The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1883-11-22
WASHINGTON 7
From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, d. c.,

ANoNs ~ Aooc
1t would not be worth while for
me to sit down and tell you who is
going to be elected Speaker, for it
might offend some friends of other
candidates whose opinions did not
agree with mine; and then, too, l
might make a mistake and thus
weaken your confidence in my politi-
cal judgment. ali the same. l think
| could name the man. The contest
is assuming shape now and as the
members come in it is possible to OBJ
tain something more than a vague
idea. One cause for eongratulatio1
is that the anvas has been, thus
far, wholly free from personalities,
and also that which ever candidate
is chosen a good, safe man will &C.
cupy the Speakers chair. There is
no suspicion of jobbery attaching to
the name of either Mr.. Carlisle, Mr..
Randall or Mr.. Cox. And further,
if Mr.. Carlisle is chosen there will
be 10 hasty and injudicious action
concerning the tariff, as many have
been led to believe. He is an able,
cool and prudent man. Both he and
Mr.. Cox are tariff r%eformers, in har-
mony with the great majority of the
party, but they are not in favor of
any reckless tinkering at this or any
other time. Nor are they out and
out fiee-traders as some suppose.
The friends of Mr. Cox are more in
earnest than has been generally
supposed, and there are not few
who would like to see this good
humored, but stanch and able vete-
ran called to the high position of
Speaker. 1t is certain, however,
that his following at present is less
than either of the other leading can
didates. An anxious group of aspi-
rants for the other positions under
the House are already here, but to
them the situation is particularly I'M
settled and agonizing, because their
prospects of success are more or less
contingent upon the result of the
~Speakership fight. Their efforts
must be made now or before the
Speakership contest is ended, or else
they will have no chance when the
time comes to elect to hunt up their
friends and see that they are kept in
the right way.
"A list or index of all the publica
tions of the government, prepared
under the direction of the veteran
compiler, Ben. Perlsy Poore. is near
ly completed. This list will be of
great value to officers of the govern
ment and all who have to do with
governmental affairs. 1t will make
a volumn nearly as large a IS Wehster's
Dictionary. Some thirty persons
have been employed in preparing it
and the cost of printing will be no
small item. But speaking of this
list reminds one of the fact that
thousands of dollars are annually
thrown away on official publications
which are supposed to be issued
for the guidance of the public, but
which in reality serve no good pur.
pose whatever. The distribution Ct
these documents the depart
ments issuing them much annoyance
and loads down the mails at consider.
able cost for transportation. Each
Congressman or Senator is entitled
to a certain number o fcopies of every
publication, which he is supposed
to send to his constituents. Some
times he sends them and sometimes
he hands his list of names to the de.
partment, while quite often the books
are carted to his rooms and thence
find their way to the Junk dealers al
SO much per pound, which is frequent
ly the hest use that can be made Of
them, because frequently the parties
to whom they are sent never look in
side of them. Some of the govern
ment publications are valuable works
and bring a good price at second.
hand bookstores, and Ccngressmer
who do not know their value often
give them away to department clerks
or others who straightway sell them
and pocket the proceeds. Members
of Congress who have failed to be re
elected have been known to overdraN
their allowance ofbooks and station.
cry and make Il few extra dollars by
the sale thereof. The moral of al
this is that the government spends
too much money for issuing publica
tons that are not put to any good
use. just now tons of great volumes
of the census report are being carried
from the Government Printing Office
to the Interior department., not one.
half of which will ever serve any
good purposes whatever. Yet the
cost of getting them up is enormous
Speaking of the Government Print.
ing Office, few people over the coun.
try know what an immeas establish.
ment it is. Over LOGO names arc
carried on the pay-rolls of this great
workshop, and it's composing rooms
press-rooms ard bindery look like
the compartments Of a big bee hive
Sometimes in eases of emergency 6
great, big document of q Thousand
pages is started in from the manu-
script at night and turned out al
bound and complete the next day a
noon when Congress assemblies. A
large number Of ladies are employed
in the folding and bindery O
this establishment, and a great out
cry went up two or three years age
when MI. Defrees' friend, Trial
Heap Painter, was allowed to bring
in a lot of his machines to preforn
the work of the folders and counters
Congressman and others are always
endeavoring to have some lady frient
appointed in this department.. Nhe1
Mr.. Rounds was first appointed
Government Printer, being q new
man, and rather good natured withal
he was piled vigorously with these
applications. For some month:
Rounds knew no rest from this kline