Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1885-04-17

WASHINGTON LETTER.
From onr regular eorrespondent.)
Washington, April u, 1885

washington, April u, lS0;
The stars and stripes no longer
wave over the north wing of the Cap
ital. The senate has adjourned, bu,
the families of many senator's still
linger In Washington to enjoy the
beautiful spring weather which came
promptly on the first of April. The
crocuses are in bloom in the parks.
The shade trees are putting forth
their leaves, and the detestable Eng
lish sparrows are rs numerous and
as nasty as ever, in spite of the sys-
tematic and desultory efforts that
have been made to exterminate them.
Fashionable Washington is on wheels
or in the saddle, and questionable
Washington too. Old fashioned pc
destrianism IS in danger of becom-
ing lost art. The miles of concrete
pavement furnish snch skating
rink as no other city can afford, and
children of all ages, shades, colors
4 and conditions live on roller skates
from early morning to late at night.
Then there are cycles, bicycles, tri-
cycles and quadrucycles, to say
nothing of the old fashioned vehicles
that have horses for motive power.
| This is indeed peculiar city and
every succeeding year seems to draw
more sharply the contrast between
the pleasure-loyIng, easy-going Cap
ital, and the great commercial and
manufacturing marts of the New
World.
1t is expected that Washington,
Notwithstanding the absence of con-
gress. will continue to be the center
of political interest during the sum-
mer. The president and his cabinet
ito not expect to 60 on a trip to Yel-
Iowstone or Long Branch, nor will
they cruise along the Atlantic coast in
government vessel. They will re-
main in the District of Columbia, CIV
ing close personal attention to their
several departments and setting an ex-
ample to the thousands of clerks who
have been in the habit of absentIng
themselves during the summer, the
great and serious detriment of the J
public business. There is a great
deal to be done IN all the Depart
ments before they can be reduced to
their original purpose of offices for
the transaction of the business of the
great nation This work has been |
planned, it has been undertaken, but |
it cannot be successfully consumma-
ted without the strictest supervision |
of responsible heads. I do not |
think it can be done without a corps |
of subordinates in accord with the
the principles and purposes of the |
administration. A very large num-
Der of tue idle, useless, obstructive |
parasites in the government will be,
must be cast out. Civil service re-
form will become by-word and a
Kissing unless this is done. But
this alone will not do. There are
hundreds of others IN government
employ, who have no sympathy with
the new men and new methods. They |
are not altogether idle or incompe-
tent, bnt they are creatures of rou-
tine and vessels of malice. They
would hate noting worse than to see
the present administration succeed.
They 1--we in ideal exile, hoping and
praying for the return of the Iepub-
lican party four years hence. Can
the new administration gather fruit
from such thorns and thistles as
these?
That the president was wise in not
expecting too much IN the way of
confirmation of his appointments by
the Republican senate, the sequel has
proved. The Senate adjourned lea
wing a score of the 270 whom he has
nominated uneonfirmed The signi-
ficance cf this neglecl is apparent.
Republican leaders have been COM
pletely nonplussed and alarmed at
the wisdom, temperance and judg-
ment WITH which Mr.. Cleveland has
began his administration. They have /
seen in one short month the refuta-
ton of their auguries of democratic
blunders and crimes. They have
seen their political capital of stale
state lies run down IN calm sea.
They have realizeed that they were
on the point of becoming practical
democrats by acqulescence in the
nominations and policy of thor
oughly patriotic administration. The
situation was embarrassing, and the
thoroughly eonfounded body of old
politicians put their heads together
In caucus, and said we will adjourn
and get out Of this, lest we stultify |
our record and commit particide.