Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1877-07-12
WASHINGTON LETTER.

i WASHINGTON, d. c., June 81 1877.
saw an interesting statement recently
made up in the Treasury Department
concerning certain expenses for the con-
veyance of the votes cast at elections o.
President and Vice President to the sea
of Government. II appears that no com.
pilation las eyer been made excepting a
the election of George Washington arc
the last of General Grant. The cost Of
conveying the votes of the different State.
to the Capital in the former case wa,
81 ,49l and in the latter $1S,103.
In the absence of better employment
gossip mongers busy themselves these
days with The Presidents doings. and
make the most of all his movements by
means Of additions and imaginings of
their own invention. For instance. Geo.
Jones, proprietor of the New York Times,
dlned with President Hayes the other day
and the two afterwards took long drive
together. The next day it was announ.
ced in many circles that something extra
ordinary was about to happen; that the
President was contemplating some prcdig-
ious leap and had been sounding some of
the leading Republican journalists as a
preliminary step.
Postmaster General Key is experiencing
no little annoyance from the presentation
of the 1853 Bet. silver pieces to Postmas-
fers in all sections. This coin is receiva-
able on deposi; only from public officers,
and the public, therefor, thrust them inl
large numbers on the Postmasters. The
Postmaster General has called the attcn =
ion of the Secretary of the Treasury to
he fact, anil recommended that Postmss-
ers be allowed TO exchange these coins
or greenbacks, or that they be withdrawn
rom circulation,
The work Of reform Is still going on in
he Treasury. Investigations are showing
Up m ny things that ought to have been
to light long ago-or rather, tina
'ught never to have existed. A mos,
i gular state of Observation-Disclosures and
xtravagance has existed in some of the
bureaus Of this Department for a good
many years-a state brought about by the
'reat influence of members of Congress
nd Government officers. Hundreds of
emale clerks have been kept on the paw
olls when there was absolutely nothing
Or them to do. simply because some
Congressman recommended them. Con- =
ressmen are very human, and many are
unprincipled; and 1t is certain
lat as long as their influence is absolute
'gard.ng Government appointments, so }
ng disreputable people will become EN-
Oyes.
Secretary Sherman appears determined
carry the wore through, and several
tile incidents, trifling in themselves, 20
show that the committee, appointed to
the wedding cut in his Del artmen,,
e working according to their conviction a
right. For instance: when a large e
'mbcr ct dismissals was recently de- F
ded upon in the Bureau Of Engraving I
I'd Printing. the committee examined in \
the special qualifications and circum
ances OF each Of those comprising the
It, marking the ones whose services Z
uld be ispensed with. One o. the first
mes reached was that of sixteen-hun p
ed-dollar-clerk who occupied promi
mt position, but who could easily be
AIRED and his work done by other CD
a'ives. E. A. Chapman, of ] enn., a =
smber of the committee, remarked At A
ce that this man mu go. Find out
10 he il" said another of the committee
&c who appointed him first.'' II can !
you all about that" said hapman, I
e is my brother-in-law, but we have
t fiyc hundred people to discharge out
this Bureau, aud we had better begin
tn our own relatives. So, off wen,
: brother-in-law's official head.
MARTHA NJ. WHITNEY.