News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-04-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. G.
Anril Ia 1888.

Washington is not displaying its
usual spring loveliness. The work OF
clearing up the parks, trimming the
shrubs, and setting out plants has at
last begun, but the season is several
weeks behind that of last year. I'm
der Republican administration the
trees have been in the habit of put
ting on their garments of green, and
the grass in the parks and lawns has
demanded the care of the mower ear
" in April. But then, it is in the
boast and pride of the Democratic
administration that it goes slow.
Nothing of note has been done the
past week, either at the White House
or at the executive departments.
Some important appointments are
predicted COR this week, il the Treas
ury department. Secretary Whitney
has issued an order to the effect that
the current business of the day in his
office must be completed each day be-
fore the clerks leave, or in cases
where this is impracticable, must be
continued until five p. m. The cler-
ical force of the Navy Department
is small, and in many of the offices it
is overworked and the work is behind.
So after such loud and prolonged
shouts about Democratic retrench-
ment and Republican corruption in
the government departments, what
has Secretary Whitney discovered?
He has discovered that the pruning
knives of successive Democratic APP
preparation committees, have cut
down the Navy Department force un-
til there is not enough left to perform
the required work in the designated
hours. He has found his clerks earn
ing their salaries, and striving unsuc-
cessfully to keep up with the daily
routine work. A conscience contri-
button of five dollars has just been
received at the Navy Department,
the first ever known to have been
sent there. 1t was from Boston. The
Secretary of the Treasury also received
one of twenty-five dollars from New
York, and a short time ago one of
S915 post-marked Boston. Every
now and then some anonymous per-
son forwards to the Treasury of the
United States a contribution to the
conscience fund, Many may suppose
from such announcements that there
is somewhere in the Treasury sepa-
rate fund made up of these contribu-
tons from the conscience stricken,
and that it must be of considerable
size. But such contributions have al
ways been conveyed into the Treasury
under the head of miscellaneous re-
ceipts. The term conscience fund"
was the invention of Treasurer Spin
ner. Twenty years ago letter was
one day received at the Treasury De-
partment from a man who, inclosing
a check of 81 800, said it represented
little Misrepresentation of the gov
eminent funds of which he had been
guilty, Treasurer Spinner said ''We
will call that a contribution to the
conscience fund. We will have it an
nounced in the papers, and perhaps
we'll get some MORE" The announce
ment was duly made and the Treas
urer duly got more. From that time
on for ten years the contributions
were very numerous. During the
past ten years they have been grow
ing more infrequent. 1t is not known
whether this is in consequence Of the
conscience Of the country growing
more callous or more tender. The
largest contribution ever sent was
$4,000, and the smallest nine cents.
1t is estimated by treasury officials
that the Total amount of these contri-
buttons would be about S350,000.
The crowd of place hunters which
awaited for the Senate to adjourn, I'M
der the impression that when the Re-
publican. watch dogs got out of the
way the President would begin a
wholesale sweeping of the stables, is
sweeping down upon the White House
in large numbers. They are the
smaller office seekers who are pouring
in now, and they are very ravenous
ard importunate. The President
sends all applications for recognition
that come to him, to the civil SER
vice commission, and they are an
swered by sending to the aspirants for
office blank form of the application
for examination under the civil SER
vice rules. This has greatly disgust
ed the patriots who expected to get
through influence, pc
titions, endorsements, etc. Still,
since it has become apparent that the
''barbed wire fence" as the civil SER
vice commissioners call it, was not to
be let down, even to the faithful, the
number of applications to the COM
mission has greatly increased.
The subject of the recognition
which eolored applicants for office
shall receive at the hands of the pres
ent administration is being agitated.
Register Bruce of the treasury, is
colored man, and an ex-senator from
1t is not now believed
that be will be succeeded by colored
man, although the President promised
that the number Of colored men in
government employ should pot be re-
duced under his administration.