Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-04-14
WHOLE NO. 2,469.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent

From our Regular Correspondent
In going through the Department
1t Is easy to discover that there IL
not much faith in the success OF the
civil service reform which will Sc
cure Republican clerks in Office af-
ter a Democratic President shall
have been elected. Here and there
a clerk may be found who feels
more secure in his place than before
Mr.. Pendleton's bill, but in nine
cases out of ten there is very little
confidence in its retaining hold over
an administration which shall come
into power with policy TO carry
out and with the need of their own
men To carry out their policy. The
elections of last fall have had the
effect to convince n vast majority
that tits best to get ready for a
change. This getting ready
means curtailment of expenses
a saving up of a little to get
away with, and an earnest look
ing about for other employment.
While to the younger employees
the prospect creates some uneasi-
ness, it does not seem TO produce
any real distress, butte hundreds of
clerks past middle age the possibili-
ties of the next few years are APP
palling enough.
Women in and out uf the Depart
ments have had their attention
called TO the civil service law and
are delighted that under it no dis
tinction can be made between the
sexes ia competing for places. The
sexes are to be subjected TO the
same tests. and if the women ex-
eel they must be selected for en-
ployment. Heretofore women have
been obliged to enter the service at
much lower salaries than men, en-
tirely without reference to capacity,
and have never been advanced to
the higher grades. There instan-
cesor linguists and translators at
1920 per year sitting in same room
with men who do inferior work,
but who receive for il third more
salary. Many of the male clerks
who have been looking upon their
places as entirely secure for q while
at least, are much excited over
the prospect that promotions are to
be open TO public competition. II
true merit is really to win, they
know full well what all the intelll
gent, ambitious, well educated
women of the country can do, il al
lowed a fair chance on an equal
footing with themselves.
Now that the lenten season is
over there has been a revival of the
social gayety that is, except during
this season, so prominent feature
of life in Washington. The death
ofP. NJ. General, and the conven-
tional mourning which followed
had Il dampening effect on official
society and prevented the enter
tainment of the Mexican President
at the White House. But in scores
of other houses, social life has been
renewed with all its wOnted dash
and abandon. .....
The necessary omission, on ac-
count-of the death of cabinet min
lister, of the grand banquet that had
been arranged at the White House
in honor of General Diaz caused
general regret in administration
circles, for the prominence OF the
distinguished Mexican warranted
any attention that could have been
shown him. Official mourning,
however, did not interfere with the
of the distinguished
singer, Madame Nilsson who,
though herself i'm mourning for her
husband, seems to enjoy life In a
genuine Langtry way ''as she sails,
as she sails" She seemed to enjoy
singing at the White House on Fri
v,ln II.
was able to give her listeners. The
surmise of a daily paper that the
President met her at dinner at
Restaurant on We'd
lesday was wrong, nor was she
9scorted to Chamberlain's by Mr..
Fred. Phillips. The dinner was
given by Captain B8got, of the
British legation, and there were
)nly six in the party. #r
There is prospect of the addition
)t another colossal bronze statue to
De seen-in this city. This statue Is
lot OF "A military hero, but OF tho
militant leader OF professionalism,
Martin Luther. 1t is proposed by
he Lutheran Churches in this and
,ther cities to erect in suitable To-
ality fac simile of the statue In
Worms. Another statuesque idea
hat has been mooted Is to place
he immense statue to peace, that
las been presented by Bartholdi, on
he Washington Monument. This
when completed will be
ligher than any ancient or modern
structure and when sur
mounted by the bronze figure itself
so feet high will be so tall that all
ur rivals in monumental architec-
ure will howl in despair.
The President will probably start
Or his southern trip on Wednesday.
Ie Will 60 direct to Florida and
,ill probably remain there about
an days, though the length of his
tay will depend to some extent on
ne weather. He will beaccompan-
ID by Mr.. Phillips, his private sec
etary, and probably Secretary