all the Departments. The
Secretaries and Postmaster and Attor-
ney Generals have each his individual
views, which he proposes to adopt for
the government of his own household.
One says "nO more than one of a family
should be employed.n Another permits
two or more of the same domestic cir
Gle to feed at Uncle Sans crib. There
is no uniformity, and until there be
some general rules established by law,
all talk about civil-service reform is
merely talk and no more.
AMENDING STATE CONSTITUTIONS IN THE
SOUTH.
1t was predicted long ago that so soon
as the Democratic party would get con-
troll of the Southern State Governments,
systematic efforts would be made to
overthrow the whole work of recon
structiOn in detail. We now have evil
dence of the truth of that prophecy. In
Georgia, it is proposed to call Con-
ventiOn for the purpose of amending
the State Constitution. In South Car
DINA, similar action is to be resorted to,
to remodel the existing fundamental
law. Before another decade shall have
passed away, scarcely vestige of the
provisions for the protection of all elias
ses without regard to trace, color, or
previous condition of servitude" will
remain. Truly the fifteenth amend
ment of the Constitution of the United
States prohibits any State action in de-
rOgation of this equality, but with the
evidence we have of the rapid strides
towards the acknowledgement of the
old States Rights doctrine, the Consti-
tutional inhibition will be questioned,
or the accomplishment of the end de-
sired will be reached by indirection.
WANT OF UNITY IN THE CABINET.
The members of the Cabinet of Presi-
dent Hayes are widely apart on queS-
tons that will be live issues during this
administration. Evarts and Schurz are
in accord, or nearly so, on the tariff
question. Thompson and Sherman are
believed to be prOtectionists, and will
antdgoniZe them. Schurz, Evarts and
Sherman hold similar financial views,
with Evarts in favor of bimetalic
standard. Thompson and Key are in
favor of granting subsidies. The other
members of the Cabinet are supposed
to be opposed. There never was such
a disparity of opinions, Judging from
the individual recOrds) held by any
Cabinet since the organization of the
Government, on vital questions of Gov
ernmental policy. la constructing his
Message to Congress the President will
gain little from the advice of his Minis
tiers. He cannot reflect the views of
all. He will be compelled to stand in
dependentiy upon his own.
DEMOCRATIC osTRACIsM.
Democrats in Washington laugh in
their sleeves when they compare the
treatment accorded to the members of
their party, who are continued in De-
partmental service under Republican
rule, with that of Republican employees
in a Department of the Government
under Democratic rule. Isaac Strohm,
of Ohio, had been engrossing clerk of
the House of Representative for seven
teen years. He was a model officer,
whose services could not be dispensed
with during the last two sessions of the
House, but being a good Republican,
he was told Il few days ago, that they
could nOa0 manage to get along without
him, and that he might go and leave
room for some Democrat. The old man
has gone, and furnishes another evil
dence that with Democrats in power
no Republican need apply, while, under
Republican Administration, the pO-
litical antecedents of neither occupants
nor applicants are to be inquired into.
Is this the feast to which Republicans
were invited ?
DECORATION DAY AT BALLS BLUFF.
The ceremony of decorating with
flowers the graves of the Union soldiers
who fell at Balls Bluff is represented
to have been of an interesting character.
The orator of the day was Hon. Alonzo
Bell, the Assistant Secretary of the In
terror. Mr.. Bell is gentleman of fine
literary attachments, from whose pen
emanated many political productions
during recent campaigns. AS an officer
of the Government he stands in high
estimation with all who have had bust
ness intercourse with him, while he
possesses the entire confidence of his
Chief. We hope Mr.. Bell will publish
his address, so that his many friends,
who had not the pleasure of being pres
ent on the occasion of its delivery, may
have an opportunity of benefitting