Chariton courier. (Keytesville, Chariton County, Mo.) 1878-current, 1885-02-13
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular correspondent. |
Washington, Feb. 6. 1885.

Washington, Feb. 6. 1855
In four short weeks, let the wealth
er be what it may. will present al
appearance joyful or tristful accord
ing to the brain behind the retlni
upon which the vision fails. As seer
by hopeful Democrats it will be 9
happy day. To despondent Repub-
licans, it will be the day of doom
To class that has grown numerous
| in Washington of late, it will be q
day of mingled hope and despair,
The class refer to comprises large
number of present Democrats, those
who were Republicans four months
ago, but who have been growing,
| growing in the nurture of Andrew
jackson and Samuel j. Tilden /;
growing so fast that they are green
and sappy. They have folded up
their bloody shirts, abjurei their
campaign SANDERS, read the consti-
tuition of the United States right
side up, and are vociferous for the
| old flag and an appropriation. There
are thousands of them, male and fe-
male. Who would have believed to
have heard them talk, and to have
seen them work for the grand, pure,
historic parry of moral ideas, that
they would now be willing to hold
office and draw pay from the party
of disunion, of retrogression, OF ras-
cality, rum, Romanism and rebellion?
But there is no doubt about it. their
racket is to hold the offices and draw
the pay. They have interpreted the
bright motto of civil service to mean |
'sto the victims belong the spoils.
Happy victims of foolish delnsioal
1t is not for such as you that politl-
cal wars are waged and administra-
tions won. The.carpeted, upholster-
ed, and curtained offices of the pub
Lie service will soon know you no
more. Your luxurious places will
soon be filled by those who will work,
by real clerks who are not enervated
by years of idIeness and shirkiug.
The work of tie government in
many offices is twelve months in ar
rears. The neglect of work especi-
ally in the us. patent office is dis
graceful. This office, far from be-
a tax on the people, is actually
money making establishment. The
fees paid by inventors to have their
machines examined are largely in ex-
cess of the expenses of the office,
and it has paid surplus of more
than 81, 700, 600 into the treasury of
the United States. Notwithstanding
this fact, inventors are frequently
compelled.to wait eight or ten months
before their cases are taken up for
examination. The commissioner of
patents, Hon. Ben. Butterworth, is
politician and too much engaged in
the work of his contested election to
attend to the duties of the patent
office. Muay of the examiners are
dissfpated and idle.
They are required to spend only sew
en- hours per day In the office, but
instead Of giving their time to the
examination of applications for pat
ents, they waste time IN reading, |
gossip and in filtration with the fe-
male employees of the patent office. |
These examiners are hoping to hold
their places under the new admins
tration on the ground that they have
expert mechanical skill, and special
knowledge of the classes of inven-
ton over which they have charge.
But there are few government offices
in which judicious wedding will do
more geod.
Ornamental drones and idle sine
curists are thick in all the Offices and
their newly assumed and ill-fitting
Democracy should not deceive any
one. 1t IS the general opinion that
the week will be devoted to the Dip
lomatic appropriation bill in the SEN
ate, and to the river and harbor and
postoffice appropriation bills in the
house. The postoffice bill, as pre-
pared by the committee on appropri-
ations for the house, makes two inn
portant changes In the rates of post
age. The rate on letters and other
sealed packages changed from two
(2) cents for each half ounce, or
fraction thereof, to two (2) cents an
ounce; while the postage on news
papers and other periodicals, mailed
from recognized Office of publica-
tion, is reduced from two cents per
pound to one cent. Both will be
welcomed by the public and both are
in the interest of the people, Con-
gress should have no hesitancy in
adopting the report of the committee.
A Remarkable Escape.