Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-03-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
IrecrAL .,aassrosprscr orrHrnosrror.

hS hC" LOG AoA
commenced with revolution, but in
the twelve days of its power, suffi
cient number of changes have been
made and reforms inaugurated to
furnish key to the future. The
new broom has been used in the
white house, in the treasury depart
meut, in the interior, and in the de-
partment of justice. In the litter of
the white house, four clerks were
found whose services were deemed
superfiuous and they were dispensed
with. In the treasury department
forty supernumeraries were found
and dismissed. In the other depart
ments mentioned, the broom has as
yet been confined to the stables.
Secretary Lamar and Attorney-Gen-
eral Garlan dhave taken the initiative
by reducing the transportation ser
vice to the actual necessities of their
departments. They propose to walk
and have ordered a lot of horses,
carriages and wagons, hitherto paid
for by the government for private
accommodation, chiefly for carrying
| the families of officials to balls,
receptions, and amusements, rather
than for public use, to be sold at
auction. The proceeds of the sale
are to 60 to the treasury, and a re-
suit of this order will be the return to
their legitimate duties of seven em-
ployes who have been used as
drivers.
The guillotine work of the new
regime has made all of the govern
ment clerks miserable. 1t has sent
thrill of terror through the sinecur-
lists of the departments, their name
is legion. Heretofore government
clerks have had feeling of securi-
ty. But decapitation for economic
purposes was phase or reform un-
dreamed of. With civil service
protestations now on one side and
this terrible example or retrenchment
on the other, they are in constant
apprehensions. In the treasury de-
partment, where the force is greatly
in excess of the requirements of the
work, employees are so badly fright
ened that they seek temporary relief
by going from one room to another
and comparing probabilities will
their friends A clerk in the secre
tary's Office remarked yesterday tina
he hadn't the nerve to open new
) ledger, for he did not know at wha
moment his dismissal would be re
) ceived.
The contagion of reform has ex
tended to the patent office also
where it IS greatly needed. The act
ing commissioner says employs
must work day and night, eat thei
lunch in thirty minutes time and reat
no newspapers during office hour
until they catch up with the work
; which in the patent office is severa
years in arrears. On account of tn
dilatoriness of the patent examiners
applicants for patents have often t
! wait ten months, before their case
can be attended to.
The office seekers are growing de
cidedly impatient and cannot appre
ciate the fact that it is impractical
to turn out all the present force o
government employees in one day
and run the government with Ia,
recruits the next day. Among th
most active and persistent spoils
men are the men who were beaten q
the polls in November last. The ex
: representatives all expect something
and they form a very noisy and az
gressive part of the throng of offic
seekers.
President Cleveland listens mnc
of the time, to the talk of caller:
l Many of them visit him to pay the
respects, while others. disregardin
= the publicity given to his determin;
: ton to give no hearing to place hun
: ers, have persisted in pressing d,
u mands for office.
J Hon. James @. Blaine and Pres
dent Cleveland met for the first tin
:, last Friday evening, when the 70
= mer walked over from his residens
!" to the white house The visit W:
2 brief aud necessarily embarrassiI
TO both victor and vanquished. b
the comment was that it was gtac
= ful act on the part of Mr. Blaine.
= Secretary Bayard is experienced
: considerable difficulty in filing Il
the place of the assistant seereta
of state. He thinks the Office shou
= be filed by man OF the highest re
. utation- one equal TO any Of the ca
= met officers. and it is said be won
= ike for ex-senator Pendieton 10 q
cept the position. Dir. Pendleto
= however. does not regard the pla
: 50 highly. and his friends say fres
~ that he soGld not have it under a
circumstance. They want him
- be Minister Lowel's successor. a
: are working hard 10 that eud.
= has also been recommended for /
- Paris mission. but the majority of /
democratic senators urge bis appoil
re ment 10 the court OF St james. 4
al if is nos believed that the civil ;