The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-07-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent.l

rom regular correspondent b
WASHINGTON, d. c., June II, 1881
Congress provided Just before adjourn
ment for the appointment of one hundred
and fifty special examiners in the Pension
Office in addition to the number now EN-
ployed. What peculiar qualifications are
necessary foran intelligent discharge of
the duties of an examiner | don't know
but the Civil Service commission is going
to hold its class meetings all over the
country beginning next Saturday, for the
purpose of examining into the proficiency
of the proposed examiners. The delecta>
BILE feature of the business lies in the fact
that there are some hundreds of applicants
for Government positions who have al>
ready passed an examination by the
commission, and, of these hundreds, lust
four have been provided for, only one of
whom has found a place in the Interior
Department! From this statement it can
be ascertained to some degree of accuracy
how much of a show there will be for the
hundreds of applicants who will present
themselves for examination for this posi-
ton of special examiner, a position, by
the way, which will doubtless be filed as
all the rest of them have been, by drafts
upon the Census Bureau and relays from
other departments.
The withdrawal of Wilbur F. Storey.
of the Chicago Times, from the field of
journalism may not be serious matter
now, when the newspaper has practically
perfected itself in its great mission, but to
MIR. Storey more than to any other man,
living or dead, is the credit due for the
tremendous enterprise which has been
brought to the making up of the great
journals of the day. 1t was always the
aim, as was the pride and boast of Mr..
Storey to get the news and lay it before
his readers before all competitors. For
the accomplishment of this he spared
neither labor, expense, diligence or dub
Gus methods, in which money considera
lions too often entered, and thus was he
enabled to inaugurate system of news.
paper work which every large paper in
the country was compelled to adopt, and
the great public was the gamer OF it. Fol
some years Mr.. Storey has taken no active
part IN the management of the Times, MOI
was 1t necessary, for every writer upon
the paper knew exactly what the ole
mans notions were, and governed them
selves accordingly. Mr.. Storey, of course
made fortune out of his enterprise, t.
take care of which it has recently become
necessary to appoint a conservator, al
the old mans brain has softened, and hi
days of usefulness gone forever
The usual mnddle caused by thu
indecent haste with which measures arr
rushed through congress in the CLOSING
hours OF the session, is developed in thu
letter.carriers' vacation bill, which give:
these employers fifteen days of junketins
without making Appropriations for thr
payment of their substitutes for more thai
seven days. There is no more prophet,
in hestowing a half months time upol
this class of employers than there is 70
paying any other class of government
laborers twelve and half months 0
labor, which the solicitor of the treasur'
has solemnly declared that the governmen
has not the right to do While it may b
admitted that the letter-carrier is emin
emily deserving of any and every privileg
that the government has the power t.
grant. he cannot expect to receive favor
that necessarily work detriment to til
public service. He has good salary,
morally certain of retaining his situation
SO long as he behaves himself, he has n
locked time on account of weather O
holidays, and altogether he is, about a
well provided for in the line of receivin
favors as a reasonable person ought t
expect. 1t is anotable fact besides, tina
almost from the time of the inauguration
of the system of mail delivery, thes
letter carries have been organizing an
combining among themselves for incease