Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1880-12-01
y. - - - > 7
49,
iil|'s&lI
THB SPIRIT OF AGR.
wednesday, Dec I, 1850
From our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON LETTER,
WlsHIsaros. u, O., Nov, 81, issO

prepared and sent TO the President Tor
transmission 10 Congress u week
hence, Some 81 them embrace in-
formation aud statistics Of consider
able interest, among which may DO
mentioned tho report Of the Post
master General, tho Commission OF
Pensions aud Patents, and that OF the
acting Commissioner oflndian Affairs.
All these touch upon matters 10 which
the general public are more or less In
terested, but the space Of this. letter IL
not adequate to an intelligent review
Of them. One very noticeable feature
Of the whole batch. hoSeyer " de-
mand for more money, All the esti-
mates Of expenses Of the different de-
,partments will call for larger sums
than were given last year, or for the
two years previous, aud nearly all the
heads Of the departments aud bureaus
put In q claim Tor higher salaries, In
the Treasury Department, the Chief OF
the Bureau of Statistics receives
$4,000 per annum, aud Is dissatisfied
He wants an additional 5000. Con.
siderng the fact that he aud his Oh
tire farce Of his Office were engaged
upon campaign work for the Radical
party about four months OF the last
year, there may be some doubt wheth'
or tho people have got even the value
Of his present salary. The Assistant
Secretary OF the Interior also wants q
comfortable slice put on top OF his
salary. IIe now receives $500 and
ask for $4,000 additional. Nearly all
the chief of the Indian Bureau ask Tor
more pay, aud the Indian agents join
In the chorus with demand that III
creases the appropriations for their
benefit several thousands Of dollars
The Commissioner Of Pensions wants
$1,000 added to his present salary OF
$4,000, aud the Commissioners OF Pa
tents desires his pay raised from 49,
500 to $4,000, and so on through
list which it would take columns to
enumerate.
I refer to these things merely TO
show the tendencies OF Republican
officials. They have just come out of
a successful campaign and expect
Congress TO no longer oppose their
demands. II the present House were
Republican there is no doubt but that
all the appropriations asked would
be granted but whether Democrat.
ic House and Senate will take such
course is another question. During
the last tour years Democratic Con-
eress has reduced the annual expendi-
lures of the government at the rate OF
from thirty to forty millions per an
mum, but as result of this service to
the people Republican House has
been returned. 1t is a question, there
fore, whether the Democratic majority
will longer place itself as a barrier be-
tween Radical extravaganza and the
public trea'ury. If it is the will of
the people that money should flow
like water, that large salaries should
be paid and liberal subsidies be voted,
while taxes OF all kinds are proper
tionately increased, few Democrats
on the floors Of Congress cannot be
expected to stand up in hand to hand
fight against such results. Personal
comfort and selfish interest would
seem to demand an opposite course.
/ merely throw these remarks out as
suggestions.
General Garfield lately paid visit
to Washington, but very sensibly de-
cliued public reception. He came
quietly and was met at the depot by
two persons, ore OF whom was Bob
Ingersoll. As Garfield alighted from
the train he grasped Ingersoll cordi-
ally by the hand with hearty GLOW
are you, Bob I" Twenty years ago
when the chance Of Stephen A. Doug
las was being discussed by a little
gathering friends of Beverly Johnson,
Of Virginia, then in Congress, said to
the prospective Chief Magistrate -
Uudge. when you're President l don't
want anything but tor you just to call
me ::'Bsv.'" This mark of familiar
friendship on the part Of - President
elect is enjoyed by the Reverend
Robert, who has certainly earned u
warm place IN the affections OF the
new administration.
We had our first snow on Thanks
giving day. Last year we were at
this time in the midst OF Indian sum.
mer. This year Thanksgiving finds
US in the dead OF winter as
cold as ever visited these ATTITUDES.