The Press., 1885-03-19
MasRINGTaN LETTER.


 sick is what the democratic office seekers infesting Washington are realizing now. The old administration is not going half so fast as they thought It would, and their long petitions and endorsements do noth- ing towards hurrying "the rascals out. There are rumblings of discontent, and mutterings of disgust and curses and threats, and great state of excitement because of the uncertainty that hangs over the intentions of MT. Cleveland and his cabinet in regard to place giving.
 At first the white house was the point of siege for the mass of office seekers, but they soon learned that the president would not hear applicants, and they made 8 rush upon the new beads of the departments. There again they got little satisfaction be- yond courteous recognition. The new administration intends to go slowly, and if the army of rapncious spoils-hunters would take the hints already thrown out by the president, it would sound retreat while 1t has money enough to get home. It is pretty we'll understood now that only a few necessary appointments will be made at present When theimpp prtunate office hunt CTS have gone home, the places to be filled will be gone over, and the men selected for them will not be from among those who charged upon the president upon his first appearance.
 The majority of the democratic congress- men are still Iii the city, and will be pass ing back and forth from their homes dur Ing the entire recess of congress. They, too, are lingering to see just what they are going to get out of their party success. They have left the capitol building and are now assembled in the hotel Hobbies ol,n1,t 1hn xubito FThair lool of encouragement in their efforts to assist the aew administration in making changes and appointments has provoked some grumbling and caused many to inquire if New York is going to run the government The treasury department is now irrever- ently referred to as ''the New York estab- lshment." The secretary and his assist ant secretaries are New Workers, and there is scarcely an office in the building for which New York aspirant has not been mentioned Nor is there a vaulted corri- dor that does not echo to the footsteps of New York office seekers.
 The most humihating feature of the present situation in Washington IS the pressure for office in person, or by proxy, of eX-members of congress. Having once tasted the sweets of official position, few of them seem able to restrain their appe- tites, and the scramble is at once disagree able to themselves and disgusting to disin- terested observers. Some of the more am- bilious ones, who succeeded in having themselves mentioned in cOnn ctiOn with cabinet positions, or leading foreign mis- sions, are DOW descending to assistant sec retaryships in their demands, and by aud by they will be content with clerkship in one of the departments-if they can pass the required examination. This is the old story over again of the man who came here in Andy Johnson's time to get a foreign mission. By degrees his ambition dropped to clerkship, then to a door keepership, and finally he agreed to quit and go home if they would give him free ticket and an old pair of brooches. It was only yesterday that I met a prominent democrat who, two weeks ago, was conti- dent of being MT. Cleveland's secretary of war. Now he is trying to be appointed government architect. Another such fall aud it IS pitiful to think where he may be-
 Another disappointment to the expectant crowds of democratic spoilsmen was caused by the administrative reform significantly begun at the white house. I allude of course to the dismissal of one-half of the clerical force there. It means a topping off of clerkships throughout all the depart ments, and the reductions will give that much less chance for place to democratic aspirants, uuless 1t be, as some claim, an ingenious device, the culmination of which will be the later discovery that there were none too many clerks after all, and that new appointments must be made to bring the force back to the required number.
 A democratic president is a curiosity, and on each day since his occupancy of the white house President Cleveland has given some time to rec lying the crowds of people who have gathered about the to catch glimpse of him.
 On Wednesday, the long established day for cabinet families, the ladies of the new held their first reception. Mrs Hendricks received in her parlor at Wiilard's hotel. Her toilet was a short dress of maroon velvet, and boquets of roses garnished the room. Among her callers were Mrs: and Miss Blaine, Mrs. Logan, and number of others prominent in the society of the retiring administra- tion. Mrs. Bavard and her two daughters held a large reception at their home on avenue. Mrs Manning and Mrs. V'las received conjointly at the Ar lington hot, l, this union of forces bring 'ng large c mpany. Mrs. Endicott was also as home to callers at the Arlington, and MT. Garland being widower, his mother presided as hostess al his home. Secretary Lamar's family did not receive. and Mrs. Whitney has not yet arrived in the city.
 Vox PoPULI, Vox DEF. 'she HOml eOpathfc M edicines bsst adapted for family use those s.ld at Head's Pharmacy Stafford Springs. The dulde-sllp attached to each bottle enables to