The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-03-27

| Hbe "hisAy ana Cigar Trade Dull.
| From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, March 23d, 1885,
| The political situation in Washington was never
| more interesting than 1t is now, but the interest
Is entirely devoid of sensation IL will be the
| province of history with retrospection OF Atty
years and more to portray the great and i'm port-
ant changes the slow, but potent revolution that
| Is now taking place. The observer of to-day can
eaten only here and there scene and sign in
the progress OF events as they are evolved around
| him. Mr. Ceveland's administration may not he
precisely what many of his supporters have hop
| ed, but their disappointment cannot equal that
| of the supporters of MIR. Blaine, who see in the
| WISDOM the caution and the conservatism of the
administration, the REPUTATION Of their predictions
| and the ruin of their hopes. With the exception
| OF the appointment OF the now celebrated Mr..
| higgins, malice itself has been able to find no
| fault with those who have been placed in Office
| The torrent of animadverson that poor Higgins
| has received must strike the average govern
ment employee as very absurd, for even If the
worst said of him true 1t follows that he is only
| as bad us the thousands whom the party Of
| moral idea" has cherished In its heart of hearts
| Tor at least sixteen years. Higgins CANDLES. he
stuffs ballot boxes he is smart and tricky is the
| cFJ of the sanity rascals and rogues who sup
ported man ike Blaine, and men like Robson
and Beknap, and who stole the Presidency only
| eight years ago. Why, a large number of Repub-
| lican employees in office now are drunkards and
gamblers. men with salaries of from 81 900 to
81, 500, who would not be trusted for five dollars,
| and who would be dismissed tomorrow, IL it
were were not tor the fact that they served in the
| beams from your own eyes and then wilt thou
see more clearly to pull out the mote that is leg
| ed to have been in your brother Higgins eye be-
| fore he was appointed to a subordinate Office
| in the Treasury Department. 1t is curious, gro
tesque and Tnoralesque TO see what high stand
ard the Republicans have set mp for those from
| WHOM Il few months ago everything vile was
| vocifcrously predicted.
great change has come over the city of WASH
| ington has permeated all the Government Offices
| has affected the homes and even the shops of the
people. That the new administration will fulfill
| its contract to conduct the Government on BUSH
ness principles. in The interest of the people, in
stead of for the Office holders, is now believed by
all. Government Clerks no longer feel the shell
| tering arm of their Republican Influence" and
are working in way that is surprising Those
who before the election were blatant and abusive
OF Democrats cannot now be hired to say a word
against them. and some have even taught their
| lips to utter praise The average government
clerk is very unhappy. He is aware that he has
very little to do, and that he is not qualified to do
even that little. He has heard that the new adj
mnistration will reorganize the Department and
discharge the useless, the incompetent, the idle,
| the drunkard and the gambler. He knows that
this means him. He knows that outside the
government Office, he cannot make Il living that
better clerk are working in business houses all
over the country for one-half and one-third the
| amount he is paid working constantly for ten
and twelve hours day, while he has been dong
sham work for only seven hours per day.
Shop Keepers especially those who sell cigars
| that times are very dull Government clerks are
economizing in preparation for the day of dis
missal.
| In making its appointments, [ understand the
Administration will be very careful to select only
competent and sober men and It is expected that
the moral tone of the service and of the city will
be improved, Improvement is already discerni-
bic. Pr sidcnt Arthur's administration was COM
| parativcly respectable. but it was at best a sue
cession of the Grant regime of vulgariy and dis
honesty, and the Hayes regime of fraud and hy-
pucrsy. think President Arthur thought more
OF his distinction as fine gentleman than Of his
fame as statesman. There is now promise of
simpler manners, purer laws. Washington dur
ing the next four years may not be the Mecca of
fashion and socia ostentation, but it will be more
than ever the ideal Capital OF a decent Demo-
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