St. Landry democrat., 1884-08-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent.

mot be had here now. President Arthur
aud his advisers are scattered far and
wide. The President is in New York
and from there will go to the Catskills
on fishing excursion. Secretary OF
State Frelinhuysen has gone to Newark,
Secretary Chandler is cruising with his
family in the United States steamer
Tallapoosa. The Secretary of the lnte-
Tior has gone to Colorado for month.
Postmaster General Greshman is in In
diana where lie will remain three weeks
and Attorney General Brewster has
gone to Long.Branch. Secretary Lin
coin was the last Cabinet officer left at
his post, but he has now gone to the
Jersey coast.
Just before leaving the city President
Arthur had an official visit from the
President of San Salvador who came to
Washington to see whether the COM
mercial relations between this country,
and that Republic cannot be enlarged.
He is a short, stout man about forty
Eve years old, with dark complexion.
He wore black suit and beaver hat,
and spoke French but not English.
Now that the White House is vacant
its annual renovation has begun. Many
of the ad6rnments will be touched by
artists, and new ones added. New fur
sniture and new carpets will be bought
and the portrait of Arthur as a dude
will be replaced by one from the brush
of another artist. 1t is said the Presi-
dent was never satisfied with his rose
bud representation, but forebore to re-
move it for fear of appearing to sue
cumb to the criticisms made upon it. At
any rate the White House will be in ir-
sepToachahle condition for Arthur's
successor. And this reminds me they
propose holding the next Inauguration
oallin the court of the new pension
building, which will be over three hum
dred feet long, and over one hundred
feet wide. The building itself is four
hundred feet long by two hundred feet
wide, and thus far $666,OOO have been
appropriated for it. The work is pro-
crossing rapidly and two hundred men
are employed in its construction.
There are number Of plans in connec-
tion with the building that are altogeth-
er novel, and when completed there
will be no more enduring public struc-
.3ure in the city.
When the Democrats take possession /
of the government one of their first
efforts will be to reduce the running ex
penses of the departments here. There
is general demand for greater econo-s
aHg in tho public service, and there is a
prevalent impression that the cost OF
the service can be materially reduced
impairing it's efficiency. There
are many sineeure positions, and many
offices that ought to be consolidated.
The pruning knife of reform will be
leroically employed, not blindly and
rashly, but with intelligence and skill.
The country is able and willing to pay
good wages and salaries to all officials
who are faithful and efficient, but there
are drones in every one of these de-
gartments- persons who are kept In Of
flee by Influence" and who are no more
expected to earn their salaries than the
fillies of the field. Congress Of course
cannot discharge these useless consum-
ers of the public funds, but it can abol-
ish the places which they occupy. Con-
gress cannot dictate appointments, but
it can abolish the places which they
occupy. Congress cannot dictate ap-
pointments, but it can fix the numbers
in the divisions so that there will be no
room for idlers.
For some time there has been feel
ing among the female department.
clerks, that the employment OF women
i'm government service was doomed.
They reason less from facts than from
their fears, but the recent decision OF
the Secretary of the Interior that wo-
men should no longer be appointed to
Pension Examiners positions, was not
to allay their anxiety. Nor
can it be denied that the employment of
women, as a system, has developed a
whole catalogue of abuses. They have
been appointed for their personal at
fractions and influence, and If Civil
Service Reform should effectually sep
arate the female employees from poll |
tics, one Of the most subtle of the many
evils will be abolished.