The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1880-06-25
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.


Arthur ns conkIIng's 'MaIiee.'- Trials
aud Tribuiations Of the cenaus.iaker.
ete.. ele.
WAsHINGTox, y. O., June lo.
Editor Democrat
The thousands of government clerks
and officials In Washington who
hang around bulletin boards four or
five days shouting for their flvorltes
are a woefully disappointed lot since
the final result at Chicago. Never
did q presidential nomination fall so
fiat as has this one hero at the Capt.
tai. Politics have n decidedly prae.
tlcai aspect to these government en-
ployes. With them 1t Is not only a
question of getting favorite candi-
date, but OF getting ono who can win
and keep them In their nice, soft
places. A few years back they had
no fears and bot on the candidate
every time, but since tho election OF
1876 they are very shaky, and to-day
are making calculation upon sudden
departure from Washington soon after
the 4th OF March next. This Is no
joke. IL IL the truth. A large ma
jority Of these people were for Grant.
Many OF them came Ia during his
two terms and they know him and
have great faith In his star. They
would have felt safe with his nomi-
nation. Among others Sherman and
Blaine were about equally favored,
but Garfield was not thought OF, and
he was not wanted. Ask Republi-
can what he thinks OF II, and what
ever he may finally say, his first
words will be, az am disappointed. "
And so they are, all Of them.
There may be no antagonisms IN
the party for Garfield, but there is al
so no'enihusiasm. lie was not want
cd. Ills record Is not coed; he il not
q stalwart in the regulation sense,
and he Is popularwilh an adminIstra.
tion that is Very unpopular with the
party. Tho long, bitter, struggle In
the convention between the two lead.
Ing factions engendered conditions
which were likely TO render any NOM
ination hazardous, but either one oi
| lbn H.rat., fna.,t on,x.tf,fa0ao rs,a.,fl hasa
met with unbounded enthusiasm on
the part OF his own faction, while
Garfield Is wet blanket 10 all oi
them. And then TO think OF tho tail
of tho ticket Is only TO provoke O
laugh. II certainly Is a bad case.
Tho nomination OF Arthur Is regarded
here as piece OF malice on the part
Of Conkling. Certainly TO put on
the tail end Of a reform admInistra-
ton ticket q man whom Hayes and
Sherman kicked out OF tho Now York
custom house because he was corrupt
and unfit for the place Is a piece oi
sarcasm OF the highest order. Tho
National ReraiJlican publishes what II
calls somo "reminiscences of the can
dldates, but they are not half 50 TAX
Ing as some "reminiscences" publish
cd in the Post, quoted from Garfield's
record and from the letters of Sher.
man and Hayes to Arthur when they
removed him.
4 The census-talser with his bottle o
standard ink strapped over his shoul,
der and big portfolio under his arm
Is now abroad In tho land. From
all all accounts he does not have
smooth sailing every where. There
are still some people who do not un
derstand the uses OF q census-taker
The troublesome cases are mostly
women. The domiclliary visit OF thu
enumerator finds her In possession
the husband, or other male member:
Of the household, at the store, shop
or out In the fields. 1t Is the womeI
of tho country who furnish the Ftatls
tics, and woman Is said TO have NJ
head for figures. Now, to most wom
en- the census enumerator Is sort o
LOCALIZED impertineEce. The prlnteG
list Of questions, which as neIghborly
gossip she would answer In ten mia
utes any day In the week, are fsaugh
with an awful Significance. II she i
ignorant she never heard of tho cen
sus, and Is ready from the outset Il
slam the door in the face or tn,
enumeration. II she is intelligent an'
understands what It Is all about, sh
Is ''not at home" or treats tho offend
ing caller with scorn and indifference
On the whole, she don't care for tn
census, anyhow. It smacks too mucl
Of compulsion. The interrogation.
comes coupled with threat. Sh
may think her answers are to b
printed in book opposite her nam
in big type, and she is reluctant Il
: stating anything which shall not b
read with interest and to the famil!
credit. She is "not certain" or sh
Hforgets, " or she sswcn' say for sure.
She will cram tho unhappy enumer
ator with family history on ever,
point but the official one desired an.