The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-08-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regalar Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, D.C.,l
Anu. IL. 1SS4.(

at is my deliberate opinion" said
Senator .Edmonds four years ago,
chat Mr.. Blaine acts as the attorney
for Jay Gould. Whenever Mr.. Thur
man and I have settled upon legisla
ton to bring the Pacific railro DIS to
terms of equity with the Govern
ment, up has jumped JAS. 81. Blaine,
musket in hand, from behind thel
breastworks of Gould's lobby, to fire
in our back" And this same James
G.. Blaine is to day asking the suf
frages of the people whom lie has
thus wronged, and whose interests
he has thus attempted to cripple, for
the highest office within their gift:
II was before Mr.. Edmunds wrote
these things, that his record as
Speaker of the House had been held
up to public view, and his completely
with the Little Rock and other sub
sides fully established. The lament
able feature, however, of all this rot
ten business is the determination OF
the Blaine following to make public
palliation of his great offences by
the declaration that any mar placed
in like position would under like cir
~cumstances do precisely as MIR.
Blaine did! So it has come to that
point in our estimate of political
morals that men in official position
are to be justified in prostituting
their high ~prerogative, in the accep-
taLce of any and all pccuniary re-
ward that they may demand fer the
performance Of ficial duty! How
long should we have q country wor
thy of the respect of the King of Da-
honey, or worth living for at all, if
such o sentiment as this were to OBJ
tain among the people? The cleo
ton of Mr.. Blaine by the people of
the United States, they having the
direct, explicit, incontroyertible
knowledge of his dishonest methods
and official delinqueneies, will de
monstrate to the other nations ofthe
earth that they are willing to put a
premium upon practices in official
life that make ordinary corruption
respectable.
The election of Gov. Cleveland will
have the effect of instituting here a
true system of civil service in place
of the present incompetent Office
holding autoci acy, a change that will
be hailed with proud satisfaction by
everybody WHO has had any thing to
do with the department officials here.
twenty-five years of constant Office
holding has rendered these fellows as
audacious as the devil and infinitely
more arrogant. Servants of the peo-
pie, are they2 Let the people come
on to Washington ana attempt to
direct their servants and see how
soon they would be disabused of that
notion! Why, the people haven't q
right in the world that these fellows
would respect any more than they
would respect the rights of o dray-
horse. Politeness and ordinary de.
cency are conspicuous by their alb
sence IN every department., and IA
voritism, proceeding from partisan
considerations, is absolutely the rule.
May God help the Government that
cannot get along without the assis
tance of such mass oflncompetency
as that now in charge of the great
and vital affairs of this nationi
Congress saw fit at tslast session
to increase tie fee of pension ella m
agents to $25, conditional that il
should be paid upon the allowance OF
the claim, under m agreement exc
cuted in duplicate between the claim
ant and his attorney, which should
also be approved by the Commission
ers of Pensions. The identical pro
visions of this law are embodied in a
report made by Commissioners Dud
ley in December, 1883, in which liz
strongly urged Congress to adopt
some measure lookiig to the reliefoi
the Pension Office from the petty
annoyances proceeding from the
army of $40 attorneys, who we're re.
sorting to all kinds of legal and il
legal legerdemain to get a larger fee
for their work than the law provided.
Now that Mr.. Dudley has got his
law passed, strange as it may APP.
pear, he is doing everything in his
power to nullify it, and to pcrpetuats
the very annoyances that he has been
so loudly complainingof. Who that
had any experience in the prosecu.
ton of claims before Mr.. Dudley's
bureau, knows that for every dollar
he receives he earns two. That an
ordinary pension claim that should
be examined, investigated and al
lowed in four months, Should take as
many years, in q scandal and q dis
grace to the Government, and q
~traversty upon Justice to the soldier
With hundreds of clerks at his back
and call, add with every facility af
forded fer protecting the Government
against fraud. it is found that not
withstanding the inexcusable delay
in examining aud allowing these
pension claims, from so to rs PEI
cent of them getthe hest Of Mr.. bud
ley and his bureau this year!
PHoNo.
As School Examiner Mr.. Miller
would rive universal Sofisfoctjop