Evening star., 1885-11-21
THE DISTRICT OFFICES.
No Appointments at Present.
RECoLLEcTIoNs OF REFORM-THE PRESIDENTS
VIEWS.

Ii Is uoW quite Qennltely settled that the Pres
ldent Will make no changes in the local offices
OF the District before the meeting of Congress,
and it is quite as evident that he will take his
time after that date in order that he may secure
the names of those alike acceptable to himself
and the public. The almost universal approval
of the appointment of Commissioner Webb by
the people of the District has encouraged the
President to meet the popular verdict again by
the selection of democratic commissioner of
like character, ability, and general qualities for
the Office. The board, 1t is understood, is to be
reconstructed throughout, and the selection of
the third, or Engineer Commissioner, as he is
called, takes quite as much Time as the others.
from those who hold the rank above that of
captain. An officer of the corps may be speci-
ally fitted as an assistant to Gen. Newton in
blowing rocks out OF He'll Gate, but valueless,
almost, In managing the large street and sewer
systems OF Washington, to say nothing of re-
organizing and controlling the police iorce of
the District. To ASCERTAIN each mans special
qualifications, such for instance, as were found
in the late Engineer Commissioner Major
preierment or influence OF any kind will, it
Is understood, enter into the choice.
THE PRESIDENTS VIEWS.
Those who have talked with the President
concerning the local government here have
always found him earnestly Interested in the
quite thoroughly posted himself in many re-
spects, despite the rush of other public matters
sabOut the police, the fire department., the man.
far as his inquiries have gone he has found
much that is excellent and some that Is, to say
Of the public money, he has been assured, is
unquestioned, which, of course, places the Dis
trict governmentin In the front rank of its class.
self with the belief that Washington can be
made to present 10 the country the model mum
icipal government and he is anxious that it
snail take that stand under his administration.
MUNICIPAL REFORM.
The interest which the President has mani
tested in local government has been ear
nestly marked in word and deed during the
past few years. Reform in municipal politics
was the watchword that carried him into the
mayoralty Of Buffalo by majority quite un-
precedented in the history of that city. His
declared war against the cohesiveness of public
plunder in municipal affairs, was followed by
prompt action on, when M IL ne became the ciiy's chief
priations in defiance of the spirit we'll as the
letter OF the constitution of the state, and they
clerks in local offices, who looked upon their re-
sPectiVe positions as any thing but public trust
were called to account, and demand made to
render day OF actual service for q days actual
pay, the same as Ii they were conducting a pri-
vate business A portion OF the councils re-
wanted to know what the mayor was "going to
do about it?" In these vetOes Mayor Cleve-
land said little more than three years ago:
government in its relations to the taxpayers is
IL business establishment and that 1t is put in
our hands to be conducted on business princi
pies"
Later on, in vetoing resolution by which the
city was saved $1O9, 1000, he again said: "This
Is time for plain speech, and my objection to
the action OF your honorable body shall be
plainly stated. 1 Withhold my assent from the
saLie, because regard it as the elimination of
most 60reJ0ced, irnp,ident and shameless scheme
to betray the interests OF the people and to
worse than squander the public money" The
threat as to "what he was going to do about it,
was thus answered.: "When cool judgment
rules the hour, the people will. hope and be-
lieve, have no reason to complain of the action
of your honorable body. But clumsy appeals
TO prejudice or passion, insinuations, with a
Kind OF low, cheap cunning, as to motives and
purposes OF others, and the mock heroism of
brazen eftrontery which openly declares that O
wholesome public sentiment Is to be set at
naught, sometimes deceives and leads honest
men to aid in the consummation of schemes
abhorence."
The saving to the city alone in the Buffalo
sewer contracts amounted to nearly $500, 600,
while the entire amount saved to the city in the
first six months of President Clevelands may
orally amounted to nearly million dollars,
and the burden of taxation was diminished to
corresponding amount,
II Is, therefore, evident that the men and
measures OF the District government must come
up 10 the Presidents standard, and not only in
municipal management, but in the other Dis
trict offices.