The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1883-09-22
Our Washington Letter.
IFRoM OUR SPECIAL CoRREsPoNDENT.l
WAsHINGToN,D d. c., Sept. l5, 1888.


WASHINGTON, d. c., Sept. 15, 1883.
The President has again returned to
Was gton after an absence of ov a
month, During this last trip every
m mber Of the Cabinet has at times b en-
absent from the Capital. Postmaster
General Gresham, whose appointment is
recent, found it necessary to remain here
to attend to official duties and become
familiar with the details of the post-of.
fee service. With this exception WASH
ington was never so completely aban-
doned by high officials, as it was during
the month of August.
The question naturally arises, not how
the business of the nation is conducts
during thu absence of the President ana
his Cabinet, but what business can be
and is transacted? Because of these an
nual vacations no one ever heard of the
purse strings being tiRhtened, or that
the Treasury failed to pay every dollar
as it came due. What is there more i'm
portant than money! Acts of Congress
long since approved by the President
regulate the disbursement Of every dol
lar, without which not one cent can be
paid. Take, for example, the War De-
partment, with its great army of clerks,
who get their pay twice a month An
act of Congress gives the chief clerk, in
the absence of the Secretary of War, the
same authority that is vested In the Sec.
retary. What can he do, after all, more
than is authorized by law? He cannot
borrow few thousand on account. No,
not cent. He cannot appoint friend
to Office. Civil Service Reform has put
an end to that. He can promote, but be
would not assume such authority, fol
his superior, when he returned, might
not approve of it.
The vast clerical duty has been dis
posed of by Mr.. John Tweddale, the
chief clerk. There is another helper IL
that department. 1t is Adjutant General
Drummond and his assistant adjutant
generals. The State Department has
three assistant secretaries, two of whom
are usually present when the Secretary
of State is absent. Now, it would be
strange II such a department could gel
along without head. 1t does not and
cannot; for it is fact that every paper
of importance is written by the Secre.
tary; every document of the slightest
importance is signed by him., Where's
At his residence in New Jersey.
Mr.. Blaine says in answer to an in.
quiry that he regards the Republicans
prospects of 1884 as more hopeful than
they were before the campaigns Of 1876
and 1880. On the question of Presiden,
tial candidates he thinks Western mar
would be stronger than an eastern man,
The last opinion has the favor of disin,
terested candor, certainly, it bear,
against himself if he still has aspirations
- tne IIesluency'
The new two cent postage stamp will
be issued on the 18th of October. They
will be sent out from New York city
where they are printed by the American
Bank Note Co. The clerical force il
the stamp diylsion in the Post Olfic,
Department will be busily engaged il
preparing the order sheets containing
the requisition of Postmasters through
out the country for these stamps As il
generally known, the new stamp con
tdns vignette of Washington, and i
Of mstallic red color. The Post-O Olfic,
Department has. as yet, made no pre-
plrations for redeeming the three cen
stamps and the stamped envelopes tina