The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1883-03-29


bloom, and the air is laden with the perfume
of flowers. Before the equestrian statue of
jackson three persons were standing. Two of
the triO-a man and wOman-were of the Or
binary type the third was a nondescript BIZ
ped. Y wore a skirt of shabby black silk, fall
ing little below the knee; trousers of the same
material. cut straight, and too short to cover a
well developed pair of feet; shabby grey sack :;
hair cut short in the neck a small brown straw
hat. A large umbrella was held over its head.
The face was unprepossessing- cheeks hollow,
complexion saOW; features irregular; eyes
hollow and eXpressioness. This slovenly, awk-
ward looking appariton puzzled me not little
until | read in the evening papers that ''The
National Dress Reform and Equal Rights AS
ISOLATION would convene in annual session at
Union Hall at half-past ! p. M, and that Dr..
Lydia Sayre lasbrock, Dr. Ellen Beard Har-
mon and Or. Susan Way Dodds A. b. cable
bodiedO would address the meeting; 'dress to
be the principal topic of discussion''-of course
In tile latter part of April. the question of
the Alabama claims being then pending, there
was a good deal of annexation talk. Sensation
al correspondents of sensational newspapers
credited President Grant with having one eve
on Canada and the other on Cuba. 1t was sug-
gested that Great Britain might hand over her
North American possessions to this country in
settlement of the Alabama claims, and the opin-
ion that the Canadians themselves were anxious
for neXation was currently entertained, while
the Ion to Cuba" cry was based upon prepare
tons to reinforce our North Atlantic squadron.
After all it was much ado about nothing.
The Senate was in extra session. Senator
Sprague's rebellion was closely followed by the
revolt Of Senator Ross, Of Kansas, who becom-
ing disgruntled over some of the appointments
in his State very nearly had an open quarrel
with the President, and then ventilated his
grievances in the Senate. On the A3d Senator
Nye of Nevada replied to Sprague, and "the
latter, who had been loaded for couple of
days, succeeded in firing another broadside into
the ranks of his former political associates"
About the first Of May the office Of the New
! OK Associated Press was removed from Penn
Syvana avenue near Four-and-a-half street to
the corner Of Pennsylvania Avenue and Four
teenth street, thus following the correspon-
dents uptown. Newspaper Row was then
firmly established on the latter street and in its
zenith. The name >ill exists but the Row does
not nor doe, the Washington Press Club, If
saVory rccoectionS. whose annual banquets
were feast of reason and flow of soul, to say
nothing Of the trrrapn and IIcideick TO OBJ
tain a seat at the festive board Congressman
have Teen known TO claim connection with
the press from having carried papers in their
youth. There were always seats 1T the head of
the table for the venerable Senator Cameron.
and for Represent atvcs Blaine, "Sunset' Cox
and others who had in former days occupied
the editorial tripod
The extra session of the Senate was adjourned
the latter part Of April and the beginning of
May found Washington wearing its usual de-
serted appearance when Congress is absent,
with its attendant lobbyists wre-pullers, and
city on May 3d. Whte-wash art lists sable
hucd, stroll loisurcly along with the implements
| oftler calling. Empty lacks line the streets
while the hackncn laly crack their Jokes and
their whips. The boot-black's occupation is
gone. \ few ieungers still hang about the
doors of the hotels, chewing the cud of contem-
| paion, and tine cut. but the spacious halls arc
well nigh deserted, aud hollow echoes follow
the tread Of the occasional visitor. The porters
| sleep and snorc on the benches: the clerks for
| want Of other occupations, cisurely count the
| flies on the ceiling; and the rattle of glasses in
| the bars lately unceasing from early morning
unit nearly morn again. is hushed.
The changes incidental upon the incoming of
a new administration were not all made, and
the following paragraph concerning department
| clerkships might have been penned many times
| since, ana i scarcely less true now than then
despite the agitation of civil service reform
a few days ago went through one of the
! departments. The newly appointed chief
| though hourly expected had not then arrived.
The appearance Of the clerks was piteous in the
eAtro me and made Il deep impression upon me.
They were really trembling, many of them, with
the fear of speedy official decapitation. Some
Whstled, as though to keep their courage up,
and others talked sWaggeringly, but the tell-talc
NERVOUSNESS and Observation-Disclosures were plainly
to b" seen. Many of these men had grown grey
III the public service, and were fathers OF fami-
lies, but there was no hope for them. They will
be thrown upon the world, most of them with
out any provision for a rainy day, and utterly
| useless and helpless. Truly, these are dark
days for department clerks" What the position
| j., or least was then, is further explained by a
Western newspapers "a clerkship at Wash
ingOn is not office ii is not honor, it is not edu-
cation. 1t has no line of promotion, it prepares
Tor nothing. it opens the way to nothing. The
rule IS. once Il clerk, always Il clerk; and for a
higher place than clerkship the chances of
none are more forlorn than those Of the clerk.
The duties Of Washington clerkshp are mat
tiers of routine, and the performance becomes
simply automatic. They dwarf the man, men
tally, morally, and economically to the means
Of his occupation. He lives in a world of clerk
ship he spends his salary, and probably, anti
cipates each quarterly allowance. The political
significance through which he obtained his
clerkship he loses when it is obtained; and he
sinks to the clerical level, which is partly men
dlcacy While he is retained, and actual mcndi-
cacy when he comes to be discharged.'
The visit of Gen. Robert +. Lee to President
Grant early in May was made the basis of many
Sensational dispatches. The interview was not
private, was very brief and confined to a mere
commonplace exchange Of courtesies 1t had no
political significance, whatever, and no refer
cncc was made either by the President or Gen
era Lee to political affairs.
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