Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1877-07-13
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER,
Correspondence of the Bulletin.


WASHINGTON, D. c., July 6, 1877.
The President is now on duty again
after his tour among the New England
ers. He and his family, upon their
return, Immediately removed their resi-
dence to the Soldiers Home. The White
House is therefore unused except for
business purposes; and it is closed to
the visitor, excepting the East Room,
which, like as when Gen. Grant was
absent at Long Branch, has had it's fur
niture removed and presents merely it's
mirrors and an occasional covered chair
to the caller as evidences of the splen-
dor when the busy season OF receptions
fills it with fashion and metropolitan
magnifcence.
Mr.. Hayes is much gratified with the
attentions recently paid him. 1t is a
hopeful sign when politicians, without
regard to party lines, can unite in ex-
tending welcome and Inequalities to our
President, such as Mr.. Hayes met every
where during his trip The time may
yet come when our Chief Magistrate
can go among the people without being
under the especial protection of party
hacks who use the occasion as a cheap
means Of bringing themselves into pub
lie notice We were particularly struck
by the presence of Mr.. Adams at the
Boston receptions of Mr.. Hayes. 1t
has been only few months since Mr..
Adams penned letter wholly unworthy
statesman, in which he characterized
Mr.. Hayes occupancy Of the Presiden-
tial chair as an act of grossest fraud
But time seems to have mellowed down
his partizanship and permitted him to
appreciate that individual views may be
sadly at fault, and do -rankest injustice
to that which the whole people may
pronounce right. Mr. Adams may have
concluded as many others do, that it is
merely waste of breath to call Mr..
Hayes names, when the error, if there
be error, lies in our defective election
laws, which should receive immediate
amendment so as to avoid forever such
contingencies as would have proved dis
astrous to the country last winter and
spring but for the prudent conservatism
of many of our legislators.
Mr. Adams can cease playing the role
of common scold by seeing that good
laws are enacted by the coming Con
gress which will avoid our recent Presi
Dental dilemma and take away all doubt
and uncertainty from close elections;
and we trust that his presence at Mr..
Hayes receptions may be preliminary
to the use of his undoubted brains in
securing such constitutional and legal
changes as are needed to attain the de-
sired ends. Let him come here and So
journ a few days with Mr.. Hayes in his
beautiful country residence, the Sol
diers Home, and Join him in wise coun-
sells for the future
The Treasury during the past week
has assumed some of the wide-awake
and plenty of work air that was nat
ural to it during the earlier part Of Gen.
Grants administration. 1t is an agree
able change for it's lonesomeness in the
absence of so many of its former en-
ployes is particularly noticeable. The
economical policy so rigidly enforced
during the past few years has had its
disadvantages felt more by the Treasury
than by any other of the Executive De
partments. The long corridors once
filled with messengers and smart look
ing young clerks leisurely strolling a long,
but on very important public business,
of course, are now almost deserted, ex-
cept occasionally an employee hastens
through them, afraid that the echoes
reused by his own football may form
pretext for his removal, The force now
employed in the Bureau OF Engraving
and Printing reminds one Of regiments
which in the late war started for the
battle fields of the South with ranks
full to Overlooking, but which on it's re-
turn presented hardly a scanty corpor-
ais guard to the anxious friends at
home. The Bureau of Engraving and
Printing went into the great battle of
reduction under Mr.. Sherman with 1000
names on the rolls, and now in the clos
ing hours of the struggle 400 only re-
main to tell what has become of the
rest. A few appointments were made
recently, but enough to bring out reg
ular army Of office seekers, who swarm
ed for days through the Treasury.
Few met with success, as most of the
vacancies were promised beforehand.
1t must be understood that civil service
does not apply directly to the appoint
ing or discharging of clerks 1t only
keeps them in Office until the powers
that be chooses to remove them.
Many people think that the honors
bestowed upon Gen. Grant are the high
est that have ever been paid to an Am
erican citizen. Commander Hartsene,
y. S. Navy, in 1854 or 50, was sent to
England by our government, to return
one of her vessels which had been aban-
doned, and brought to this country and
reftted. The Commander entertained
the Queen on board the vessel, and after
ward dined with her and spent day at
the palace. American beef and English
air prove powerful stimulant to the
speech making abilities of our ex-Presi-
dent, if we may take Mr. Smalley's judy
ment, as correct in saying, Il have new
or heard a more perfect speech Of it's
kind than that; there is charm, a felic
ity in the turn of one or two of its
phrases that would do credit to the best
artist in words" We Washingtonians
don't understand how this can be when
we remember the few blunt remarks
that used to serve him as speech, even
upon the most important occasions.
But we are only too glad that he is ma
king an impression abroad, to be jealous
of the eloquence he has recently devel-
oped in England, and trust that as an
American representative he may be as
successful abroad as in fighting his bat
ties for the Union. The Woodstock
speech of Mr.. Chamberlain creates little
comment here among our politicians,
and it does not promise to he an enter
ing wedge to split the ranks of the Re
publican party, if we may judge by the
effect produced upon the Democrats
here, as they are quite Indifferent in re-
gard to it. FELIX.
WEST POINT CADETSHIP.