The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1885-06-18
Washington Letter.


The republican clerks, postmasters i,
internal revenue collectors, etc., who
have been discharged is much larger
than is generally known. The changes
have been so gradual that the casual
looker-on has failed to note their total.
The number of revenue collectors is
eighty five; since the fourth of March
| about sixty democrats have been ap-
pointed to take the places of the repub-
lican collectors. Each collector has
under him from fifty to one hundred
employees and all these are being con-
stantly changed. 1t is the same with
the custom offices and post offices. 1t
is no exaggeratiOn to say that fully
$4,000 democrats have been appointed
to office during President CleVeland's
short administration. At this rate on
ly about sixteen months will required
to change the entire personnel OF the
| government, but the probabilities are
that changes will proceed much faster
now that the new heads of depart
ments, bureaus and divisions have be-
gun to know their ground and feel less
dependent upon the old and trained,
but tricky, republican office holders.
The closing session of the conference
of charities was held here Wednesday
| night. The conference has held its
twelfth annual session here during the
past two weeks and 1t has brought to-
gether many distinguished philanthro-
pists and specialists. Its meeting on
management of prisons was attended
by President Cleveland and it was re-
marked that this was the first time he
had sattened any public gathering,
church excepted, since he came TO
Washington. The assistant secretary of
the treasury, Fairchild, made an adj
dress before the conference strongly
urging the establishment OF postal saw
ings banks. He drew from his expe-
rience OF four years in the district at
torney's office at New York the terrible
tale of suffering which followed the
Wholesale closing of private saving
banks, and declared it to be his belle +
that 1T was impossible for nation
al government to so supervise private
savings banks as to insure safety to de-
positOrs. But there was no good reason
why the national government should
not receive small deposits through its
post offices, al1Ording to the poor man
absolute security for his earnings, as is
done by almost all the civilized govern
ments of the world.
In reply to inquiries by delegates Mr.. |
Fairchild expressed the opinion that |
the amount deposited should be limited |
to comparatively small sum, stating |
tn At the largest sum received by any 1
government from a single depOsitor OF
this kind was 81 900 in England,
Secretary Manning has under con-
sideration a plan for reOrganizing the
system upon which the different sub
treasures are now conducted. Tdere /
has been a good deal of dissatisfaction
with that system in the past, not only
on account of the defalcations which
have from time to time occurred, but
also because it locked up vast sums of
money " hich the commercial channels
of the country might utilize. The
scheme which has been proposed by
Treasurer Jordan Is to abolish the sub
treasury so far as concerns its functions
as a strong-b box, and TO distribute the
among the first-clsss banks
OF the cities in which the Sub-treasu-
ries are respectively located. Securities
will be exacted of the banks in the form
OF United States bonds, and in the same
way as the national banks guarantee
their circulation, and upon scale that
will give the government hundred
or a thousand times the protection tina
Ii now enjoys.
The advantages OF the scheAe are Cd
vious. The chances of defalcation are
reduced to a minimum. The govern
ment is relieved of all the enormous Z
expense and risk OF keeping charge Of
the money. In addition, the operation
Of the plan will be to confer conspicu- ,
ous advantages upon all the cities in I
volyed by adding many millions TO their
active capiatl. Furthermore, it COM
nunicates TO commerce and industry q {
powerful stimulus in this infusion of .
and industrial life-biood-
thus stimulates every use
Ful and beneficent enterprise. Q