St. Landry democrat., 1885-07-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent
JUNE %, 1885.

asked how he accomplished such a
prodigious amount of work each day,
replied "by doing one thing after an
other" President Cleveland seems to
understand this art as well as if he were
its inventor. He examines all the pa
pers in each and every case that comes
before him. He will act on all the cases
only as he reaches them in the course
of his personal examination. It seems
as if he had an almost endless job before
him, but it is his way, and he seems de-
termined to go on as he has begun.
The candidate who depends largely or
entirely on verbal recommendations or
influence Of outside parties will certain
ly get left. The cases largely depend
upon the kind of papers that are filed,
and the President holds responsible
parties who recommend a man to a
strict account"
1t is to be feared that in the discussion
of appointments to Office, the great and
silent reform work which the new ad-
ministration is carrying on may be
overlooked. Though less than four
months in Office, and laboring under
great disadvantages, the public plum
derers are being attacked and routed at
every point. Stealing of the public
domain has been to considerable ex-
tent stopped, though much remains to
be done. Secretary Lamar has proved
the worst enemy the railwayiland grab
bers have ever met, and he has had the
earnest support of Gen. Sparks, the
new Land Commissioner. It is safe to
say that no moe unearned grants will
be patented = Ae railroad monopolists,
and that as muc, as possible of the land
already stolen in one way or another
will be recovered and thrown open for
settlement. The great Maxwell grant
is only one of a series of enormous
frauds which have been perpetrated
through collusion between the claim
ants, the territorial land officers, and
the rings of Department. officials.
There is every reason to expect that
this whole system of plundering will
now be broken up.
Hon. Geo. Jelks who has just been
appointed assistant Secretary of the In
terror and given special charge of all
cases for the forfeiture of land grants,
shows that this work is to be undertak-
en- in no half hearted way. While on
the Judiciary Committee of the House
Mr. Jelks showed himself to be thor
ough lawyer and his argument before
the electoral commission was not in
ferior to tile efforts of the great lawyers
of National reputation Carpenter, Black
and Merrick who vainly tried to meet
conspiracy with logic in that deplorable
crisis.
Mr.. Whitney, the new Secretary of
the Navy is staedily growing in popu-
larity with good men of all parties.
Both the Navy and the country hail
him as deliverer from the regime of
rings and corruption that has preyed
upon the country since the war and left
our coasts in defenselesa condition.
The exposure of the Dolphin fraud will
be to the Naval establishment of as
great Importance as were the Star
Route exposures to the Post Office De-
partment.
The action of the Postmaster General
regarding the Pacific Mail steamship
subsidy is very significant. 1t will be
remembered that the Republican ma
jOrity in the Senate forced the passage
of o bill giving 100000 to the Pacific
steampship company for carrying the
mails. Mr.. Villas finds that there is nc
need of paying more for carrying
ocean mails than is now paid. Since
the act Of Congress is not mandatory
but merely gives permission to spend
the money. The Post Master will, with
the approval of the President, take nc
action in the matter, but remit the sub
iect to Congress for more explicit legis-
lation. It is not probable that "the
Republican agents of the lobby in the
Senate will be able to again pass the
bill and the sum Of $4OO. 1000 will be saw
ed to the tax payer.
A l.