The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1883-07-28
Our Washington Letter.

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Our Washington Letter.
Our REGULAR LETTER
WASHINGTON, D. c., July 90. 1888.
To illustrate how much everybody is
in favor OF civil service reform it is only
necessary TO refer to the extraordinary
Efforts that baYe been made to securely
fill all the Offices before the new law
went lnto effect. There has not been
such a pressure for appointments and
promotions in the departments for
many years as that of the last mouth or
six weeks. The heaos of departments
have been anxious to provide for their
friends. and the outs were anxious to
get in before the much-feared civil SER
vice syst EN- was put into effect. Mem
bers Of Congress, ward politicians ard
everybody who imagined they had the
slightest Influence have produced candi-
dates either for appointment or promo
ton. The consequence is that at the
present time there is not vacancy ex-
listing in any Of the departments. A
large number Of changes We're made in
the various divisions of the Treasury de-
partment last Saturday the civil service
law went into operation Monday follow
ing and n large force of clerks were
kept busy late in the day recording the
changes and filling out the papers. Every
possible vacancy in all the departments
has been filed, and every bureau officer
has provided for his friends and promot-
ed lbe favored ones under him. And
now that future appointments must be
made from the LISTS of the civil service
commission ConRressmen will be relieved
for one of their chief duties, or what has
been made one of their chief duties in
many cases. They will have very little
to do about the departments hereafter
except to get xious friends promoted.
They will have nothing to do with get
ting appointments unless theycan manage
to boost favored party through a back
window when no one is looking. That
will be their limit
But while everything possible has
been done to anticipate the commission,
1t is mistake to assume that there will
be no vacancies to fill. Perhaps the
number will be small for two or three
months, but in the nearly six thousand
clerkships in all the Government Offices
here vacancies are bound to occur from
natural causes. 1t is stated that from
deaths, designations and dismissals for
canse, more than fifteen vacancies occur
weekly in the combined departments.
This estimate does rot include the ina
crease or reduction in the force made
by special acts of Congress, 1t will be
seen, therefore, that the civil service
commission will be called upon to name
$50 persons to fill vacancies which will
occur during the next twelve months,
So they can count on sixty month, and
there is no need to be discouraged. Con-
siderable merriment las been iudulged
about town at the expense of clerk in
the Office Of the civil rvice commission.
young Lady in the Census Office wrote
TO the commission for the blanks neees-
sary TO make application for e1amiua-
ton. They were forwarded in an enye-
lope addressed to her at The "Cencus
om;e, and it has been Questioned
whether the clerk who directed the letter
bad passed competitive In spelling.
Ii there Is any place on earth hotter
ann ,duller than Washington in July and
August, don't know where it is. The
thermometer does not go so much higher
here than in many other citi,s, but We,
haye such a hrmid atmosphere that a
temperature Of 30 or 95 degrees is al
mest uncomfortable. Then We are not la-
yored with such cool night breezes at all
times AS We would wish, During the
two months mentioned the thousands of
Government employees take their annual.
vacation. o. course trey do not all 90
ut once. but they nearly all manage to
get away by turns. Thsy have thirty
days at Government expense The Presi-
dent WI understands tue dullness in
Washing on and the shadow of repose
'hat las come over the Government
onsln s.. He stays at lis pretty little
VILLA IN the grouGds OF the Soldiers,
Home nearly all the time. He never
comes to the White house before noon.
aud day after day passes without his
com ng at all. lie has telephone con.
nsetlon with The departments and his
own clerks and diSposss of much busi.
ness without attending personally. His
experience last cabinet day was rather
iunny. 1t was an txtreu, ly hot day and
the President drove in a little earlier
tn"n usual as he had some things which
he wanted 10 consult the mtmbers of his
cabinet about before deciding. Well. he
~ent to his library aud stayed awhile.
Then be went to his private quarters ana
stayed awhile; then he went to the oabi.
net room aud stayed aWhile-getting a
little more impatient all the while and
seoNllng al tue big engraving of General
Andrew jackson lie again ran over