Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1882-12-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
tFrom Our Regular Corrcsrondcntl
WhsIiINgTON. Dec. %. 1882.

there has been nothing talked about, moth
ing thought about, nnd nothing written
about but civil service reform, and IL IL
could be made up into losrling-house hush
we would have to ent civil seyvicc reform.
There has been considerable emusenient, VI
not instruction, In following the debate in
the Senate. Mr.. Beck and Mr.. Pendle,on
have been making Rome howl In some cx.
tent, each having grcn, stake IN the dis.
cu~ion-Mr. Pendlc,or, the prospective
presidency that has danced before his ewes
for tie last fifteen years. aud still keeps
him awake D'nights, AID Mr. Beck 10 re.
lieve himself Of certain unjust charges VI
undue interest in whisky legislation.
During the entire session he las been filled
with an honest mans l age vt the nspersion.
and illusions cast upon him, and when he
gets up to defend his bill mud rcspond TO
flimsy objections or amendments to II, lie
is about az angry an old gentleman ns one
would wisl, TO see. He puts OH the frown
that signifies lie wants 10 eat somebody
up, his deep, sonorons voice irembles, he
gesticulaies with both hands and keeps the
acting Vice President wide awake for
sometimes whole hour. Mr.. Pendleton
Mr. Turveydrop than ever, with the addi
ton Of brains. He follows Mr.. Bccks
fierce onsaughts with llis most superb mir
and most courtly grace. lie denounces
Jay Hubbel and his gang in rounded per-
iods aud polished sentences, and ats down
bland and unruflled, while Mr.. Beck glow.
ers in his sent looking like mn old 'griz-
ely" that has been trihed with.
But these two Senators have not done all
the talking. Mr.. ingalls, don't like the
P.nileton bill, and said lie didn't go very
much on civil service reform anyhow He
thought there was good deal of cant and
juggle about IL. Mr.. Voorhees, expressed
himself nv much OF the same opinion. He
said the real demand was for penal laws TO
punish wrong doers in high plat es, not
for contrivance to wrong Government
clerks. He ridiculed civil service eAami-
nntions and gave The following as few OF
the questions concocied by n commission
under Secretary Schurz: "Name the four
largest islands on the globe" "Give mp.
prox xinintely, the latitude Of Washington
and London, ""In what direction is Hav.
ANA, Cuba, from Washington, ID. CT
"What State of the Union extends from
the latitude of Boston to the latitude of
Rchmond?" "Where are the principal Ia
ble.lands of the globe?" "Give the course
which measure must take TO be introdu-
ced to Congress, and, supposing il to be We.
toed, to become a law OF the United States"
Bring mp all your young men," said Mr..
Voorhees,, from all the States, and il they
can answer those questions they may get
S700 clerkship. Then the examiners pas
sed To mathematics, and one of the ques.
tions was: "Two.thlrds of seven.ninths OF
what number is one.eighth of what num-
ber is onc-hnlf of eight and two-fifths, di-
vided by fourteen and -tenths less
than fourteen and two.sevenths." Anoth-
er was: "a man weighing seventy two
pounds rams with velocity of six against
standing but not resisting man whose
weight is ninety-six pounds; what is the
resuli?" OF course this raised laugh,
and Mr.. Voorhees, said that If Senators
yo.e for il, but lie would not. Then there
was quarrel raised by Mr.. McPherson,
who made the remark, on the authority of
Pendleton, that the departments were FL
led with idle clerks. Window said he was
tired Of this sort Of thing, and when he
asked Mcpherson to name one or two the
latter told Window that that was petit
Jogging way OF dealing with great pub
| lie question. 1t would be hazardous, per-
linps, to predict the final fate of the PEN
dlelon I'LL, but it is believed great many
will vote for il who have no heart In its
purposes. 1t is said that Don Cameron
and Malone will both cast their votes for
| it, but doubt If the millennium Is quite
80 near ns that.
DIR. Loring, Commissioner OF Agriculture
has been crushed again. The doctor has
soul above turnips and potatoes, and as
| pires to be ~ statesman and nm orator, to
say nothing of being Cabinet officer. This
last project was cruelty sat down upon,
and then the wicked Cox and the unfeel-
| ing Murcli, in Congress the other day,
complained that the worthy Commissioner
dabbled in politics and used too many
techniculilies in his report. 1t is a pity
that n man of DIR. Loring's admirable So
cial and personal qualities should have got
such a bee in his bonnet as the ambition
| that has been stinging him furiously for
the last year. His house is the great re.
sort of foreigners, and his Sunday evening
receptions are voted among the most
agreeable in town. General Benles is
likewise headquarters for foreigners, and
| he has II Monday evening tea to which all
the diplomats 60 as relief from their
s,upendous labOrs. These labors consist in
writing solemn little notes 10 the State
Department about nothing, and despatch
ing them by footmen covered over with
butlens. Mr.. Frelinghuysen, who is al
ways tremendously busy about diplomacy
nnd such, receives them from salver as
lie sits in solemn splendor in his room al
the State Department, perpses them anx-
Iouslv, sends for son-in-law Davis, who
comes in busling with Importance, then
sends for Attorney. General Brewster, and
the three old ladies put their heads togeth
er and gossip anxiously for an hour or two
Then the diplomatic note is written Oh
State paper, which is copied by the busy
clerks aud despatched by colorad mes
senger, and general foreign war is avert
ell for another day.
The question OF holiday recess has beer
agitating Congress this week, and some
time spent in discussing it developed The
fact that nearly all the members would
like 10 adjourn, but to use the sChool'boy
phrase, "dnsni." Some Of them prnte vir
iuOusly abOni the great responsibilities o
Congress ut this time, and publicly declar,
intending to skip out for home just as sool
as possible. There WAS proposition L
tine every member $50 who ran away
But in spite of all this, even il the usua
recess is not voted there will not be tel
solid hours work during holiday week
Those congressman who live II long wa,
of and have brought their families do nc
care for recess, bnt even they will no
attend 10 business during holidays, an,
whatever the majority may vote To do
venture 10 say that no quorum will h,
present nj any time between Clrhtmas an'
| lie 2ud uf Jununry The prelenpe q
R.us Rn, %s "p VIZ ic' ,eII,"I 'srs S ,shneSn
dread Of coming out openly for the tw,
weeks vacation Is something of a revol,.
ii0n. Dom Pedro