The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-04-29
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspon dent.

The Interior Department, which.
from its intimate relations with them,
is of greater interest to the people at
large than all the other Government
Departments combined, again has
new head. The Secretaryship of the
Interior is a position requiring not
only great executive ability, bus wide
experience and sound judgment !; for
Department which holds under its
wing the Pension Bureau, the Patent
Office. the General Land Office and
the Indian Bureau, cannot be success
fully run without all these qualifica-
tons. Mr.. Kirkwood, the retiring
Secretary, possessed them all in an
eminent degree, together with an I'M
doubted honesty of purpose which
won for him, during the one short
year of his administration, the con-
fidence and respect he has enjoyed in
all other public trusts. OF his success.
sor less is generally known, but he
brings to the position clean record,
valuable experience in Indian and
land matters and thorough knowl-
edge of the pension subject, gained
dom several years service as men,
Der and chairman of the Senate Pen
sion Committee. What may be his
administrative ability there is little
opportunity to Judge, but it is gener-
ally believed that Mr.. Teller will be
found in every way equal to his pre-
decessor, with an advantage of fewer
years and hence additional vigor.
There is considerable speculation
as to the changes likely to be made
in the subordinate positions of the
Department, and some of the present
occupants are nervous and uneasy.
There are some minor officials who
ought to go, along with the Chinese
men who have been in their posi-.
tions so long that they have come to
regard their hold equivalent to first
mortgage, already foreclosed, and
who constitute the little railroad
rings. land rings and wheels within
wheels which bring discredit upon
the civil service. There is an almost
universal desire to see the scalps of
some of these dangling from the walls
of the Department, and it remains to
be seen whether the new Secretary
will find them out. With a single
exception there is not likely to be
any present changes in the heads of
the different bureaus. Mr.. Price, the
Indian Commissioner, has declared
his intention to retire, but no safe
guess can be made touching his sue.
cessor beyond the general prediction
that he will be man of positive con-
victions on the Indian question. Mr.,
Teller comes from Colorado. where
they know thing or two about In
dams, and it may be confidently ex-
pected that his administration of that
branch of his Department will be
stalWart. At the same time it IS not
likely to be unjust. If during his
term we shall get rid of all the nam
by pambyism that has afflicted our
Indian policy and get down to some
thing like hard common sense it will
be cause for congratulation.
Neither the Patent Office nor the
Land Office are likely to be disturb
ed. Both are in excellent hands.
The Patent Office was never better
conducted than it is now. Commits
sioner Marble is man of remarkable
BUSINESS capacity and executive
ability. who having been persuaded
to return to the Office he once left,
will doubtless remain and bring it
fully up to his own standard. The
attacks made upon him, or his course
while law officer of the Department,
by certain New York journal, are
utterly groundless and are sufficient
ly answered by reference to the fact
that they emanate from sheet own
ed by Jay Gould and published in
the interest of his robbery schemes.
One work begun under Marbles di-
rection last year will. when complet-
ed. be of inestimable value to the
Office for all time. It is the abridge-
ment of all the patents on file, the
whole to be bound in volumes, thus
preserving in convenient form for
reference a condensed record of all
that is contained in the mass of draw
ings and specifications which consti-
tute the archives of the office. No
matter what this work costs it will
pay for itself many times over in the
saving of time to employers of the
Office and the people who have busi-
ness before it.
Mr., Mcfarland, the present Com