South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1883-11-23
Letter from Washington.
From Orr Regsia, Correspondent.
WAsnINeTox. d. C.. NoY. no.

me to sit down and tell you y no is
going to he elected Speaker, for it
might offend some friends OF other
candidates whose opinio ms did not a.
gree with mine; and then, too,
might make 4 mi, take and thus wea-
ken your con fiGence in my political
judgment. All the same, think /
could name the man. ! he contest is
assuming shape now and as the
members come in it is possible 10 OBJ.
tam something more than a vague l.
dea. One cause for congratu! alton
Is that the canvas has been, thus far,
wholly free from personalities, and al
SO that which ever candidate Is cho.
sen gooi, safe man will occupy the
Speakers chair. There is TO suspi.
cion OF jobbery attaching to the name
OF either Mr.. Carlisle, Mr.. Ran
dali or Mr.. COY. And further, if SIR.
Carlisle is chosen there will be no
hasty and injudicious action concern
ing the tariff, as many have been led
TO believe. He is an able, cool and
prudent man. Bo.h he and Mr.. Cox.
are tariff reformers, in harm ony with
the great majority Of the party, but
they are bot in favor Of any reckless
tinkering at this or any other time.
Nor are they out and ut free-trades
as some suppose. Tie 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 staunch
and able veteran called to the high
position of Speaker. 1t is certain,
however, that his following'at present
is less than that of either of the other
leading candidates. An anxious
group of aspir, hts for the other posi-
tons under the House are already
here, but to then. the situation is par
tIcuiarly unsettlcd and agonizing, be-
canse their prospects of su,cess are
more or lesa contingent upon the re-
suit OF the Speakership fight. 7 heir
efforts must be made new or before
the Speakerslip contest is ended, or
else they will have no chance when
the time comes 10 elect to hunt up
their friends and see that they are
kept in the right way.
A list or index Of all the publica-
+ tons of the government, prepared un-
der the direction of the veteran COM
piler, Ben Perley Poor, 10 nearly
completed This list will be OF great
value to officers Of the government
and all who have to do with govern
mental affairs. 1t will make volume
nearly rs large rs Wcbster's Diction-
AIRY Some thirty persons have beer.
employed in preparing 1t and the cost
otprinting VII 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 10
be issued for the guidance OF the pub
lie, but which in reality serve no good
purpose Whatever. The distribution
OF these documents cause the depart
menta issuing them much annoy nee
aud loads down the mails ar consider
able cost fer IT. Importation. Each
Congressman or Senator is entitled to
a certain number OF copies OF every
publication, which he Is supposed to
send to his constituents. Sometimes
he sends them and sometimes he hands
bis list of names to the department.
while quite often the boolls are cartcd
to his rooms and thence find their way
to the junk dealers al so much per
pound, which is frequently the best
use that can be made Of them, becaue
frequently the parties to whom they
arc sent never look inside Of them.
Some OF the government publications
are valuable works and bring good
price at secondhand bookstores, and
Cong: essmen who do not know their
valGe often give them away to de-
partment clerks or others, who straight
way sell them and pocket the proceeds.
Members Of Congress who have fail
ed to be reelected have been known
to overdraw their allowance OF books
and stationery and make q few extra
dollars by the sale thereof. Tie NOR
al OF all this is that the government
spends too much money for issuing
publications that are not put to any
good use. Just now tons of great vol
umes of the census report are being
carted from the Government Pint
ing Office to the Interior department,
not onc-half OF which will ever serve
any good purpose 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 immense establish.
ment it is. Over 1900 names are
carried upon the pay-rolI5 OF this
great workshop, and its composing
rooms, Tre5s-rooms and bindery look
like the comp artmeuts of n big bee
hive. Sometimes in cases ofcnerroncy
q great, big document OF q thous nd
pages IS started in from the manu-.
script at night and turned ont all