The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1885-12-03
AnAfysq1 gntet1igsneet.
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

members of Congress who were here two
weeks ago have left, some to run back
home for few days and others over to
New York to see about stock speculations
in which they sometimes invest a portion
Of their hard-earned $4,000 year.
In few weeks more, however, the
winds will fairly howl with spicy news,
and then you may look for newsy letters.
Speaker Carlisle arrived on Thursday
and ever since has been confined to his
room at the Riggs by serious indisposi-
ton. he is improving, however, and
expects soon to be we'll enough to receive
his many callers.
The Second Comptroller has just
disallowed two items in the account of q
Naval director-one for the purchase Of
postage stamps and the other for photo
graphing anatomical specimens, on the
ground that an investigation shows that
the payments we're really for two por-
traits of Surgeon General Wales-one for
the Office and the other for his house.
Portraits of living officials made to graf
ify their vanity are not the kind of ana
tomical specimens contemplated by law
in appropriation bills for the advance.
ment of science. i
The President expects fight to be
made against some of his appointments,
& but believes that there will be no general
opposition to them, and that the majority
of Republican Senator'S will oppose all
attempts to defeat confirmation except
where nnimpeached facts are presented.
If there is one thing more than another
that the President is sensitive about it is
the, criticism made of his selection, Of
persons to fill the Offices within his gift.
To avoid giving grounds for harsh crit.
cisu he moves cautiously, but expects ip
due time to have all the best Offices filled
with hard she'll Democrats That may
be good news to the Democrats, yet at the
same time it is. lo disappointment to
Republicans.
Business in the Treasury Department
is1disposed of with greater dispatch now
than at any time before in the memory
of any of its employees. CLERKS are not
Only checked and reported to the chief
clerk by the watchman when they cone
late but are also reported by detectives if
found engaged IN social talk in the halls
during Office hours. The new order is
business during business hours and gossip
afterwards. There is neither smokingeef
pipes or cigars nor readingo newspapers
. to. be seen anywhere in the building, and
any employee found indulging in these
luxpries may not be surprised if be
receives yellow envelope from Secretary
Manning containing: an indefinite fur
lough. -. =. -
In some of the other Departments,
however, more freedom becoming to
gentlemen of leisure may be found. In
q the State Department, for instance,
everything is high toned, and if 9 clerk
comes late or has occasion to leave early
no questions are asked. He is regarded
as the very soul of honor and it is assum.
led, that he has q good reason for! eFesy.
thing he does, and as he is not one :of
the sons of toll there is no reason Why he
should be a slave of time. Time is made
for slaves, not for Secretary Barsrd's
diplomats.
e In the Department of Justils the
employees are hard worked, but they
work spasmodically as do most, lawyers.
There is not much regularity about their
coming and going. If they happen to
come before eight;in the morning they
are just as apt to leave by twelve or one
o'clock noon, and as likely to come late
in the day aud stay till late at night.
ATTORNEY General Garland himself always
gets to the Office earlier than any one else
in the department, usually before eight
a. m, and he requires his private isecfe-
I tary TO be there on time to meet him to
make an early start on the days business.
Secretary Lamar of the Interior is
the first to come and the last to leave his
department, and while kind and consider.
ate to all who are under him, requires
them to work faithfully from nine till
fur. In order that the work of the
department requiring correspondence aud
examinations OF records to its discharge
may be expedited he has ordered that no
persons shall be admitted to the building
after two O'Clock. From nine till two
every person calling is accorded 4 cour-
teous interview and respectful hearing,
but after two o'clock the Secretary must
have time to himself in which to consider
and act upon matters prepared in the
meanwhile and submitted by chiefs of
the bureaus for his final decision. This
often keeps him at his desk till the
shades of the evening are low, but the
Secretary is an indomitable worker and
cares not for hours when duty requires
his attention, and heis determined that
the business Of his department shall be
disposed Of with all dispatch possible
consistent with the good of the public
service.
In the Office Of the Postmaster General
everything moves on with the regularity
and prom ptness of the coming and going
of the mails, aud any person having
business before the department. knows
that it will be taken up and disposed of
in its regular order without any postpone.
ment OF delay. General Villas says to
his clerks: you must be up and doing.
The Departments of War and Navy
move slowly but with the decision
characteristic Of Secretaries Endicott
and Whitney when action is necessary.
1t is hard to get the chiefs of divisions
in these two departments to realize that
they should act except when and in the
manner that thoic own judgment tells
them is right and proper. Each seems
to think that he alone is responsible in a
great measure for the manner in which
an order is executed, and therefore objects
to dictation from civilian. The chiefs
of the different bureau are supposed by
reason of their special training to be
peculiarly well qualified to judge of the
needs Of their respective charges, and for
that reason the two Secretaries rely so
much upon their bureau chiefs for advice
in planning and executing for the good
of those two depa stments of the govern
rent. y.