The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-04-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular correspondent

lFrom our Regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, Mar. 80, 1885.
Government machinery is running
very smoothly under the new manage
ment, and it is conceded on all hands
that more and better work is accom-
plished under the new regime. As yet
the heads of the different departments
have been able to do very little in the
way of reorganization and reform, but
the needlessly complicated systems of
the various bureaus are receiving care
full study, and it is expected that from
1900 to 2000 clerks will be discharged
in Washington alone.
A large crowd gathered about the
stables last Thurday at the sale OF
Government horses and carriages or
dered by Secretary Lamar. The ele-
egant equipages brought good prices,
but the money returned to the U. S.
Treasury is but small portion of the
amount that will be saved. An ele-
giant and expensive stable with grooms,
drivers, and horses, all costing not less
than $4,000 or $4,000 per year will
no longer be maintained at the expense
of the tax payer, and the example of
honesty and democratic frugality will
be felt in all the branches of the SER
vice over which the Secretary of the
Interior presides.
1t appears that the example of econ
omy has already been felt by the Re-
publican majority in the U. S. Senate,
for the caucus has debated PROPOSE
ton to reduce the expenses of that lux.
urious body $4,000 or 100000 per
year. In the first place, they propose
10 return to Gen. Ben Butler the
House for which the Senate has paid
an annual rental of $4,000, and next,
to reduce the number of clerks and en-
ployees of whom there are many more
than are needed.
President Cleveland is maintaining
his reputation for a through worker.
He keeps cool, does one thing after
another, never attempts to do two
things at once, and has ample time to
look into and examine all the questions
he is called upon to decide His hab-
its of hard work AMI long hours will
; enable him to give the great work be-
fore him conscientious and careful at
tention. There is no doubt that he is
more or less bored by the crowds of
curious people who, more than mere
office seekers, are anxious to see the
President, but he does not fret or
worry. A friend suggested to him the
other day that certain appointment
which it was known would particularly
please a certain newspaper might be
advisable on that account. II would
secure the friendship of that paper for
his administration absolutely. His re.
ply to this was "Oh, well, they have
all got to come to it, anyhow" He
does, in fact, believe that every reputa-
BILE newspaper in the United States is
bound to come to his support, because
he does not intend to adopt any course
of action as President of the United
States which reputable journals can
succeed in persnading their readers is
wrong.
When our bilious republican friends
recall their gloomy auguries of what
would follow the election of a demo,
cratic president, they must be amazed
at the accuracy of their imaginations
A few weeks ago they were indul ging
in horrid visions of long haired tobacco
eating bandits who they thought would
take the Capitol by storm and rob the
truly good" and daintily nice of their
soft seats and their salaries. No civil
service law, they predicted, could
stand between these long famished
''outs' and the long withheld good
things of Office. The Union soldier
would have to give way to the gaunl
and hungry grey coats. The dreaded
democratic President is in the seat sc
recently occupied by Grant, Hayes
Garfield and Arthur. And yet things
in Washington go on very much as be
fore. There is no decline in real es
tate consequent upon the dismissed
government clerks having their houses
forced upon the market In fact there
is no depression anywhere, except in
the minds and hearts of those clerks
who are conscious that they have moth
ing to do and have no reason or right
TO draw salaries from the public treas,
ury. Outside of this army of Repub'
lican spoilsmen, loafers aud creatures,
male and female, who have been ap-
pointed and upheld solely by 'infu-
ence, ,'--all is peaceful and prosperous
in the Capitol, and numerous republi-
cans are now saying that he change
came not day too soon.