The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1883-04-13

rremcdr Regular con.,pondsu,a
WAsnISoros. Mar. 20. 1859

IeVen Sothe OF tn05o ompioyed ia the
| ibnilding, do not know that there is
an assay Office on the top floor Of the
west wing, wherea sample OF all the
coin manufactured at the several
mlnts throughout the United States
Is submitted 10 test as 10 weight,
fineness, aud standard value. DIR.
Lawner Is the assayer, and regularly
every month the mlnts forward 10
bim samples fsueh coin as they are
manufacturing, which he puts TO the
delicate tests Of weight, fire and
chemicals, to sec II they como up to
the standard fixed by law. Within
the past few months, specimens
ofo from all parts Of the country
have been sent 10 the Treasury 10 10
tested, and their quality defined. DIR
Lawner has thorough knowledge OF
minerals and metals, and IL very kind
In explaining TO visitors tho various
processes through which gold and sill
YER coin have TO pass before their
exact value Is established. He gives
q number OF Illustrations and tries
interesting experiments with samples
Of ore sent him for examination, so
that visit 10 his laboratory will well
repay anyone who feels interested 10
the testing Of metals. Access TO this
Office must be procured through heads
OF bureaus, for on account OF the i'm
portance OF the work, and the perfect
accuracy required In testing The val
ue Of tho various metals forming
component parts Of our standard mon
ey, visitors arc excluded except by
special permission.
Durl3g tho last ten days Of the
recent session, Congress ordered the
public alton Of matter that will cost
s2i9,O0O, but no additional approprI.
alton was mado for this work. II
must be dono cut OF the regular ap-
proprIatlons, and at the next session,
when the deficiency thus rendered
necessary Is asked for, there Will nc
doubt be Congressmen who will de-
claim against the extravaganza In
public printing. The responsibility
for this oxtrayagance rests entirely
with Congress. Orders are mado In
both Houses for the printing Of mat
ter that Il entirely useless and worth
less, without seemingly giving a
thought 10 the expense. During the
last session tho committee on printing
: undertook to reduce tho expenditure
by 0uttlog down the number Of vari.
; Gus publications, but ia almost every
effort Of this kind IL was overuled.
The tons OF matter, printed by putIIc
expense, which are annually hauled
away from tho Capitol and sold as
waste paper, furnish abundant proof
Of the extravaganee In public printing,
but every page OF that matter was
printed by order OF Congress.
A few days ago Secretary Of the
Treasury Folger. who has been sick
physically as well as politically since
his somewhat pronounced defeat for
Governor OF New York-"folded his
tent like the Arab" and silently lef,
the city. II Is net unsual for bank
officer 10 Hvamoose the ranch" In this
way. But for tho Secretary OF the
Treasury ofthe United States TO come
and 60 without duo notice 10 the
newspapers Is, tu say the least, not
common. Mr. Folger got Of, howev-
er, and no ono bat q clerk In the
Department: named Butler knew
whittier. The result Of this manner
Of going gave The too careful Secreta.
ry's departure much more extensive
newspaper advertisement than that
from which he tried TO escape. Yes.
terday he came back again from a
little sea voyage, somewhatimproved
in health, bat very sick man still.
There remain In this city forty-slx
Congressman who while away the
time as they list, but many Of them
are engaged in an effort to out-1ank
the civil service idea, and secure
appointments in the Government
Offices for their relatives and friends.
It Is getting so common nowadays
for public men who control patronage
to stow members OF their family in
snug places that, unless one goes to
the Keller extreme and provides for
all his sons, uephews and cousins, 1t
scarcely attracts more than Q passing
notice. The Senator who first set the
example of appointing his son clerx
of his committee was made uncom-
fortably conspicuous by that act but
1t would seem that Senators sons
make such superior committee clerks
that public sentiment was mistaken
In condemning the practice Of ap-
pointing them. In the last Congress
eight Senate committees had fathers
for chairmen and sons for clerks, thus
afordipg the public a double share