Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1880-12-09
LETTER FROM WASHINGTON.
From our regular Correspondent.


WASHINGTON, ID. G. Dec. G, 1880.
The Capital of the United States has,
as usual, gotten herself up regardless of
expense, in anticipation the annual Wis.
it of her hearts delight-Congress.
The lovely brunettes and blondes in the
Government offices are bedecked in
their most witching costumes, and,
when the hour of =. NJ. strikes, they
pour out of the Treasury Department,
the Patent office, Census office, from
all offices and promenade on Pennsyl-
vania Avenue, until that classic thor.
oughfare resembles, in fashion and co.
quetry, the jouicvard des' Itaiens. If the
truth must be told, the average govern.
ment clerk is not as young and charm.
ing as she once was but what she lacks
in youth and freshness is more than
compensated for in experience. | am
writing now of her utility as public
servant, and not of her spectacular ef.
fectiveness in street panorama. In
the halcyon days of Johnson's admin.
istration and of General Grants first
term she was young, and, in some in.
stances, it cannot be denied, was ap.
pointed because she had beauty and
knew how to use it, but continued Re.
publican success has presented that
rotation in Office which might have
kept the public Offices supplied with
young and pretty girls; those that were
young and pretty have, by process of
evolution, gone into matrimony or else
where, and we have now in the public
Offices, through double process OF nat.
ural selection, survival of the fittest,
and while they may not be so effective
from merely aesthetic point of view,
they are much more effective in legiti
mate clerical accomplishments.
As intimated in previous letters there
ia every disposition among Democrats
to work for a quiet session. Though a
majority of conservative members of
the House were undoubtedly in the
city on Saturday, and the usual prac.
tice is to hold caucus as early as posi-.
BILE, none has yet been called, and it is
likely none will be until after the ses.
sion commencing to-day is fairly at
,uArtr IF fhn IF hn pan,th1i- /
cans is such as to admit a decision
doubt not the Democratic caucus will
decide to eschew political subjects dur.
ing the session.
The last annual message of Mr.. Hayes
sent to Congress to-day, has several not
able features. 1t is long enough to have
them. Observing men will smile at
the claim of reform in the civil serv.
ice. There has been change in public
sentment--a reaction from the de.
moralzation which followed the general
financial crash of 1873, which has pre-.
vented such public dishonesty as char.
acterized the last years of Grants term.
Besides, the public business has resum.
ed the systematic methods of anti.war
times, and this ensures regularity, or
rather prevents glaring instances of
irregularity in its transaction. But Mr..
Hayes has reformed nothing. In neg.
lect of official duty for party principle,
in levies upon officials for campaign
purposes, the present administration
has been as q sneak thief compared to
the highwayman like predecessor. Mr..
Hayes thinks his "reform " is shown
by changes in New York Federal off.
ces. What the people think Is shown
by the election to the Vice Presidency
of Mr.. Hayes chief New York victim.
The appointment to Office of 80 many
men who managed, or aided in carrying
out the villainies in Louisiana and Flor.
ida, had, of course, no precedent and
will never be followed as an example.
The army is becoming .demoralized, for
no officer, however unworthy, can be
got rid of at this time, If he possesses
even slight political influence, and this