Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-04-20
THE OFFICES IN THE DISTRICT.
Some Pertinent Observations on the
Present Situatf0n-The Outside In.
duence Versus the Citizens.

"There has been q great deal said recently
ABOUT the lack Of harmony among the residents
OF the District in regard to the appointments to
the District offices, remarked a well-known
cltlzen, who takes an active interest in District
matters to STAR reporter. There seems to
be an impression that the citizens are waging
bitter war among themselves, and that In the
wild scramble for Office friendships are being
proKen and personal enmities incurred. un-
derstand that the President has this impress
sion OF the present condition of affairs here. 1t
Is, however, entirely erroneous. There is no
ngnt among the citizens of the District and the
personal relations that. existed prior to
the 4th of March remain unbroken, as
far as l know. Even among the appli-
cahts LOT ONCE, who have announced them
selves as such, there is bitterness of feeling.
1here are great many men here who desire
an ofnce and have made known their desire,
and this is right which every citizen has. But
for the pressure which has been brought to bear
upon the President so that he is forced to say
Inat Ina ne does not know what the people of the
Dlstrlct want. 1t comes in the main from the
outside, from the politicians of Mary land. Penn
sylvania, New York and other states, who are
endeayoring to get their friends into the Dis
trict offices. 1t seems as If the offices here,
which are purely local. like those of any other
city; as Chicago, Cleveland or New York, are re-
polntments or those of the territories, and the
contest that Is now going on is be-
and no. bet%een the citizens cSpntIS of tSe
District. The pressure that is being brought to
bear upon the President is mainly from the
outside, and the citizens of the District who are
supposed to be engaged in the contest tooth and
nail are not in 1t at all. There has been express
sion from the citizens here as to whom they
would like to have in the offices, but the Mary
land factions, the New York politicians. the
southern and western influence are the ele-
ments that enter into the contest. All these
rival factions represent to the President that
the people of the District are at loggerheads and
can't agree among themselves as to whom they
would like to have. and they advise the Presi-
dent that the best plan would be to appoint
outside men. Some candidates know rely en-
tlrely upon this presentation of the case for their
appointment. 1t seems to me that the
true state of things ought to be known, that
the District offices, it is not among the citizens
OF the District, but among the politicians out
side of the District, who want to secure a share
of the local offices. If the outside influence
could be eliminated entirely, think that the
situation would become wonderfully simp plifled
and the President could then proceed to make
his selections without feeling that he was de-
venture to say that more men of national rep
utatiOn have approached the President on the
subject of the District offices than interested
themselves in the appointment of a minister
to England. Yet the District offices are not
national patronage, and it is time that this
truth was enforced upon the politicians of the
country"
State Senator Robb, of New York, a Washing
ton dispatch says, can be marshal OF the District
of Columbia if he will accept.
a meeting of the bar association of the Dis
trct was called for last Saturday afternoon for
the purpose, it was stated, of taking action in
connection with the appointment of judge to
succeed Judge Wylie, but there was no meet
ing, as there was not a sufficient number pres
ent