South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1883-01-05
Letter from Washington.
WAsHNsroN. ID. c.. Jan


Senator Pendleton has scored tri-
umph in the passage of bis civil ser
vice Till through the Senate. Whe-
therit will ever get through the House,
or whether il Will ever be honestly en-
forced should 1t become a law, ARE ques-
tons which the future must determine
There is good deal OF ipsincerity
and Juggling about our civil service
legislation and practice Toe Demo-
Gratis have Tor several years honestly
advocated certain reforms. They
have been simply iooke-s-on in the
Office brokerage practices OF the Re-
publ:cans and have been free TO ob.
serve the evils and pernicious efforts
Of the system. But the recent sud
den conversion Of so many Republic.
cans 10 their views has aroused sus-
plcion. 1t looks like 'death.bed re.
pentance,' and an effort to make sure
of retaining the officers after the par
~ has been turned out of power. Up
to the last election nearly every Re.
publican sneered at civil! service re.
form, aud it is undoubtedly true that
their present advocacy OF it is due to
the handwriting on the waIl-the al.
most certain dethronement which
stares them in the face. Ii is this
which has made some Democrats "a
gree with Senator VOORHEES, that it is
not law for regulating clerlsships
We want SO much ia more stringent
penal statutes for the punishment of
rascality in high places. Certain it
it is that there is no sincerity on the
part of the Republicans in this mat.
ter Should they succecd alter all
in escaping defeat in 1884 the law
will be dead letter. On the other
hand, should the Democrats come it,
to power these same Republicans will
make use of the law to keep the Off.
ces. But the service has been so a.
bused for ten years past that ii q
change of administration came fully
one, half of the present officials would
need to be removed .for cause
The scandal in regard to the police
and detective force of Washington
causes intense bitterness and much
recrimination. 1t is certain that thefts
here wonderfully common, and val
uables sometimes are got back TO their
owners in Il very mysterious way
There Is some truth in the excuse that
Washington is headquarters for half
the professional thieves in the country
during the session of Congress-no
offense meant to Congress-the loss
of the Christiancy jewels was very
curious. When Mr.. Christi.,ncy was
Minister to Peru lie had intrusted to
him q great number OF Jewels for safe
keeping during the turbulent times in
Peru. Many persons doubted the OK
tent of the robbery, as it was thought
that all the valuables belonged TO Mr.
Christiancy himself, and the collection
was enormous IN number and va!ne,
but they were stolen from his room
in the National Hotel IL few days af-
ter his arrival and not trace of them
found aftervard. Among them were
n number o. pearls OF great value. =
The Peruvian ladies' are said 10 be
connoisseurs in pearls, and it WAS
thought that the thieves could be de.
tected in trying to dispose of pearls Of
such uncommon value, but all the
police ia the city could not find a
trace Of them. The policemen com
plain. and Justly too, of officials who
use them as lackeys Upon tie ex-
cusc Of having policeman to keep
the carriage in lie at receptions and
balls The policeman is really used to
call ont the carriage and save the ex-
pense of man hired for the purpose.
1t is told of policeman at reception
last winter being ordered ny an Off
ciaI thus Call my carriage Call
it YOURSELF responded the policeman,
Il don't want your carriage But
where snobbishness begins and where
snobbishress ends in Washington it
would be difficult to tell A book of
snobs in forty volumes could be writ.
ten OF the subject without exhaust
ing it A change for the better in
that respect has taken place in the
Navy Department since Secretary
Chandler came in. lie is up to some
thing more important than naval red
tape. lie is universally conceded to be
the deepest scamp III Washington, & if
he can get the contract for the two
steel cruisers, on which be has set his
heart, for bis friend aud ally, John
Roach. he will dispense with some of
the paint and feathers that formerly
delighted tie soul Of Minister Hunt
Mr.. Chandler has good many irons
in the fire Governor Ordway,
who is trying 10 smuaglc Dakota into
the Union. IS very thick with Chand-
Ter; they have country places not far
apart mp in New Hampshire.
Ex-senator Coukling has at last
made the greatest effort of bis life. It