The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1885-03-17
WASHINGTON LETTER,

ON OK Regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, D. c., March ID, 1885
1t is said that the president has avowcd
determination to adhere not only to the
letter Sut to the spirit of the civil service
reform law, and that all appointments to
Office hereafter to be made by this ad-
miuistration shall be in accordance VITA
CiYl service requirements. There is, how.
ever very grave danger that the thimble
rigging republican politicians who have
thus far eyaded the law in the retention
OF an army Of iucOmpctents in every de
plrtment Of the government will find it
not at all d hiCult 10 produce reasons
enough to prevent any considerabl; nuns
Der Of changes for the coming four years
OF democratic management. What ! want
10 see, and what the country expects to
see is Il thorough renovation in the gov
ernment's Offices everywhere, and the al
ministIatiOn OF its affairs placed iu the
hands of those 10 whom the people look
for the fulilIment OF our repeated pledges
for retrenCbmeut and reform.
Among the first things that President
Cleveland should see to is the introducing
of some OF the customs and habits Of
American civilization in the sta, departs
ment, which under The snobbish Freling>
huvsen has become a nest OF foreign lack,
eys and guilt edged flummery The idea
that anybody is important enough to make
it absolutely essential that h. should he
Yngaiunl in ,fflnn l1,g,ulI Jp
ally exploded. If through The opportune
visitation OF a pestIence, the last one Of
these state department clerks should be
called hence, will u5.er a horse that
somebody or other will be found to ill
their places, and fill them acceptably too.
Old John Davis has survived and pere
grinated through every administration for
half century rs assistant secretary of
state. And Hunter, another assistant,
has kept grip on the pay roll for almost
two generations. Yet the republicans
declare that the department Of state Will
90 to pieces unless these two antiquated
specimens Of senility are preserved
through yet another administration.
In the war department, which for four
years has been ostensibly under the guilds
ing hand Of thar mighty man Bob Lincoln
there will be found lot Of venerable bar
nacles who have glided down to use from
former generation, and who found their
way into position at time when compe-
tency counted but little beside the poten-
cy OF political influence. In this particu-
lar department, my mind reverts to an
old fellow who has for his tenants some
thing like score of officials, one of whom
is the chief of the division in which the
old chap draws bis regular rations of
Sl,s00 per annum. His property at the
capital is worth hundreds of thousands of
dollars, and many poor devil is now
waiting in vain to get some recompense
for the sacrifices he has made to secure
the ousting of just such old cOrmorants as
this. lie is only one of the hundreds oil
other bloated bondholders and real estate
spectators who live in Washington and
figure upon the government pay roll year
in and year out through all administra-
tons.
John Quincy Adams became q member
of the lower house Of congress after hay
ing served q term as president of the
United States, because, as he declared, the
one position was equal in every way to
the other. Now, however, we have con,
gressmen and reverend senators who are
not only willing but anxious to serve their
country in any possible or impossible ca
pacity, so long as they can have their
names retained upon the government pay
roll. xToday some CT the ex>memberi OF
the recently expired congress are appli