South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1883-04-06
Letter from Washington.
From Our Regular Correspo.deat.
WAsHlNarox. D. G.. April.

AZ such times very little thing ere,
ates sensation. The .colored man
Brown, who was recently kicked oui
OF q place IN one OF the departments
because ne refused to become the DO.
dy-servant of his superior Office, has
had q good deal of notoriety. Ills
chief required that in addition to his
regular duties as messenger for the
department he should attend the said
chiefs residence morning and even.
ing to black boots, make fires, shovel
snow. groom the horses, and such lit.
tie trites. As Brown was paid by
the government this arrangement
would save Mr.. chief the expense OF
a servant. The messenger. TO use a
slang term, clicked and refused to
do mental service in the chiefs house
hold. Then Brown was discharged.
Foolish Brown He should have at
tended to the household duties & left
the department. run itself. Then there
would have been no COMPLAINT
Brown was entirely too conscientious
lie ought to have known that his first
duty was to his chiefs family-not TO
the department. Every ohiccholder
III Washington entitled TO a messen-
ger uses him Che messengcr) as n
private servant. There may be ex,
ceptions, bat | do not know of any
lake the Supreme court. Every one
OF the nine judges has his body.scr.
want paid tor by the government -
The servant hangs around the Su.
preme court few hours every day,
but he devotes himself to the house
hoid OF his particular judge, and he
KNOWS better than TO refuse TO do
whatever he is directed to do. Near.
~ every bureau and department has
ITS horses and carriages. They arc
used by the officials families for shop,
ping and social purposes, and biz
livery bills are thus saved. These
abuses run through every department
OF government. Congress is TX no
means exempt. Every chairman OF
committee has his clerk or secretary
PAD by the government. What does
tins clerkP Why. he attends to the
correspondence OF the member and
looks out FOR his private letters, lis
seeds and ms documents, and draws
ms salary from the government
he list OF names mentioned for
'he vacant Postmaster. Generai.I,ip is
qGitc formidable as to numbers. and
reads like m extract from a mortuary
record. A Conplet or two from the
Obituary poet OF tie period would
make It complete. Neahy every one
OF the gentlemen included has gore
20 meet the politicians who were hap
Tig, and let us hope permanently.
baried under the avalanche OF vote,
tErowh upon them last fall. Their.
Is tAey. and Window. ana Robson
ana Ferry, and about dozen
OK congressman in the lot-all form.
or leaders III the stalwart ranks. whom
II Is taken Tor granted must be nro.
Tlded tor by the Executive IN some
"%?' now that the people have turn.
CT tusin ont. One uamc amOng these
suggested deserves more than l,,rs+i,o
h0ace, moi only because there ia dan.
ger that The President may consider
u tavora5ly, but because il isputfor-
Ward under false prctcnscs. That il
the name of Mr. IIattom, whose
trends ask for his promotion in The
name OF civil service reform. The
essential principal OF that reform AZ
regards promotion, is that it sinai! he
based ON seniority and merit. The
latter Is indispensable, and MIR. Hat
ton has none of it. Ills open and
ilnpndcnt hostility TO reform would
make ms appointment an insult TO
pubic intelligence # it were made In
the name OF reform, and his narrow.
ness. greed, and lac< Of any sense of
p"olrlety IN the Office he holds are
conclusive evidence Of his brilliant
unhtmcss for higher position. Yet it
Is bellevcd that his chances are abont
first as matters now stand. IIcis boss
OF The Administration organ here.
Crowds attend the Star-route trial
ana the court room becomes so sfifIiur
ut times that even Judge Wvlic IS
forced to complain During the win.
ter many ladies attended, AMONG
them Nrs. Dorsey and number Of
her friends, but they have rather Thin.
ned out ot late. New interest was
awakened this week, however. by the
additional indictments found The
sly Kellogg is caught at last. It was
generally believed that his escano
rom Indictment year ago was
through certain political influences as
his absence from the senate wonld
have broken the republican majority
There Is mueh curiosity felt here 10
sec whether Keliogg's usual alroit
methods and brass.mOunted assurance
viii prevail to get him out of ttc
present scrapc lie has been hereto.
fore fortunes favoritc in the maftor
OF getting ont OF corners, but no man
can be always in luck. The capjtoI
IS undergoing the first Of it's semi.an.
nnaI cieaning7 the second occurs inst
before Congress meets. The mex,
house oil representatives will have tc
be stowed away like the provcrbial