The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-05-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent

From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, May 20, 1885.
1t is pretty we'll known by the Edi-
tor and by the readers of this paper
that their Washington correspondent
is no friend of the Republican office
holder. For the last ten years have
been trying to have him discharged,
and for the last eight years / have con.
sidered him and written of him as no
better than thief, who, like Il. b.
Hayes, drew the salary of another
man. The only difference is that these
Office holders have been drawing their
fraudulent salaries for eight years in
stead of four, or ever since the voice of
the country discharged them by the
election of Tilden. But notwithstand
ing l am anxious to see Republican Of
flee holders go, l cannot join in the
pretty common denunciation of the new
Administration because it has not COM
pleted its four years mission in ten
weeks. To me it appears remarkable
that 80 much has been accomplished in
so little time and ! can account for the
denunciation of the so-called tardiness
of the administration only on the sup
position that those who denounce know
nothing of what task Mr.. Cleveland
and his Cabinet had before them. Ten
weeks ago the President found himself
at the head of a ponderous and COM
plicated chaos of governmental mschi-
merry intimately connected with the in
terests of 6O,OOO,OOO of people and
handling $3OO,0OO,o0O per year in the
transaction of public business. He was
without experience in National affairs,
had not been in Washington until he
came as President. II is not remark.
able that he spoke in his inaugural ad-
dress of the painful sense of RESPONSE
bility with which he undertook the stu
pendous work. 1t would be very easy
for him to dawdle through his term
and pose as President like his proper
and respectable predecessor. But the
time demanded different work for him
the work of reforming and simplify
ing vast and demoralized bureaucracy
and reducing it to an honest business
basis. Ten weeks have passed and
much has been accomplished. A large
number of the civil service bureaus
have been filed with good democrats
and with good men. To the unrefect
ing million this may have seemed an
easy task, but when it is remembered
that the time of the administration has
been occupied by battalions of delega-
tions pressing rival candidates, by Of
fee seekers single, and Office seekers in
mobs, all good democrats 80 called and
beautifully endorsed, it is remarkable
that time has been found to make the
best selection. Most people / presume,
are aware that the mere fact of having
voted the democratic ticket does not
fit man for Office where he must per-
form promptly and creditably class
OF work about which he knows nothing
more than he does of the Russian Ian.
guage. When Mr.. Cleveland came
into Office, the first consideration was,
using an old figure, to keep the ship of
state sailing smoothly aud effectively,
making the best time and preserving
the precious freight of men and mer-
chandise. Revenues had to be collect
ed. The army, the navy, pensions, the
courts, and vast civil list had to be
paid the books must be kept and ten
thousand incidental processes requiring
skill aud experience had to be minute
ly carried out. The President and bis
Cabinet and his party were unskilled
and inexperienced in executive affairs.
They have as yet only general idea
of what they have to do, and what can
be done. 1t is not anything to the dis.
paragement of many of the bureau Of
fcers that have been appointed to say
that they are helplessly dependent upon
their Republican subordinstes in office
for information in the commonest de.
tails of their official duty. They are at
the head of the Bureaus, vast Offices
employing from one hundred to six
hundred clerks, and yet they know less
than any OF these clerks about the rou.
tine Of the bureau. .
1t would then seem TO be not Just
the time TO discharge these clerks who
however bad politically and personally,
have skill upon which the new Ad
ministration will be dependent for a
time, and nothing would be more rash
and ruinous than 10 ill these Offices at
once with anskilled men, The post
Offices throughout the country are a
different class OF Offices and they are
being filled at the rate Of about 100
| per day, or just as rapidly as the Post,
master General can work.