The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-09-16
OBJECTOR HOLMAN.
Life-Tenure of Office Cannot Be Tolerated
Reduced Appropriations Expected.
Interview in San Francisco Call.

L
its letter. That in doing so he has necessarily
come into conflict with the views of his political
friends do not doubt The civilservice law
proper applies only to the clerks of the various
departments, and to the important postofices
and custom houses Of the country. 1t is a
method of appointment which tends toward
diminishing the patronage of both the members
of the Senate and of the House, and toward
putting the clerks on more Independent foot
ing Yes. there is strong feeling among the
Democrats against lfetenure of Office. The
Democracy cannot tolerate body of gentlemen
who will hold Office for life. On this account
the hardness on the part of the administration
to make removals is producing considerable
friction The civil-servce law, as said before
has no relation to the general offices, but to the
great general body of clerks, and as it operates
in restrictive manner on the administration
preventing the filing of political Offices with
friends of the administration, there is on this
account some want of harmony between the
officers of the government and Its friends. This
government Of ours is a great institution A
vast number of appointments have to be made,
and correspondngly great number of changes"
''What about further schanges! There have
been large changes in the fourth class postoffces
and also in presidential appointments, have there
notf
Eyes, there have been a number of removals
in the internal revenue in fact, more than one
half of the collectors have been changed. To do
this faster would have made chaos In fact,
there has been every care taken by the Presi-
dent to avoid confusion by making too rapid
changes in tho several departments.
'"Take for instance the railway postal serv-
ice 1t is easy to see that large changes at one
time would have proved injurious. The whole
h11c inf of he nv
affairs. would have suffered by policy which
produced wholesale changes in any depart
ment, and may as well add that it is not a
part of the civil service law to retain men indef-
intely in Office. But changes have to be made
slowly. and yet up TO six weeks ago sixty two
out of eighty-fve revenue collectors were re-
movedF
'Do you expect any legislation this winter on
the silver question:
~ expect no change of legislation to pass the
House this winter affecting silver either to
the weight of the silver dollar reducing the
amount of coinage. If there happens to be any
legislation about coin, it will have tendency
rather to increase than diminish the coinage. /
have no idea that the administration will place
itself in hostility to certificates of coin. nor have
4 any idea that the Secretary will recommend
suspension of the coin certificates. To my
thinking, it is the best thing in our monetary
system. Mr.. Manning is too sagacious to run
the risk of suspending the issue of certificates
by gradual withdrawal of bank paper"
''How about the tarffg
81 have an idea that there will be an effort
this winter to legslate upon this matter. But it
will be of eminently conservative nature it
will be effort to tax articles Of luxury to their
greatest pressure, and to correspondingly de-
crease the tax upon articles of necesSitv, the
revenues to be derived therefrom as the fnan-
eial wants of the government require. The
present revenues OF the country too large for
us to expect any economical reform in the work
ings of our government until they are reduced
L m mi To hat iS a an
change of heart in the body of the Republicans
to permit them to vote with the Democrats on
the tariff question:; but do think that we shall
have more cooperation from them than we ever
had before"
'Do you expect any cutting down Of the
army and navy expenses
II expect heavy reduction of appropriations
all along the line this winter, with the exception
of the navy, which will be reorganzed by the
abandoning of wooden ships for steel ones. /
shall be very much disappointed, indeed, if the
reductions in all the departments Of state are
not very marked, except of course, in the navy
There is, in this respect, a disposition to push
matters more than the true policy of the gov
eminent permits Of course the substitution of
iron vessels for wooden is in harmony with the
drift of all other nations, but, matter of policy,
it is not yet clear to me whether the material
increase of our navy will not be fatal mistake
We have less reason for navy than any nation
We are In state of absolute security from ag-
gression, and the real misfortune that will follow
1t will be attended by an increase of the army
though, this winter, | think, there will be ma
teral reduction of its expenses 1t is already
large enough, and the expenses can be reduced
by the decrease of posts. and the concentrating
of the Indian tribes The size of the army will
be greatly reduced from what it is now"
"What is your success in Indian matters2'
"We have been out seven weeks and have
looked into sixty odd reservations. We have had
to spend all the way from three to five days at
the various reservations inquirng into griev-
ances, and, naturally progress has been
sc1Aawhat slow. We feel somewhat embarrassed
in going East because we have been instructed
to inquire into the exact causes of the troubles
at the White Mountain and San Carlos reserva-
tions, and there grounds for fearing that we
shall be unable to get military transportation to
these reservations"
''Are the Indians dying out?"
SIN some instances the Indians are dying out
But they do not seem to be diminishing where
half civilized. The savage Indians, however,
are dying out It can be seen that the Indians
on the sound are diminishing and especially
those who come under the pressure of the white
population. Back further in Washington and
Oregon they are not diminishing, but, as whole,
the Indians are deer easing in numbers. doubt
whether there are 10000 Indians all told. The
census is deceptive. The Indians continually go
from one reservation to another, and the reports
exaggerate the number of Indians by 80, 900 to
10000.
SIS much fraud practicedl'
II auus are inevitable under our present SyS-
tenn. Half the Indians that are represented as
being fed by the government are supporting
themselves by savage enterprise, especially on
the Columbia river where fish is abundant, as is
also game. 1t is simply impossible to remedy
shis, and all that the government can do is to re-
~ upon the Indian agents honesty"
did you meet any prominent redskinsF
''Yes several. l especially remember Red
Cloud and Young Man-Afraid of His Horses.
both of the Sioux tribe The latter was a
splendid specimen of manhood, of commanding
presence and a fair speaker / tell you he filled
every one with admiration when ne marched out
of HE band into the open space and began to
talk. Oh, he spoke in the Indian tongue. He
was bold young fellow, and spoke through two
interpreters. for he was not satisfied with
che government one alone. He said he wanted
to be interpreted correctly so no provided his
xuan caiH L.. Q.l Clo.,