San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-02-15
Washington Letter.
(From our Regular Correspondent.)
WASHINGTON. February %, 1883.

WASHINGTON, February %, 1883.
The Senate made such progress with the
tariff bill last week that those who have
been Least hopeful of its passage
| by this Congress have taken
heart again. On the democratic side
of the chamber the impression seems to
prevail that the Senate may pass the bill by
the last of this week, probably not until
the very last day of the week. The stub
born contests that have marked the COM
mittee of the whole on certain provisions
will be renewed in the Senate when the bill
shall have been reported back. The amend
ment placing lumber on the free list will,
perhaps, be opposed with more vigor than
it was in the committee The Iron sched-
ule, and the sundries also contain prom ions
which viii lead to renewed debate, and
upon the whole, if the bill gets through the
Senate this week no doubt its friends will
be satisfied.
The tariff debate in Congress, shows con-
clusively that local interests after all, exer-
else powerful influence upon the minds
and votes Of congressman Ihe tariff re-
former who in general way declares himself
in favor of reductions, halts when some pro-
duction of his own state is reached and
when it comes to q vote he is found @p the
side of protection, as far as that production
or industry in which his constituents is con-
cerned
The ten or fifteen thousand Government
clerks are having hard time of it this win
ter First came the civil service bill which
proposes an examination to weed out the
most illiterate of them next Secretary Fol
gers rules which require them TO be at
their desks by nine o'clock, or to forfel: q
part Of their pay; and last and worst bill
has been formulated in Congress which en-
acts that they must get to work by $50 q.
H. and work till 4:30 p. IN. You may be
SIRE there is wailing and objurgation in the
hearts and on the lips of thousands of salnr-
led employees, but no designations have yet
occurred No designations will occur The
government work is far behind hand at
thousands Of desks and it is much better to
have it expedited by imposing additional
hours on these oyerpaid, pamperel idle
clerks than by employ ing an additional force
as has been the custo-a of the Republican
party. From $50 q. IN. to 4:30 p II.
would not be considered on onerous days
work by several millions moro competent
but not as well paid clerks in the country.
Business is disgracefully neglected especial
ly in tho U. S. Patent Office. This Office is
not only supported By fees paid by invent
ors for patents but it yields a large yearly
surplus to the U. S. Treasury. Yetit is not
uncommon for an. inventor to hass 10 wait
from two TO six months before his i1ven-
ton can be examined ard passed uDon-
Over one hundred examiners are appointed
for this work and by proper Industry and
attention 10 the duties for which they ere
paid with the inventors mohey, they could
easily keep the work up TO date. That this
is far from impossible is proved by sSme
few Of the Examiners who do t. and have
time to spare but the majority, knowing
vel that they bold their places by political
favor. are. asa ruls. idle aud neglected..
spsnd;ng Their time during occe hours in
reading Newspapers gosSpiDg and tslt-
inz politics. The naHber Of applicatSors
sor pateuts las month szs greater than Eas