, 1878-03-29
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
wAsmSGroN. DC, March s, 1878.

w ASIllNGlON, ~. W., m"IVli Q, ic'O'
II Il remembered how, less than a year
ago there appeared in papers, supplied
With Associated Press dispatches, little
story, showing the Spartan tlrmess with
which onr new President could be relied
OH 10 resist all overtures of the Webb-fam-
iIy or any of it, distant connections, to AS
sist their distinguished re ative, in an Of
ticial capacity, In administering the affairs
of Government. II was TO the effect that
n f,yorite cousin of Mrs. Hayes who had
indicated his readiness TO be sacrificed in
that way, had hcen incontinenty turned
out of the White House for his assurance
in suggesting such a distribution OF pat
ronagp. The matter obtained the widest
publicity. 1t was copied into and reiter-
ared by every paper, seemingly, IN the
country at all favorable to the Administra-
ton. The remarkable contrast between
the ncpotism of the Grant regime" and
the asreticism SO to speak, that was to OBJ
tain In family matters during the reign OF
his successor. was made the text OF many
adisauiSition in which the evils of" favor
iteisnl," nepotism." personal govern
ment.'' etc, were vividly portrayed.
Next 10 being connected with the Hayes
or Webb families. no matter how remote
w, to have been born in Ohio, or even to
have had speaking acquaintance with
any member OF either Of the allied families,
was ielt to be about the greatest misfortune
thlt coud have been eItailed OH any one
with aspirations to serve the Federal Gov
ernment IN in its civil, military, or naval
service. 1t was felt Our frontier would
furnish about all the new appointments,
the number diminishing In an inverse
ratio as we approached Fremont, Ohio.
The In est instance of the hundreds which
have occurred luring the twelve months
incumbency OF the White House Ly Mr..
HAYES, showing the groundlesslless of all
an icipations founded on that little episode
is in the case Of Mr.. Smith, Appointment
Clerk of tho Treasury. When appointed
10 this place. relieving very efficient Of
ficer according to the estimation here very
few knew anything of him except that he
was personal friend aid had been u
member OF Hayes old regiment. He Is
reputed to be a very amiable official. But
in the opinion of indignant aud angry
army officers, there has Ueen nothing bril-
liant or SO far above metliocrity In his oiii-
cial career in his present place, that justi-
fled the President in ignoring their many
years iaithinl-often altuous and peri ous
service. and jumping Mr.. Smith over
their heads Into the position of Army Pay
master to which he has been nominated.
Indeed 1t is claimed that In this nomina-
ton there has been the most utter disre-
gard of the rules usually governing pro-
motion in the army, let alone the require
"lents of reformed Civil Service. Yes
I rday Ex-Surgeon General Hammond
monopOlized most of the time Of the Senate
when not taken up by Senator Sargent In
an exposition of the Chinese problem, as
it exists Oh the Pacific Coast. The Sena-
tor has great persuasive ability; but from
the Indications in the Senate, he will find
10 impracticable to obtain the extreme leg
islaliOn which 1t seems necessary ior him
aud other representative men In Congress
from California to urge, II they would re-
tain Il modicum OF popularity. The
House has passed the fortifcatlon bill, and
found itself so utterly exhausted by Its
wrangles yesterday over the matter OF ap-
pointing experts to GlOver's Committees,
as to be unable to 60 on today. Hence
rest was taken ill Monday. Democrats
generally contend the experts are neccs-
sary to uuearth the mines of corruption
and fraud left unexplOred by the last Con-
gress, while Republicans allege that 1t Is
only another expedient to provide places
Tor the excess of bummers and dead beats,
that Polk found himself unable to provide
Tor, though showing exceptional ability,
ifnot sagacity, In disprovlng that old, ex-
ploded notion OF pretended philosophers,
That no two (or more things can occupy
The same place at the same time. While
hot desiring to participate IN the discus
SION. submit that so long as pensioners
To the number of ~, 900 are forced to wait
year after year for the little pittance due
Them under the law, because OF lack OF
clerical force to attend promptly to their
Claims, the employment of an extra dozen
met, more or less, in hunt for partisan
capital, looks decidedly out Of place and
hardly In keeping with the economical
pretensiOns Of the House majority. Nun
eIla!Isen himselfnever did greater violence
10 the truth than did the grouRd-hog ex-
pert that cast the climatic horoscope on
me "a ult., for the latitude Of Washington.
According to the rule he established as In
mlllble away back In prehistoric times,
we should have had the hardest part Of
onr winter in February and the first halt
VI March. On the contrary we have had