Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1882-12-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.
tvrom onr regular correspondent.l

WASHINGTON, ID. u, NOV. 80, 1902
Though several days have passed
Washington has not recovered from the
sensation produced by the recent action
of the President in suddenly decapita-
ting some office holders who were un.
derstood to be in sympathy with the
Star.route conspirators. 1t is still the
most interesting topic here because Of
the expectation that there is to be an
other stroke of The same lightning. II
is hardly to be wondered at that sen.
sation is readily produced by a move
of this sort here at the National Capital
where the population consists largely
of ofice.holders, and of them who de.
pend on them for a living. When the
axe tails upon even half dozen Of
the great army there is thrill Of some
sort-sympathy, indignation, hope, OF
alsrm-t transmitted through the entire
body. In the present instance the
sensation was the result not so much
of the actual removals, or, indeed, OF
the causes for which they were made,
as of the suddenness with which the
axe fell. Every one knew that the
most of those removed had been guilty
OF gross misconduct, that the evidence
of this fact had teen in possession of
the Government for long time, and
that the interests Of justice had been
seriously interfered with by the un-
accountable procrastination in dealing
with such obvious cases. ltwas owing
to the general impression that because
nothing had been done in the matter
nothing would be, that the removals
excited so much comment.
There is no Disgusting the fact that
there are in Washington, IN Office and
out of office, many sympathizers with
the Star-route thieves. Some are pur-
chased friends in one way and another,
and some are old political associates
whose moral sensibilities are more or
less blunted. but as rule public sem
timent sustains the President, and the
hope is expressed that after all the Gov
eminent really is earnest, and that the
result of the approaching new trial may
be less abortive than the first. The
friends of the conspirators threaten
vigorous retaliation, and are already
making charges against the Attorney
General, which they say will be brought
before Congress with the demand for
an investigation into the expenditures
of the Department of Justice. 1t all
relates to the luxurious finishing of Mr..
Brewster's private rooms in the depart
ment, and is considered pretty small
potatoes. Marshal Henry's plea that
he is made a martyr because he was
friend of President Garfield in bosh.
Had he not been the appointee and
friend OF the late President he would
have been removed months ago.
Secretary Chandler has plan for
including in his department little
group of semi-naval bureaus now in
the Treasury Department-the revenue
marine, the lighthouse and the life
saving service. This would give a
number of pleasant land billets for
naval officers, most of whom in higher
rank of the service have spent, under
the present system, from 40 to 50 per
cent of their service on shore, and it
would multiply the civil patronage of
the Secretary of the Navy at least two
fold Nobody who knows Washington
will expect any such plan to succeed.
The admirable and necessary change
made in creating the geographical and
geological survey was only carried out
with great difficulty, and Mr. Chandler
might as we'll try to carry off under
each arm, one of the pillars in front of
the Treasury building as detach one
of the bureaus now belonging to that
The only serious change
which has taken place in the depart
ment relations s'nce the foundation of
the Government has been the loss of
patents and lands by the State Depart
ment, and i: took the organization of a
new department-the Inferior-to ef-
feet this. Government departments
could be improved at many points by
bringing together cognate work, saving
money and improving the efficiency of
the service; but there is no reason to
that anything of the kind will
be done.
Mr.. James B. Eads will be in WASH
lngton this winter. and we expect to
near good deal about a certain inter-
ocean canal to which all the foreign
powers are eager to subscribe, almost
over each other in their de-
sire to hurl their money into it, while
he patriotic Eads stcrnly refuses to let
hem have dollars worth of the stock,
because he wants the United States to
nave the honor and glory of it. But
General Sherman speaks good word
or Mr. Eads. He says,in his opinion,
he St Louis bridge is the finest in the
world; that he made it stronger than
he strogest bridge in existence, and
pent hundreds of thousands Of dollars
IN it out ofhis own pocket. Mr.. Eads
S credited with a lobby In Washington,
,ut no doubt the worthy man is malign.
ID.
And now they say Mat. Carpenters
Did house is haunted. 1t is certainly