The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1883-04-14
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, ID. G., April ?, 1881

easy to discover that there is not much
faith in the success Of the civil service re-
form which will secure republican clerks
in Office after 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
IconfdeuCe 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 tall
have had the effect 10 convince vast ma
IorIty that it is best 10 get ready for a
change. THIS getting ready means cur
tailment Of expenses, a saving up Of lit
tic to get away with, and an earnest look
Ing about for other employment While
to the younger employees the prospect ere
aLcs some uneasiness, 1t does not seem 10
produce any real distress, but TO hundreds
OF clerks pas, middle age the possibilities
of the next few years arc appalling
enough.
Women in and out OF the departments
| have had their attention called to the civil
service law and are delighted that under II
no distinction can be made between the
sexes in competing for places. The sexes
are to be subjected to the Same tests, and If
the women excel they must be selected for
employment. Heretofore women have
been obliged to enter the service at much
lower salaries than men, entirely without
reference 10 capacity, and have never been
advanced to the higher grades. There are
instances of llnguists and translators at,
81, 200 per year sitting in the same room
with men who do vastly inferior work, but
who receive for it third more salary.
Many of the male clerks who lave been
looking upon their places as entirely Sc
cure for while ut least are much excited
over the prospect that promotions are to be-
open for public competition. If true
merit is really TO win, they know full vel!
what all the Intelligent, ambitious, well
educated women Of the country can DO, II
allowed fair chance on an equal footing
with themselves.
Now that the lcntcn season is over there
has been revival Of the social gayety
that is, except during this season, 50 prom
incnt feature Of life in Washington.
The death Of the =. NJ. General, and the
conventional mourning which followed
had q dampcnng effect on Official society
and prevented the entertainment Of the
Mexican President at the White House.
But in scores of other houses, social LIE
has been renewed with all It's woncd dash
and abandon.
The necessary omission, on account OF
the death OF cabinet minister, OF the
grand banquet that had been arranged at
the White Iiodse in honor OF General
Dlaz caused general regret IN admlnistia-
ton circles, for the prominence OF the dis.
'uuguished Mexican warranted any aitcn-
ton that could have been shown him,
Official mourning, however, did not inter.
iere with the entertainment of the distln.
guished singer, Madame Nilsson who,
though herself ia mourning for her hus.
band, seems to enjoy lite in genuine
Langtry way "as she sails, rs she sails"
She seemed to enjoy singing at the White
House on Friday evening for the pleasure
she was able to give her listeners. The
surmlsc of II daily paper that the President
met her at dinner at Chamberlaln's res
taurant on Wednesday was wrong, nor
was she escorted to CAamberlain's by Mr..
Fred Phillips. The dinner was given by
Captain Bagoi, OF the British legation, and
there were only SIX ia the party.
There is prospect Of the addition of an
other colossal bronze statue to the army al
ready to be seen In this city. This statue
is not Of u military hero, but of the mill
tant leader OF professionalism, Martin
Luther. 1t Is proposed by the Lutheran
churches in tins and other elites to erect
III "a HNlNbplb lONtAl'J - iaS QUINN va WV
statue IN Worms. Another statu, sque
idea that has been mooted is ~ place the
immense statue To peace, that has been
presented by Bartholdl, ON the Washing
ton Monument THIS monument when
completed Will be higher than any ancient
or modern artificial structure, and when
surmountcd by the bronze figure itself 100
feet high, will DC SO tall that all our rivals
in monumental architecture will howl IN
despair.
The Prcslden. will probably start for his
southern trip on Wednesday, He Will go
direct to Florida, and will probably re
main there about ten days, though the
length of his stay will depend to some ex
tent on the weather lie will be accompa
med by Mir. Phillips, his private secretary,
and probably by Secretary Chandler
--
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