The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-02-06
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular Correspondent.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 3,

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 1885.
In four short weeks this city, let the
weather be what it may, will present
an appearance joyful or tristful, accor-
ding To the brain behind the ret:na on
which the vision falls. AS seen by
hopefuI Democrats, it will be a happy
dav. To despoudent Republicans, il
will be the day of doom. 40 class
that has grown numerous IN Washing
ton of late, it will be day of mingled
hope and despair. The Class L refer TO
comprises a large number of crescent
Democrats, those who were Republicans
four months ago, but have been grow
ing. growing in the nurture and admo-
milton of Andrew jackson and Samuel
j. Tilden growing so fast they are
green and sappy. They have folded zap
their bloody shirts, abjured their cam-
paipn slanders, read the Constitution of
Che United States right side up, and are
vociferous for the old flag and an appro-
priation. There are thousands of them,
/ male and female. Who would have be-
/ lieved. to have heard them talk, aHd TO
/ have seen them work for the : grand,
/ pure, historic party OF moral ideas. ~
| that they would now be willing to hold
/ off ce and draw pay from the party of
/ retrogression, rascality, rum, Roman
]
doubt about it, their racket is to hold
/ the offices aud draw the pay. They have
! interpreted the brighC motto of civil
/ service reform to mean - to the vic
tins belong the spoJls. y Happy vic
Tins of foolish delusiOn Ii is not
/ for such as you that political wars are
waged, and administrations won. The
! carpeted, curtained and upholstered s1d =
fees of the public service will soon
know you no more. Your luxurious
places will soon be filled Oy those who
will work. by real clerks who are not
enervaled by years OF idleness aud Shirk
! ing.
The work of the government ip many
/ offices is twelve months in arrears
/ The neglect OF work, especially in the
u. ). Patent office. is disgTaceiul. This
Office, far from being a tax eu The peo-
pie, is actually IA money-Lnaking esUab-
lishment. The fees paid by inventors to
have their machines examined are large
! lv in excess of the expenses of the UiHce,
and it has paid a surplus of more than
| 2,700, 600 into the Treasury. NotWith-
standing this fact, inventors are often
compelled TO wait eight and ten months
before their cases are taken up for eX-
animation. The Commissioner OF Pat
ents, Hon. Ben. ButteTwoIth, is pol
iticIan aud too much engaged ia the
work of his contested election to attend
to the duties of the Patent Office. Many
of the examiners are Incompetent and
dissipaUed- They are required TO spend
only seven honTs a day in office, but in
stead Of giving their time 10 the applj-
cations for patents, they waste time in
reading, gossip, and in fiiItatIOu with
the female employees OF the Patent of
flee. These examiners are hoping 10
hold their places under the new admin
istTatlon on tie ground that they have
expert mechanical skill, and special
knowledge of the classes of invention
over which they have charge But
there are few government Offices where
judiciOuS wedding would do more good.
Ornamental drODeS and idle sinecure-
lists are thick in all the offices, and their
newly assumed and ill-fitting Democra-
cy should not deceive anyone.
It is the general opinion that the
week will be devoted tothe Diplomatic
appropriation bill IL the Senate, and tr
the River and Har5nr and PostUiiice
bills IN the House. The Pustoffice bill
as prepared by the commute on appro-
priatiOn of the House, makes two i'm
portant changes in the rates of postage
The rate on letters and other sealed
packages is changed from two cents for
each half ounce or fraction therUf. To
two cents an ounce while the postage
on newspapers and other periodicals,
mailed from a recognized office of publ
cation, is Teduced from two cents Der
pound. to- one cent Both changes will
be welcomed 10y the public, and both are
in the interest of the people. Congress
| should. have no hesitation in adopting
the report of the committee. X.