St. Landry democrat., 1885-05-09
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondents
APRIL 9th, 1885.

enjoyed since the peculiar vernal wealth
.er that favored President Cleveland's
Inauguration. The parks, lawns and
shade trees have resumed their garb OF
green and the Capital city never looked
brighter and fresher than it does now.
Since many thousands of shade trees
have grown to an outrageous height,
Washington has much improved as a
summer residence, and it is well it has,
for the indications are that it will be,
for the next four years at least, the en-
forced summer home of many who have
been in the habit of spending the hot
season in the mountains or by the sea.
Heretofore Government clerks have
been given an absence of thirty days
with pay with the privilege, frequently,
of thirty days more without pay. 1t
has been their custom to leave their
desks for this long period no matter
how much their work was behind. In
this way the public business has been
neglected. A long summer vacation,
and perennial systematic laziness has
had the effect to place the public ser
vice in such laggard condition that it
is now necessary to work Of nights in
order to catch up.
1t is said that the new administration
will curtail the customary summer va
: cation, or deny it altogether to those in
Offices and bureaus that are behind with
their work. The president proposes to
spend the summer in the city. He will
live in the presidential cottage at Sol
diers Home, which is about three miles
from the White House, and he will
drive in every morning. His new
horses have just been received from
New York: they are an excellent pair,
and, it is said, can trOt mile in three
minutes.
think society is doomed to be very
much disappointed in President Cleve-
land. Society has piped to him, but he
will not dance. He politely parties all
her mealy -mouthed overtures. Last
might box was reserved for him at an
amateur operate performance, in which
a large number of young society people
took part. The president was expected,
but he did not appear. Had he been
sent for. he would have been found in
his Office in his shirt sleeves before
pile of papers. He has been expected
tat a number of places, but has invaria-
bly, disappointed those who expected
him. In this respect he is quite differ
.ent from his predecessors. Lincoln,
Grant, Hayes and Arthur were fire.
squently seen at the theatre and at both
private and public entertainments.
The president has made but one call,
that upon w. w. Corcoran, Esq, since
Ihe has been in Washington.
The new Administration has gone to
work in practical, thorough, compre-
{hensive way to make such changes in
the management of the public business
as will facilitate it's transaction, save
time and money, and better accommodate
the immense number of people who
have dealings with the Government.
Thisfs the beginning of an already we'll
defined and what promises to be an ex-
,ceedingly energetic and successful poli-
.cy. It is also matter of the first i'm
portance to which little if any conspicu-
GUS attention has been given for several
Administrations past.
The Republican party, like an old
tenant, had become careless Of its trust,
and had allowed the property to run
down, as it were, or at least to 60 unim-
proved. It was comfortably fixed, in
full possession of the patronage and
power of the Government, with what it
seemed to think was an indefinite lease
in prospect.
That both the need and the room for
reform existed, Is made evident by the
number of important steps in that d.
rection which the new Administration
rs already taking and others which are
contemplated. The doctrine of ''letting
well enough alone" to which its prede-
.cessor adhered, is a loose and dangerous
doctrine. 1t is believed that by the
time the various plans of re-organiza-
zion are perfected which the heads of
the departments have in view, the Of
fces will be filed acceptably to the
party, and the salaries attaching to them
will be honestly earned.
Some people think it would be nice If |
every body in the world would mind