The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1885-10-09
WASHINGTON LETTEn.
trrsm our regular correspondent,
w.sp,soro,. srpr. IAN. ,sss.


the Presidents return there were but
four members. The Secretary OF
State, Secretary OF War, and the At
torney General were absent. Mr..
Bayard has taken ten days leave
and 1t Is said he will be q locker on
at the Democratic gubernaiorial nom.
mating convention In New York.
The Cabinet session lasted until near
ly three o'clock.
There Is no truth In the recent gos-
sip relative to the resignation OF the
Secretary Of the Treasury. The Qpid
Nuncs had II that Mr.. Manning would
soon 90 out Of the Cabinet and that
Mr.. Villas would take his place, and
that Mr.. Stevenson would be made
Post Master General. This story was
probably based upon tho frequent
declaration upon the part Of Mr.. Man.
ming that he was heartily tired of the
duties OF the place. This II unques-
tionabIy true. Mr.. Manning has
great difficulty In getting through
with the routine work OF his place.
He hates excessive labor, and IL he
had his own way he would never
have come to Washington at ell.
But when he consented to come
here II was with the determination
that he would stay as long as the
President wished him to. He has
recently leased q house for three
years, and this does not indicate any
intentIon TO leave Washington dur
Ing Mr.. CIeveland's Presidential
term.
Mr. McConvIlle sixth Auditor at
the Treasury . staunch Democrat ard
q bona .fde Civil Service reformer Is
much annoyed at having his efforts
thwarted by the bad and bunglIng
Civil Service Commission. He has
made certain changes in bis Office In
the wedding out of incompetent men
and has made room for ten new ap-
points. As q matter OF course he
wanted Democrats who would be 10
hearty sympathy with his efforts TO re-
organize his Office and reduce II 10 q
practical busIness-lIke basis. He
found that he would not be able 10
make any independent appointments
except through the Civil Service Com
mission. He made requisitlon up
on the commission for list OF candl-
dates who had passed Its examIna-
tions. The commission sent him the
names Of forty candidates, from whom
no viii be compelled 10 make his
selections.
He found that there was not q
single Democrat In the lot. He Will
be obliged TO appoint Republicans or
make no appointments.
There Is very general complaint
against the commission, based upon
the ground that they unduly favor
Republican applicants. AS between
q Republican aud Democrat applicant
they Will always pass Republican, II
he Is any where near the mark. A
Democrat has TO pass what Is called
premium examination, and even then
he Is not put In as good a position as
II he was q Republican, This Board
has, IN q number OF localities, exam
ined enough Republican applicants to
gil vacancies In the various bureaus
Of the Government for some time 10
come. It Is one OF the most unfair
and partisan of machines. The chief
OF one of the largest Government OH.
ces who has charge OF nearly three
hundred clerks was talking about ap-
dointments, discharges and Civil Ser
vice examinations. He remarked
that Q radical aud phenomenal change
had taken place among the employees
Of his bureau since the Fourth OF
March, that since then nearly all OF
his three-hundred clerks have been
aboring to prove that they are DEM
ocrals of the purest and most ancient
political pedigree andpractIce. When
:alled uoon to explain how they were
appointed and had so long held Office
lnder the Republican spoils and ma
,hine system, they explained that
heir cases were exceptions to the
general rule. They all have plausi-
Die way OF showing that they and
heir fore-fathers and mothers-in-law
re Democrats. Ho saysalso that he
mas it ulfncult 10 discharge clerk
or bad habits, incapacity,or for any |
Il the many causes that would render
him unfit for the important work Of
lis Office. just as soon as he gets
'eady to remove clerk and make
DOM for a Democrat along comes
Democratic Congressman and insists |
hat the clerk shall DO retained. The
Congressman will, at the same time,
irge the appointment OF his particu-
ar friend, but when an attempt is
made to remove some on TO make q |
vacancy protest is entered at once. |
This Is the way 1t goes every day, |
ha official saws and ha adfia that In |