Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1885-05-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON May /, 1885.

the present condition ofthings is very
disappointing. But to those who
know that startling transformation is
not necessarily reformation, and that
the latter can be attained only through
careful and well considered action,
there is much for encouragement
The magnitude of the Wholesale
changes that have taken place is
known best by those who will never
tell it. All TIE Republican clerks in
all the Departments are working bets
ter and accomplishing more. drink
ing less; paving their old debts and
enjoying better health than ever be.
fore. They are doing more work be-
cause the Secretaries of the different
Departments have given them to un-
dcrs;and that idle clerks will DO dis
charged, and have emphasized their
meaning by turning some idlcrs out.
Their improved health is attributable
to the fact that orders have gone out
that abs ccnce on account Of sickness
will be deducted from the thirty DAYS
summer vacation that has been
given Government clerks. This order
has had such a healthy effect that
absence from alleged sickness has
declined one hundred per cent. In.
dcbtedncss and drunkness have de-
clined because it is understood that
decency, competency and honesty
will he insisted upon by this Dem
Oci attic Administration. These re-
forms are best known By the Republic,
can clerks themselves but they arc a
kind of reform that reflects but little
glory upon them or their party. No
rogue will boast that be has been
whipped into honesty. /. venture to
prcdic, that in about nine months
from now, when the work of the first
year of the new administration can be
reviewed, q very favorable showing
will be made and it will be found not
only that larger amount of work has
been done, but that it has been acom-
pIished more economically and with a
smaller force. In q month from now
it is believed that very important
changes will have been made. 1t
has been found impractlcabls to'make
these changes as rapidly as was de.
sired owing partly to the lack of &C.
guaintance of Mr.. Cleveland and his
Cabinet with the routine and the per.
sonel of the different bureaus and part
ly to the conflicting claims of the
many applicants for Office. But the
knowledge necessary to intelligent
actions is being acquired and it ia re.
ported that extensive changes will be
made about the 30th of June.
No Department of the Govern
ment has been worse mismanaged than
that of Agriculture. The late Cons
missioner spen. his time from June to
November making speeches for Blaine
and the Few Commissioner appointed
by President Cleveland found that
S3S was the unexpened balance left
him for carrying on the DEPARTMENT
for three months, or until the appro-
priations of the next fiscal year shall
become available.
How this state of affairs has been
brought about is easy to see. There
is no doubt that funds have been large
ly used o.promote the election of the
Republican candidate for the Press
idency. For the purpose Of currying
favor and gaining votes, the salaries
ofemployes in various States have
been largely increased: Thus, in one
instance, q man in the statistical de-
partment out in Kansas bad his salary
raised from $500 to $4,000; while his
chief in the bureau a: Washington on-
ly gets $1,000. This wholesale dis
tribution of the funds Of the depart
ment for political purposes soon ran
away with the appropriation. and to
this as much as to any other cause
the bankrupt condition of Agricultu>
raj Bureau is to be attributed. The
original intent of Congress in appro-
priating money for the distribution of
seeds was TO buy rare grains beyond
the reach of ordinary agriculture
and so distribute them as to improve
the character Of our crops. Instead
of this. however, the recent Commits
sioner bought for free distribution Or
binary seeds to be found in every seed
store in. the country. The true char I
acter of these common seeds was
hidden under high sounding name,
and they were sent Congressman
broadcast throughout their districts
e.. ,Lo ,,urnoSa making uotas Eor