New Ulm weekly review., 1885-12-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.

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Washington, Nov 9th, 1885
President Cleveland feels very un
comfortable in regard to some appoint
ments he has made during the vacation
of the Senate. A large number ar,
those of officers whose predecessor
were suspended before the expiration
Of their term. AS to this class, there
will, of course, be discussion as to tn,
legal rights Of the Executive. Mr.
| Cleveland has just assumed an attitude
which he hopes will entirely disarn
those Senators who have been threat
ening war on these and other of his
nominations. He has issued an in.
vitation to Republican Senators to call
at the White House and explain their
reasons for objecting to his appointees.
before he sends the nominations to the
Senate. This kind of invitation, which
is something unprecedented, was sug-
gested to Mr.. Cleveland by an inter-
view he had recently with Republic
an Senator. The Senator called at
the White House to say to Mr.. Cleve-
land that he would be compelled to op-
pose the confirmation of man who
had been appointed to prominent
Office in his State. The Senator told
the President that the man was utterly
unfit for the place, and that he would
be compelled to defeat his con firmation
if possible.
The President has as much to fear
really from the Senators of his own
party, as from the Republican, Sena.
tors. Certain Democratic Senators who
have not had all the patronage they
wanted, have determined to force Mr..
Cleveland to terms. Senator VOORHEES,
is one OF those who expect to devote
their energies during the coming ses-
sion to the repeal of the Civil Service
law. He declares there is not a man
in the United States who can stand up
fifteen minutes with him in discussion
OF the constitutionality of that law.
AS the President is no longer over
whelmed by ofice-seekers, he has been
able to devote his time to the prepara-
ton OF his message to Congress, and
parts OF it are now in the hands of the
printer. Mr.. Rounds will have person.
al charge of the composition, and stakes
his official destiny on his ability to
keepit from premature publication.
AS this is the first message transmitted
to Congress by Democratic President
since 1860, there is much speculation as
to how the silver, Indian, Mormon, and
other great questions Of the day are
treated.
The removal of the last of the Pen
sion Office force to the new building
was completed early in the week, and
thus an army of nearly fourteen hun
dred clerks have been furnished with
accommodations beneath a single roof.
General Sheridan, in his report as
General-in.C Chief of the Army, urges the
concentration of troops in garrisons
near the large cities, as they can be
supplied cheaper, and may be readily
moved by rail to points where thev are
needed.
Conspicuously displayed in a large
case at the National Museum is col
lection Of curiosities, which was receiv-
ed on Monday last by the President as
a present from His Polynesian Majesty,
the King of Samona. The President at
once directed that the present should
be transferred to the Museum. Among
the articles may be mentioned bowl
made of Samona chestnut wood, ele-
gantly carved and highly polished, as
we'll as cups made from the shells of
cocoanuts, which latter are so highly
polished as to resemble stained glass.
The most interesting and valuable ar
ticle in the collection is magnificent
rug such as is used in the Roy al Palace.
Accompanying the rug is description
of the manner in which rugs of this
kind are made. From this description
it appears that the fibers used in the
construction are made from the root of
q native plant called the piper metus-
tricuan. The fiber is prepared by
young girls selected by the King for the
task, the preparation consisting in
chewing pieces of the root until the
fibers are thoroughly separated, after
which the material thus prepared is
exposed to the sunlight until bleached.
The weaving is done entirely by hand.
The juice of the root which is extracted
in the preparation of liquor called the
Kava, which is the favorite drink in the
royal household upon state occasions.
The saliva it is said produces fermenta-
tion and the liquor is slightly intoxicat-
ing. 1t is to be regretted that the piper
naetust''icuns is not plant indigenous
to American SOIL
The members of the Commission
which was intrusted by Congress with
the duty of selecting the design and site
/ for the DrOnOSAd Statua 10 hn oroofad