Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-12-22
WASHINGTON LETTER
From our regular correspondent.

We are having just now q pretty
fair illustration of the sincerity of
the politicians of either party on the
subject of civil service reform.
Each side is scoring the other for do
ing precisely the same thing. The
Democrats in the Senate lecture the
Republican majority for turning out
the old officials who are Democrats,
while their friends over on the House
side have already made clean sweep
of the Republican officers of the last
Congress. The Senate Republicans
1 put on virtuous air and talked of
civil service reform at first, when in
fact those who were on the inside
knew that the only reason the Sen
ate officers were not changed at once
was the fear of trouble on account
of Gorham and one or two absentees.
So it is. Neither party has any re-
gard for civil service reform. What
the politicians want is the offices,
and they will have them when they
get a chance. The enactment of the
present law was forced upon them
by public sentiment, and they are
most heartily sorry for it. In the
departments Congressman are not
as potent as they once were, and
while a few are glad to be relieved
to some extent of theannoyance and
pressure, others regret the loss of
their influence in this direction.
Before the civil service law went in
to effect, it was common thing In
the departmental circles to hear a
clerk who wished to be promoted,
transferred or appointed in some
other department, say: swell, I'll
| Just fix that when my member of
Congress returns to the CITY," Suck
remarks are not INDUCED in now,
but a Treasury official informs your
correspondent that Congressman are
daily endeavoring to secure appoint
ments on individual account, as
tuouSu eACy WSAv sOUohy iSnCAoAe VI
the civil service barrier. OF course
those able applicants are regularly
referred to the commission, ''and,"
said my informant, ''if they get an
appointment through without com
plying with the law it's a frigid day"
Whether the country will hail
with profound satisfaction the ad-
vent of another National bankrupt
law, depends some upon what sort
of a law it is. The principal bill
now before Congress simply revives
the law which was repealed by act of
June z, 1878, the only modification
being that the compensation Of the
| assistants in thedistrict courts shall
| be fixed salaries instead of by fees.
This is good amendment, provided
the salaries are not placed too high.
1t will be remembered that the fees
paid TO the court officers nnder the
old law, constructive and otherwise.
generally absorbed the poor debtors
estate, leaving nothing to be divided
up bet ween the creditors. Ii we are
to have bankrupt law, this bill is
AS likely TO 60 through AS any other
because it has been subjected to the
scrutiny of the courts in all its parts,
and has been the instrument by
which more than one thousand mill.
ions of dollars have been saved to
the debt side of the business men of
the country.
The Democrats in Congress are
very playful, and THERE'S good deal
more of the atmosphere of relax
alton about their cloak roOms than
is to be breathed in the retiring
rooms on the Republican side.
When a Republican Senator gets
tired of business he goes over to tho
Democratic side to have some fun.
The Democratic Senators play prac-
tical jokes on one another, and per-
haps the most persistent joker of
that body is Senator Garland. Not
long ago Senator who owed Gar
land one for previous pranks, got
hold of some april fool" caramels
and placed them carelessly on his
desk. Garland spied the deceptive
chocolates, and carelesSly saunter-
ing by, picked up one Of them, and
said: "What are these Senator 2"
"They are caramels. Take one."
"Thank you, will" and he took
one. Now, the caramel was filled
with soap, and the jokers expected to
see Garland spit out the nauseous
stuff. That was where the laugh
was to come in. But Garland dis
appointed them. He ate up the
whole thing, soap and all, and never
made sign. The perpetrat0r be-
came frightened and ran out into
the cloak room, exclaiming "G0od
Lord, Pm afraid the man is poison
ed" "Oh, you needn It be alarmed"
said Butler, Of South Carolina,
"Garland's got an Arkansas stom-