Richland beacon. [volume] (Rayville, La.) 1869-1890, 1885-05-16
WASHINGTON LETTER
WAsHISGToS Nav 1. 1885.

ted States this week. and is cOnse-
quently not able TO give YOU news
report hot and steaning from the
lips Of the administration. Maybe
the reason why / did not call on the
President was because my friend
did l have wild Western friend
who found himself in Washington
last week with two whole hours at
his disposal He decided that the
time was not quite sufficient for him
to see aud talk to everybody in
Washington Though he could come
as near doing it as any living man
or even woman) and inasmuch as he
had to draw line somewhere, he
called only on the President, Secre-
tarv Lamar and your correspondent
will not attempt TO tell all he told
me, for he talked without punctua-
ton. But to the President he made
the original remark that he had no
friends to reward, no enemies To pun
ish, and no favors to ask. The ''no
favors TO ask" clause seemed to please
the President, and he replied II am
nearly worried to death by those
who have nothing but favors to ask. "
Nv friend then called at the interior
Department upon Secretary Lamar
and told him that he wished to see
his bath tub, The Saturnine secreta
~ at once set down my wild west
erner for crank. but a glance 1t his
nice clothes and his face painted red
with intelligence and humor con-
vinced him that he had struck a
character rare. So lie showed him
the little zinc bath tub and the two
four dollar rugs. to buy which lie
had sold the ten thousand dollars
worth of the government carriages
and horses.
The President and members of his
Cabinet have gone to Gettysburg to
celebrate the anniversary Of the bat
tie. This is the first respite that
Mr.. Cleveland has taken since the
ith Of March. Miss Cleveland Is
away in New York. Col. Lamont
ard his family, consisting Of his wife
and two little daughters, have, at the
urgent request of Mr. Cleveland,
moved into the White House and
they will soon accompany the presl-
dent to his country residence at Sol
diers Home The Presidents cot
tage at the Home is about three miles
from the White House and about a
mile and a half from the northern
boundary Of the city. 1t is situated
on a commanding elevation with d
fine view of the city and the Poto-
mac river. Surrounded by trees and
acres of green swarl it will have all
the advantages Of II summer resort
with the additional advantage of
complete retirement from society and
fashion that cannot be obtained at
Long Branch, Saratoga or Newport.
The illness of the Presidents pri-
vate secretary has revived the old
talk about the peculiar Washington
malaria Every i'll that flesh is heir
to in this city is attributed by the
non-professional writers for the press
to malaria 4 Senator cannot eat or
drink too much but that his indispo-
sition is malaria, ard one of them
went so far as to attribute the ac-
couchment of prominent woman to
the same roliic cause. Washington,
as the statistics show, is universal
ly healthy city and its death rate
shows as small a percentage from
malaria as any city in the union.
What will the administration do
concerning official changes? is a
question that is being very earnestly
asked at this time. There are IN
round numbers about 100000 sala-
ried office-holders under the Federal
Government. They are the regular
army of politics. for it means their
bread. Their discipline enabled the
Republican party to keep itself in
power for half century. Nine
tenths of these officials are still in
position. What is the President
going to DO about it? A gentleman
who holds a very responsible and
prominent appointment under Mr..
Cleveland, and who comes from
powerful state occupying a most
import ant p ,litical and geographical
position, spoke very plainly and fully
the other day respecting the matter
of changes. He said: No one bet
ter comprehends the necessity for a
complese change in all commissioned
afficials than does the President.
He is perfectly awsre that the peo-
pie, in making the change in presi-
dont laat foil did not moan simnly