Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-04-04
olR wAsHiNGTON LETTER.



Goyernment machinery is running
very smoothly under the new manage
ment, and it is conceded on all hands
that more and better work is accom-
plished under the new regime AS
yet the heads OF the different depart
ments have been able to do very little
in the way OF reorganization and re-
form, but the neediessly complicated
systems of the various bureaus are re-
celving careful study, and it is expect
ed that from ] 500 to 2,O0l clerks viii
be discharged in Washington alone.
A large crowd gathered about the
stables last Thursdly at the sale OF
Government horses and carriages or
dered by Secretary Lamar. The ele-
CANT equipages brought good prices
but the money returned to the u. S,
Treasury is but small portion OF the
amount that wiil-be saved. An ele-
CANT and expensive stable with grooms,
drivers and horses, all costing not less
than 1900 or s150tO per year will no
longer be maintained at the expense
of the tax payer, and the example of
honesty and democratic frugality will
be felt in all the branches of service
over which the Secretary of the Inte-
rior presides.
1t appears that the example of econ
omy has already been felt by the Re-
publican majority in the United States
Senate, for the caucus has debated a
proposition to reduce the expenses of
that luxurious body $4,000 or $780,
900 per year. In the first place, they
propose to return to Gen. Ben Butler
the house for which the Senate has
paid an annual rental of $4,000, and
next, to reduce the number of clerks
and employees OF whom there are
many more than are needed.
President Cleveland is maintaining
his reputation for a thorough worker.
He keeps cool, does one thing after
another, never attempts to do two
things at once, and has ample time to
look into and examine all the ques-
tions he is called upon to decide His
habits OF hard work and long hours
viii enablehim to give the great work
before him conscientious and careful
attention. There is no doubt that he
is more or less bored by the crowds OF
curious people who more than mere
Office seekers are anxious to see the
President but he does not fret or
worry. A friend suggested to him
the other day that certain appoint
ment which it was known would par
ticularly please certain newspaper
might be advisable on that account.
1t would secure the friendship of that
paper for his administration absolutely.
His reply to this was "0h, we'll, they
have got. to come to it, anyhow" He
does, in fact, believe that every reputa
BILE newspaper in the United States is
bound to come to his support, because
he does not intend to adopt any
course of action as President of the
United States which reputable journ-
ais can succeed in persuading their
readers is wrong.
When our bilious Republican friends
recall their gloomy auguries of what
would follow the election of Demo
cratic President, they must be amazed
at the inaccuracy of their imagina-
tons. A few weeks ago they were
INDUCING in horrid visions of long
haired tobacco eating bandits who they
thought would take the Capitol by
storm and rob the "truly good" and
daintiIy nice of their soft seats and
their salaries. No civil service law,
they predicted, could stand between
these long furnished "outs" and the
long withheld good things Of office.
The Union soldier would have to give
way to the gaunt and hungry grey
coats. The dreaded Democratic Pres
ident is in the seat SO recently occu-
pied by Grant, Hayes, Garfield and
Arthur. And yet things in Washing
ton go on very much as before. There
is no decline in real estate consequent
upon the dismissed government clerks
who are conscious that.they have no
reason or right to draw salaries from
the public treasury. Outside of this
army of Republican spoilsmen, loafers
and creatures, male and female, who
have been appointed and upheld solely |
by Influence, all is peaceful and
prosperous at the Capital, and numer-
Gus Republicans are now saying that |
the change came not ii day too soon. |
Washington, March 80, 1886.