The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1884-11-24
WASHINGTON.
Department Clerks Cabinet Con.
lectures Inaugural Ball.

From our Rcsu'ar Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, November IL. lsSl.-The
average department clerk in Washing
ton is now holding his breath In sus-
pense, and Is altogether In n state Of
great tribuiation. The calm, moderate
judgment OF those who are In position
TO know is that Mr. Cleveland will make
but few changes, excepting, OF course,
the more important offices, such as
heads of bureaus. who must of neces-
sity be in entire accord with the spirit
of the administration. But when the
soul of the department clerk is being
filed with these sweet assurances OF Sc
curity, and his mind is at rest, some
one Ike Governor elect Gray, of In
diana, announces that the departments
must be cleaned out, that the rascals
must go, and intimates that presumably
all Republicans are rascals. Then is the
spirit of the clerk wrought up once
more and he begins to practice the most
rigid economy, whereupon the shop
keeper curseth with exceeding great
fervor. The result Is that business here
is utterly dead at present, but II Is not
probable that this condition will con-
tinue for any length OF time.
1t Is now generally conceded In WASH
ington that the result OF the Presiden-
tial contest is definitely settled, and all
the political wiseacres are busy confd-
ing TO the public how the thing was
done. Mr.. George Corham, a stalwart
of the stalwarts, said TO Roscoe Conk-
ling In the lobby Of New York hotel,
q few days ago: "lou withered Blaine
with the hot blast of your silence"
and Roscoe smiled as though the idea
met with his emphatic approval. Mr..
mike" Cregan, one of the noted Repub-
lican leaders of New York city, has been
In Washington for the last day or two,
and he blandly expressed his conviction
to your correspondent that the National
Republican committee was n choice col
lection Of "ohumps," and sneeringly
said that Elkins had given the "boys"
$1,000 for use In New York City when
they should have had at least $4,000.
MIR. Cregan talked very freely In this
strain and butchered the English Ian
guage to an alarming extent.
Every newspaper man at the National
Capital Is now transformed into n cab
met maker and Is benevolently endeav-
oring to lift some ofthe burdens of State
from the shoulders of the President
elect. All hands seem to agree that
General Mcclellan will enter the Cab
met. taking either the War or Navy port
folio. 1t IS said that he prefers the lat
ter, as he thinks that great reputation
can be made by rebuilding our shattered
navy and that the time is ripe for it,
The South claims two cabinet officers and
asks for the Attorney Generals and
Postmaster Genesal's portfolios. Senator
Garland, of Arkansas, is very generally
mentioned as the coming Attorney
General. Beyond this no two seem to
agree. 1t Is understood that Senator
Bayard or Representative Randall do
not care to enter the Cabinet, and many
formerly opposed 10 Randall urge that
he be made speaker of the next Con-
gress. However, this is going long
way into the future, and Randall may
Tomorrow be put down for the Secre-
taryship of the Treasury.
The social world is already beginning
to be anxious about the inaugural ball.
"Where are we going to have II 2" Is
asked on every hind. 1t had been
planned to have the new pension build
ing finished In time for the occasion, but
now the architect announces that the
building cannot possibly be rooted in by
March on account of unavoidable delay
Albaugh's new grand opera house, one
of the latest improvements at the capt.
tai, Is spoken of, and one or two of the
large halls of the city are mentioned,
but 1t Is certain that no building vet
suggested will be entirely adequate to
the occasion. At Garileld's inaugural
ball the National Museum, then Just
completed. was used, and II is possible
that this building may be called into
service once more. 1t will be wildly
remembered by some that for Grants
second inaugural ball n huge frame
structure was specially erected in Jul
dietary square. The night of the ball
was intensely cold and the beaux and
bellies moved about developed In over
coats and wraps. | remember seeing
one fair daughter enveloped In a car
riage robe, and heard her remark to her
partner: "What n perfectly splendid
time I'm having" Many very severe
colds were contracted and for some time
afterwards coughs were epidemic in the
upper circles OF society. The birth of
the Hayes administration was not
marked by the usual Terpsiohorian oya-
ton. There was too much doubt up to
within week of the time as to whose
ball 1t would be.
Many organizations have already en-
! gagged quarters here for the 4th of
March, and the prospect is that the
demonstration on that day will be the
most imposing ever seen In Washing
ton. On Inauguration day all citizens
of Washington abandon political opin-
ions and unite In making the thousands
OF strangers welcome, and join with
them in making the day one Of national
rejoicing. l..