The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-11-14
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER
From our Regular Correspondent
WAsHlNoToN, D. C., Nov.

WASHINGTON, d. C., Nov. 6. 1885.
Already the Forty-Ninth Congress is gath
ering together. In less than a month it will
convene and organize by electing Speaker,
Clerk. Sergeantat-AIms, and DoOrkeeper. It
will be the first time that new Congress will
find a Democratic President in the White
House since James Buchanan retired from tine
Presidential chair amid the gathering gloom
of impending war. The strangeDess and sig
nificance of the situation cannot but be felt by
I'LL.
The years elections being over, political
astronomers, whose telescopes have been
sweeping different States, will now fix their
gaze on Washington. Every hing points to
an unusually interesting winter here, and TO
times OF Excitement on Capitol Bill. Repub-
lican Senate and Democratic House,
Democratic President and a Republican
Senate, Democratic tree-traders and Demo
cratic protectiOnists, Republican prOtectionists
and Republican free-traders, administration
and anti-admnistration civil service reformers,
and Democratic and Republican silver and
anti-silver men, are factors conducive to every
thing but harmony. The House will talk,
debate, and wrangle endlessly over "Tariff for
revenue only" civil service reform, silver
money, and various other questions. But for
a good share of the winters excitement you
may safely rely upon antagonism between the
White House and the Upper House OF Con-
gress.
This city is always interested in elections,
no matter how unimpOrtant, and those of
Tuesday commanded marked attention. The
Cabinet officers received kilograms from the
various telegraphic companies, and prominent
officials remainedsat their officers at night dis
cussing the returns.
The question of how the Democratic'gains
would affect the administration, has been
discussed wherever politicians. eOngI egate.
Some say appointments will be made more
rapidly now, the impression being that the
President will have to yield, and the party be
put in undisputed control. Others ex press tho
opinion that nothing could change MIR. Cleve-
land, that he has beer. pursuing course that
seemed right to him, and that the result of a
mere election in New York could not affect his
policy. 1t is the prevalent opinion that the
President, feeling his administration endorsed
and strengthened, will not relax, but rather
become more rigid III his adherence to his
financial policy
Employees OF the U. S. Government here may
be said to be out of politics. Few of them
went home to vote and lack OF interest was
inferred from the fact that they remained at
work at their desks OH election day, Instead of
visiting the bulletin boards and exchanging
news in the Department corridors.
After much searching the President has
found two gentlemen who are willing to ac-
cept places On the Civil Service Commission.
One lie ex-COngreEsman Edgerton, of Indiana,
the other Col. Trenholm of South Carolina.
Mr. DOrman b. Eaton has been temporarily
enough to induct the new members intD their
duties. As both OF the new men are Demo-
Gratis, the political complexion Of the board
will accord with the administration. They
will have hard task before them, and can
not he expected to pensa everybody, 1t viii
DO impossible ever to have COinnisslo
capable of avoiding all the snares that illgk in
the pathway of Civil Service Commits, iunrr
The Civil Service law now in existence ci.ln4t
be administered without blasting hop and
| aspirations. The law must constantly clash
with large class of worthy people who think
| that the Government needs their services, and
are certain that they need the Governinsut's
pay.
During the nextfew weeks Senators, A,,ti-
| bers of the House, their families, aul the
crowd of place hunters that Congress brlugs
will he arriving daily, ard the Capital will
soon wear its busy, busting, crowded, winter
aspect.
The new Congress will have no difficulty in
etfecting an organization promptly. Meet of
the old officers will be reelected. Usually at
this season an active campaign for the Speak
ership is opened, but the Understanding that
Mr.. Carlisle is to be given IL second term, de-
privSs this year of that interesting feature of
an opening Congress,