St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-03-28
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent
MARCH is, 1885.

,teresting, and even surprising. 1t is
plain. that in the presidential chair,
around it, or behind it, there is a mind
and a will. | will not say that certain
fiery reformers are happy in the realiza-
ton of their impatient hope. And it
must be said that those most III need Of
reformation, have taken new heart and
hold; but let all wait with patience,
and prayer, and they will, l think, see
the glory of the new dispensation re-
veaIed, with the exaltation of the right
men, and principles-with the confusion
of thieves, and money changers who
have SO long preyed upon the substance
of the country.
There is an old latin maxim, JfeStileG
Iente, hasten slowly, and this seems to
be the rule of the new administration.
Reform was very properly begun at the
White House. Four clerks swept from
office with one swoop of the new broom.
Five thousand dollars per year, and
much desk room saved. The example
was taken up in the Treasury Depart
ment where Secretary Manning has dis
charged forty useless employees from
one bureau.
Secretary Lamar has first applied his
broom to the stables adjoining the In
terror Department For years of Re-
publican ascendancy carriages and
horses have been kept at extravagant
expense in all the Departments, and
have been used not for republic service,
but for the convenience of the families
of public officials. The fine equipage
that has been used to convey ladies to
receptions late at night, has been order
ed to be sold and the seven persons who
have been carried on the pay roll as
drivers will no longer have even the
Of right to draw their un
earned pay. OF course this is only
beginning. In all the Departments,
and in all the bureaus, and subordinate
offices superhuous clerks are stumbling
s0ver one another. Turn the loafers out
and then it will be easier to find the
Tascals. Twenty thousand employees
can. be discharged with result of positive
Improvement, and expedition in Gov
ernment work. Get your little pencil
and multiply 10000 by $1,5OO, and you
will Lave an idea, but not full one, of
the amount that will be saved for you
have not taken into account the Office
room, and furniture of this vast army.
1t is not necessary to say that there is
much uneasiness, and alarm in all the
departments. The reduction of the
clerical force is an unexpected flank
movement, and it has set thousands OF
clerks quaking in their luxurious sine
cures. "Turn the loafers Out'' is a new
and terrifying sound.
There are many straws indicative of
new era. An order has been issued to
all the employees ia the Patent Office
that there shall be no more reading or
talking during Office hours, and that
those classes and divisions which are
behind with their work must work af-
ter Office honrs until it is brought up to
date. The Patent Office has been con-
Quoted in lax and slatternly way. In
some classes of invention, as textiles,
.harvesters, printing, stoves, and fur
,naces, household furniture, builders
hardware, surgery, ETC., the Patent
Office Examiners are from three to
twelve months behind with their work,
and applicants for patent have frequent
Iy to wait six months or year before
their cases are taken up. The recent
order indicates that the new admins
tration will introduce a new order of
things, not only in the Patent Office,
but in other branches Of the public ser
vice.
The rush of Office seekers has abated,
and the new administration has more
time to address itself to work. 1t is a
fact much commented on here that very
few ofice-seekers have come from the
South, and that many have come from
the Northern and Northwestern repub-
lican states. Since the President has
announced that he will not hear appli-
cants for Office personally, but will refer
all applications to the, proper Cabinet
officers, he has been but little troubled.
There will doubtless be important
changes made, but policy and good bus
iness management would require that
they should not be made until after the
most careful deliberation, and thor
ough study of the needs, and abuses of
the service. Any person acquainted