Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-23

AohlNUAON. u. u, Marcn 22.-PreSl-
dent Cleveland has rented a pew
in the First Presbyterian Church, Rev.
Dr. Byron Sunderland pastor. He sent
for the diagram of the church yesterday,
selected vacant pew and sent his check
to DIR. Sunderland for a years rent.
His family occupied the pew to-
day. He did not go out of the White
House. Thirty-fve years ago DR.. Sun
derland preached elcquently in Buffalo.
Mrs. Cleveland, the Presidents mother,
was one of his congregation. The Presi-
dent as boy thus listened to the clergy
man who is now to preach TO him as a
man. Mrs. Cleveland admired DR.. Sun
derland who was then in the full
vigOr of his powers. Miss Cleveland
recalled that fact recently to DIR. Sunder-
land. 1t was Miss Cleveland's desire to
be in DIR. SunderlantFs congregation again
that prompted her brothers. choice. DR..
sunderland is now old, and no longer
breaches well. His congregation, once
large, is now very small. He
came here a violent abolitiOnist. His
anti-slavery sermons split his cOngrega-
tion before the war. During the war his
political sermons, coupled with the fact
that he invited Frederick Douglass to
speak in his pulpit, drove away many of
the more influential of the remaining
members of his congregation. The rem
nant has steadily grown smaller.
There is probably not single
Democrat in the congregation. Several
members of the church are colored. Since
the war this church has never discrimi-
mated against any one desiring member
ship on account of color. The Presidents
decision, which was not known until to-
day, has created much comment.
SECRETARY CLARKE's ILLNESS.
Mr.. Clarke. recently appointed Assist
ant Secretary of the Interior, has been
seriously i'll with pneumonia, but is
much better tonight, and his physicians
think that he is now out of danger.
THE DEMOCRATIC FLANAGAN.
Higgins is the Democratic Flanagan.
He occupies room in the second floor of
the Treasury Department, beyond those
of the Secretary and assistant secretaries,
and can be found there from the moment
the clock strikes ''9'' in the morning until
4 O'Clock in the afternoon. Whatever else
may be said of him, he is the soul of
punctuality. Personallyhe he is a very cour-
teOus, polished and popular gentleman.
visitors who expect to find some raw
bOned Marylander from the Eastern shore.
who has served the most of his life in an
oyster sloOp will be disappointed in Hig-
gins. He is tall, rather spare man. with
HAIR and mOustache literally ;sprinkled
with gray. He will greet you with the grace
OF Chesterfield and with the genial tenn
perament Of Bob IngersOll. Higgins an.
pears to nave satisfied himself that this
Is very pleasant world, and that SUM-
shine in life is a big thing. He is an
inveterate joker, and is fond of harmless
mischief. Perhaps his best Joke was
ord ring 800 dismissal blanks the next
day after Secretary Manning had made a
raid on the "fraud rOle'' employees. 1t
sent a shudder through the Treasury, but
the clerks have begun to understand him
and it will take something more power
full and direct to reach them next time.
He says he believes in giving the fullest
publicity in relation to changes in the de-
partment, and that he VIII take any
responsibility which official superiors
may desire to place upon him. Such a
man will be invaluable to Secretary Man
ming.
TO THE VICTOR THE sPOILS.
In Washington the majority of the
Democrats one meets are heartily in
favor of the spoils system, and are not at
all ditfident about denOuncing the Presi-
dents course.
This does not disturb him in the slight
est. He is confident that the whole cOun-
try will sustain him if he goes ahead with
the government conducted purely on bus
mess principles. 1t is quietly intimated
here that Mr.. Cleveland is closely follow
ing the advice which he received from
Mr.. TIlden some months ago. When he
visited GreystOne he found that be was
heartily in accord with the ''Sage'' even
to questions of detail. This was pleasing
to both gentlemen, and in the present
rather complicated condition of affairs
the Presidents firm grasp is backed up
so his friends say, by the knowledge that
the best sentiment and the brainiest men
of his party are sustaining him. The
President pays the utmost respect
and Difference to the opinions of
the sold stagers," who go up to the White
House pregnant with ADVICE and stories
of the Democratic Presidents who lived
before he was born, but when it comes to
making appointments, he relies, as he
always has done, more upon his own
judgment than upon the wishes of others.
If the President has one hobby more than
another in connection with the selection
of OfficehOlders, it is on the subject of
health. When a name is presented for
his consideration, and after he has salts
fed himself that the candidates has the
moral and intellectual qualifications he
invariably follows it up with something
after this style: "What sort of looking
man is hes How much does he weighs
Is he in perfect health? Do you think he
could perform hard work and still keep
his physical condition unimpairedY The
President likes robust men, and says that
it is a mistake to put candidates into Of
flee who are more than likely to either
neglect their duties or to retire with shat
tered constitutions. Consequently, cam
didates who are not vigorous in physi-
cal sense meet with little favor at the
White House.
HILLS ADVICE.
Isaac Hill, one of the Assistant Ser
geants-at-Arms of the last House. and
gre at man out in Ohio, is overrun with
applications for assistance from the office
seekers. A day or two ago he said to an
Ohio friend: "YOu don't seem to under
stand this new deal. You have come on
here with enough papers to stretch from
the Treasury to the capitol in a straight
string; you want me to present those
papers for you, you fool, you. Do you
think | am going to ruin you? Didn't
you know that papers don't count with
this administration? The more man
puts in of them the worse he is off. And
you want me to get up a delegation for
you, too. Well, you are from the back
woods. If i just wanted to lay you out
completely, | would go out to the White
House with a delegation. You ask me
what you shall do. Well, will tell you.
You just 60 home by the first train. Take
your papers with you. Then, if you want
an Office, really, you might send your
name and your pOstOfhce address to the
President. Then wait and see if light
ming doesn't strike you. You stand
better chance that way than you would
in Washington with the biggest delega-
tion and the longest string Of papers that
was ever made"
JUNKETING TRIPS FOR SENATORS.
The Senate is making a laughingstock
of itself and furnishing what appears to
be Just cause for severe criticism. 1t
has been trying to arrange a grand series
of junketing tours for Senators during re-
cess. So far no one seems to have cour-
age enough to oppose these schemes.
iS-ea VINO, when an appropriation is
I IN carSu on some great public
ITart neSise nvst;,.a economy until the public
service is crippled in many directions 90
mot even whisper when CLese projects are
railroaded through the Senate Tor the slm-
ple reason that they are given an oppor-
tunity of spending pleasant vacation at
the governments expense. senators VINO
would not dare TO go before their con-
stituencies if the money was to be taken
out OF some appropriation NhicA Woulo
be given light of day, go behind toe COZ
tingent fund of the Senate and walk on
with the spoils. The summer trips OF
Senators at the expense of the Treasury
of the United States ought, it is claimed,
to be stopped.
CLERKS WORKING ON SUNDAY.
Under Attorney General Brewster it
was customary for many of the officials
and clerks in the Department of Justice
to work on Sundays, clearing up matters