News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1885-04-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, D. c., !
April 6, 1885. (

April 6, 1885.
Under the Democratic administra-
ton the tried men are fast passing
away and raw recruits are being in
troduced. Experienced, capable and
efficient clerks are almost daily put
| out of Office to make places for men
of no experience, and whose capacity
has not been tested. This is demo-
cratic reform. This is running the
public service on business principles.
Republicans, of course, do not ask
anything of Democratic administra-
ton, nor are they disposed to utter
useless protests against removals
from Office. But this spoils system,
this purely partisan work, which has
characterized the first month of the
new dispensaUion, should be carried
on under its right name.
The chief staple of Democratic
campaign oratory and literature for
dozen years past has been the charge
that the government departments
have been reeking with corruption.
The most inspiring shibboleth of Dem
ocratic harangues has been "Turn the
rascals out" corruption" was
dwelt upon so forcibly, the "rascals"
were painted so graphically, and so
moving was the picture of the govern
ment in the hands of "thieves," that
the Democratic masses were educated
to believe that there was no honesty
in the executive del. artments. Sena-
tor Payne, of Ohio, whose official in
tegrity has been mentioned in connec-
ton with Standard Oil, gave utter
ance to eloquent thoughts on the Au-
gean stable topic. Vice-President
Hendricks dwelt on the same ex-
haustless theme as he skipped from
stump to stump. The country was to
witness a sublime moral spectacle
the exodus of rascals, and the advent
of patriots. But after a month of
close inspection and hard effort,
where is the cleansing? and where are
the rascals? Some good men have
been thrown out of Office, some en-
ployes, deemed superfuous have been
discharged, and few old horses and
vehicles have been sold, but there has
been no hint of detected rascality.
The sole object in the removal of off,
Gals was to get Republicans out and
Democrats in.
The Senate reached a final adjourn
ment, leaving number of President
Cleveland's nominations Enacted upon.
Republican Senators in that way,
took stand against superceding Re-
publican officials with Democrats in
cases where there is no fixed tenure OF
office and no charges have been made
against the Incumbents. Postmaster
Pearson's appointment was promptly
confirmed without any attempt at a
contest.
The President, who has been seeing
a hundred or two callers each day on
political errands has been hoping for
some relief with the close of the extra
session, supposing that many Senators
and members of Congress would then
leave Washington. There is but lit
tie hope for him, however, in this re-
spect. 1t has been given out that the
President and his cabinet have been
postponing large number of ap-
pointments until the Senate got away,
and that the number of changes that
will be made within the next month
will quadruple those of the past
month. However this may be, the
Democrats hope for "a wholesale sweep,
and enormous pressure will be brought
to bear for the places. 1t is noticea-
BILE, that in the past few days, the
crowd of office seekers still lingering
in Washington has had many recruits
with but few assertions from it's
ranks.
In society, holy week has been de-
void of any event of Importance. The
season, with the temporary absence
of several official families and the de-
parture of ex-official and Senatorial
families, has brought social matters
to lull. The critical illness of Gen.
Grant has also caused arrangements
for social events to be relinquished,
and has brought sorrow to many
households here. The President was