The Russellville Democrat., 1884-10-16
Our Washington Letter.
Correspondence of the Democrat.

There may be a belief that the
 mblic service at Washington is be
 Ing carried on with some degree oi taithfullaess. The officials ir con troI of the various departments are assumed, by the public, to be al their posts, discharging the obliga- tions which rest upon them. and for which they are well paid. But the delinquency which really exists in this respect is something unparallel ed ln the history of the civil service of this country. In the first place the President is absent, and has been for weeks. Finding himself left out in the cold, he throws aside all sense Of responsibility and prac tically abandons the administration of affairs. His Cabinet also seem to
 be struck with the idea that "this is the time for disappearing. The willy Chandler, the crafty Freling- huysen, the gorgeous Brewster, and the silent, because he don't know what to say, Lincoln, has been gone so long that they are almost forgot ten. To name the absentees of les ser rank would be heavy drain on the official blue book. Those who are here, are the exception; those absent, the rule. Most of them are in the field electioneering for the Knight oi the White Feather, and not few are drawing pay from the goverDment aud at the same time are being paid for their speeches, by
 the republican campaign club. No tably is this the case with General Dudley, Commissioner of Pensions, whose resignation does not take effect for month, and who is draw ing a salary of 5000 per annum, and making speeches at $50 ! day. This, for the gentleman who poses as the great friend of the soldier, is a glaring example of official delin- quency. Not so fortunate is Mr. French, the first assistant Secretary of the Treasury. He "disappeared' in April, and passed the warm months travelling in Europe, pay ing his expenses, it is needless te say out of an unearned salary. Bul
 while he was gone he was forgotten
 and when he returned to find Secre'
 tary Folger lying dead, he also
 found that he had been supplanted
 in official favor by others, and
 though imediately in the fine of pro
 motion himself, his name was not
 even mentioned for the Secretary
 ship. Not to grow wearisome on
 the subject of tAe unblushing delin
 quencies of the officials in the De
 partment, l challenge comparison
 with any other period, for the utter
 disregard of honesty, decency, and
 responsibility which now prevails in Washington. The bank president and cashier delinquepcies of the
 time are only more noticeable be cause affecting private interests, but
 as far as crIminality is concerned
 are no grosser.
 The republicans have about abandoned all hope of doirg any
 thing in the South, They did intend to make an effort .o capture North Carolina and Florida, but the
 reports from those states give them
 no encouragement. It IS now cleal
 that they mast carry New York State
 to be victorious. To do this they
 must over come united democratic
 party mith an alliance of liberals
 a combination which elected Grover Cleveland Governor, by over 100. I000 majority. To over come this
 lead is impossible. The democrats will elect their ticket.
 The Blanc menagarie is on the road, and Barnums greatest show on
 Earth pales into significance. Bu, wilt it pay Blaine to start out "itf circus at this season. There arc many. republicans here who art grooming over the spectacle. In their view it is the tawdriest claf trap, and does not change vote except from hlm. But it was recog nized by the party managers thai something must be done. New York is quietly but solidly for Cleve- land. The democratic composure must be broken if possible. The germans of Ohio are going dem ocratic. Blanc will try to magnet ize them. Indiana, Michigan, Wis consln aad Illinois are about given up. Btaine must show himself in those states, to save them. In a word Blaine was ordered to take his whole stock of magnetic influence with him, and start on the road Tn order lo save the republican party from utter defeat But 1t IS des- perate resort anu it won't do. Peo pie will turn out to see if he is really tatooed, but, they won't vote for him And in the mean time the campaign treasurers, for such are government ts tftf n