The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-11-13
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
The Weekly Collection About the Ma
tiOnal Capital
AN EXCITING WEEK.

deeper interest in the result of a general cleo.
ton than any other city in the country. In
spite OF ali the Civil Service talk and the law
the thousands of clerks here feel that the re-
tention of their places depends upon political
influence, and that any change in party ascend
ancy must be disastrous to them. As very
large proportion of these are men advanced in
years, who have not been successful In other
ventures in life, they are more or less strongly
of the opinion that the holding of their places
is the only security against coming to absolute
want, SO their anxiety over the result of the
election becomes positively painful to witness.
The city was almost depopulated of male clerks
for the week preceding the election, as they
had gone home to vote, and the ladies had un-
disputed control of the Departments. This
gave rise to good deal of fun over Petticoat
Government" and there was some talk OF TAX
ing advantage of the situation TO torcibly inau-
gur8te Mrs. Belya A. Lockwood. The men
began TO come back the day after the election,
and had nearly all returned by the end OF the
week. Tuesday night great crowds surged up
and down Pennsylvania Avenue, swarming
int the hotels, saloons. newspaper and tele-
graph offices, and political headquarters, hum
grily listening to the reading OF the dispatches.
Never in the history of American politics were
these so contradictory and confusing. Every
possible story was told, and every man believed
just what his mental predisposition inclined
him to, and comforted himself with the
thought that all the rest were lies. There
were dispatches from Republican Commit
tees" and " Democratic Committees" from
entirely reliable Democrats" and equally
trustworthy Republicans" claiming diamet-
rically opposite things Gamblers and pool
sellers sent kilograms which were straight"
and which were misleading" to influence
betting, but the false and true dispatches were
equally worthless, and it was some comfort to
know that the gamblers were as badly bitten
as their victims
/. 1t was past midnight before the streets be-
gan to clear, and towards morning the Repub-
licans went home feeling Respondent, while the
Democrats had enough to form basis for rather
solid hopes. The morning papers indicated
that the chances favored Cleveland, but the
afternoon papers pointed to Blaine's election,
and SO it went through the whole week, with
hopes falling at night and rising in the after
noon. Towards the end of the week. the news
becoming much more favorable to Cleveland,
the hopes of the Democrats went up accord
ingly and those of the Republicans dropped to
zero, and general gloom deposited itself over
the Departments. OF course q large portion of
the employees are Democrats, and not few Of
them served in the rebel army. These do not
share in the dependency of their associates,
but expect to reap substantial advantage from
the change of affairs. The assurance of the
success of Cleveland and Hendricks had q
very destructive effect on business. Very
many of these clerks have bought homes which
they are now in the course of paying for. If
they have to surrender their situations, of
course they cannot make their final payments
Very much property, it is feared will be thrown
upon the market. Also, they will buy less
freely of all kinds of goods than they would
were not the prospect of removal in q few
months staring them in the face. An attempt
was made to Tighten up this depression by
surances from prominent Democratic man.
ayers, and those who were supposed to be in Mr..
Cleveland's confidence to the effect that no
changes whatever would be made beyond the
heads Of Departments, Bureaus and Divisions;
that all efficient and meritorious clerks would
be retained during good behavior. This had
some effect in restoring slight degree of con-
fidence, but the average Department clerk is
feeling far from cheerful. On the other hand,
the hotel keepers saloonists, cabmen, etc. anti
cipate rich harvest with new Administers
ton. There will be fiocking to the city from
all over the country of people who have not
been here for many years, and have newborn
hopes of positions and offices, and who will
probably crowd the hotels from the beginning
of the session of Congress until long sstsr the
Inauguration.
CHANCES OF CHANGES.
After all, there is a pretty fair chance for q
man to retain place under the Government if
it is not too dangerously high in position and
salary. The chances for short incumbency
seem to increase very rapidly as one nears the
head of the Government. The Cabinet Offices
are next TO the President, and it is never prob
able that any one of them will stay out the
term of his Chief. Pres. Hayes made vigor-
Gus effort to keep to the end of his term the
Cabinet appointed at its beginning, but he had
two Secretaries of War; two Secretaries of
the Navy, and two Postmasters General.
In the Garfeld-Arthur Administration of four
years we have had as Secretaries of State, Blaine
and Frelinghuysen; as Secretaries of the Treas
ury, Window, Folger, Gresham and McCulloch;
as Secretary of War, Lincoln; as Secretaries of
the Navy. Hunt and Chandler: as Secretaries
of the Interior. Kirkwood and Teller: as Post
masters-General, James, Howe, Gresham and
Hatton, and as Attorneys General, MacVeagh
and Brewster. Next to the Cabinet officers
come the Bureau heads As these must gain
some knowledge of the work done by their
Offices, they are changed much less frequently
Under them come Assistant Commissioners
Alditors Chiefs of Divisions ETC., who are the
men who really do the Government work;
consequently they must have knowledge of
their business, which can only be gained by
years of experience They are tolerably secure
IN their places, for awhile at least because
their services cannot be dispensed with. The
business of the Government is too complicated
to be intrusted to men inexperienced in it
no matter how capable such may have been in
other walks of life. No Secretary or Commits
clean out the Department" and fill up the
comfortable places with his own friends
would risk the almost inevitable failure of his
administration which would follow putting
unframed men in charge of the Government
business. Consequently,-for awhile at least
whatever changes will be made will be at the
top and the bottom. The heads will come off
as q matter Of course, and the clerks of the
least training and knowledge will be worked
ont to make room for hungry strikers and
.'heeiers."
THROUGH FIVE ADMINISTRATIONS
Still, many of the low grade public servants
make themselves so useful that they are not
disturbed, no matter what changes of Admin
istration occur. The Senate and the House
have employees whom no one thinks of remov-
ing any more than of pulling one of the stones
out of the foundations of the Capitol. There
is one venerable, white haired man in the SEN
ate, who was appointed page by Daniel Web
ster 80 years ago. and has been continuously
there ever since, being now assistant doorkeeper
his capacity is humble, but he has made him.
self nearly indispensable in it. One of his
prerogatiyes which he prizes highly. is that of
turning back the hands of the Senate clock at
the end of q Congress. The Congress must end
at IL o'clock on the 9Th of March. When That
hour arrives it always happens that there ia
some unfinished business OF hand. At nod
from the President the old gentleman, who has
been anxiously anticipating the exercise of his
proud privilege, takes a cane and stepping
up TO the clock, turns the hands back
one, two, or three hours, as may be de-
sir ic 70 Er,n,