Richland beacon., 1885-05-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON April Goth, 1885.

soon invent and patent an AUTOMATIC
presidential hand shaker there will be
need of a deputy or assistant president
to prefonn this duty alone. Negro
delegations have predominated at the
White House this week. The bish-
ops and pastors of the African Metho-
dist Conference called upon the Presi-
dent. and their foreman made an in
troductory address which was nearly
as long rs q sermon. The same day
Mr.. Cleveland with his Cabinet
reviewed the emancipation process
ion of colored people, which passed
before them rs they stood on the
front portlco of the presidential man
ION.
In the Department the work goes
breavely on, and to those who know
the past condition of the Departments
this is saving great deal. A remark
able change has come over them. The
clerks are all doing real work, and
surprising everybody and especially
themselves. For several years past
it has been very unusual to find a
department or bureau of q depart
ment here in Washington with the
current work up to date. 1t is not
uncommon to find offices months be-
hind, and some of them even longer
than months. Whenever anything
Of this kind has happened little sue
cess has attended efforts to even up
the business. Sometimes, it is true,
this has been occasioued by much
extra work imposed on a force not
quite sufficient in numbers, but gen.
orally it has been due to inefficient
and lazy clerks, whose interest in the
payroll overshadowed completely
their concern in the work of the gov
eminent. Changes now going on
indicate that this haphazand way of
doing business has had its best days.
Those Departments and Bureaus
which are behind with their accounts
and reports are to catch up with the
current business, and when that is
done each days work is to be 6nish-
ed each day.
This is as it should he and is just
what every well-regulated house
would have done by it's own employees.
1t will necessitate, of course, a
through ovsrhauling of the different
bureaus and the discharge of idle and
incapable clerks of both sexes, who
have heretofore relied upon political
influence to keep them in place. 1t
will demand the retention of good
servants and the displacement Of bad
and the general recognition that days
work must be given for days pay.
An occasional howl of rage in the
Republican morning paper announces
that the official head OF q Republican
worker has fallen into the place Of
wailing and crashing of teeth, but as
yet this good work has hardly begun.
There will be more Of it anon and if
the Republican paperis going to howl
about such q little thing as chopping
official heads, it will have to issue
double sheet and an extra edition.
Some Democrats are impatient at
the delay in discharging class of
Republicans who are VIGOROUSLY
unfit for their places; but these should
reflect that it requires time to select
the proper substitutes, and consider
the tremendous difficulties that
confront the Administration. There
are knotty legal questions to be
considered in the matter and the man
ner of removals. 1t would be just as
reasonable to substitute full force of
new employees in watch factory at
a single stroke as to contend that the
President should turn the republicans
out and replace them by Democrats.
The committee on economy which
is inquiring into the methods of bust
ness. in the Treasury Department will
be engaged for some weeks, perhaps
months; before they are ready to
report. Thus far We have simply
scratched around in few of the
bureaus" said one Of the committee