San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1885-07-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular correspondent.


From Our Regular Correspondent.
. WASHINGTON, June 30, 1885.
EDITOR FREE Press - An eminen,
French statesman, when asked how he
accomplished such prodigious
amount of work each day, replied, "by
doing one thing after another" Pres
ident Cleveland seems to understand
this art as well as if he were its in
ventor. He examines all the papers
in each and every case that comes be
fore him. He will act on all the
cases only as he reaches them in the
course of his personal examination. II
seems as if he had an almost endless
Job before him, but it is his way, and
he seems determined to go on as he
has begun. The candidate who de-
pends largely or entirely on verbal
recommendation or influence of out
side parties, will certainly get left
The cases largely depend on the kind
of papers that are filed, and the pres
ident holds responsible parties who
recommend malf to strict account.
It is to be feared that in the discus
sion of appointments to office, the
great and silent reform work which
the new administration is carrying on
may be overlooked. Though less
than four months in Office, and labor
ing under great disadvantages, the
public plunderers are being attacked
and routed at every point. Stealing
of the public domain has to a consld-
erable extent been stopped, though
much remains to be done. Secretary
Lamar has proved the worst enemy
the railway land -grabbers have ever
met, and he has had the earnest sup
port of Gen. Sparks, the new Land
Commissioner. 1t is safe to say that
no more unearned grants will be pat
ented to the railroad monopolists,
and that as much as possible of the
land already stolen in one way or an
other will be recovered and thrown
open for settlement. The great Max
well grant is only one of series of
enormous frauds which have been
perpetrated through collusion be-
tween the claimants, the territorial
land officers, and the ring of Depart
ment officials. There is every reason
to expect that this whole system Of
plundering will now be broken up.
Hon. Geo. Jelks, who has just been
appointed assistant secretary of the
Interior, and given special charge Of
all cases for the forfeiture of land
grants, shows that this work is to be
undertaken in no half-hearted way.
While on the Judiciary committee of
the House, Mr.. Jelks showed himself
to be thorough lawyer, and his ar
gument before the electoral commits
sion was not inferior to the efforts Of
the great lawyers of national reputa-
ton. Carpenter, Black and Merrick,
who vainly tried to meet conspiracy
with logic in that deplorable crisis.
Mr.. Whitney, the new secretary Of
the navy, is steadily growing in pop
ularity with good men of all parties.
Both the navy and the country hail
him as deliverer from the regime of
rings and corruption that has preyed
upon the country since the war, and
left our coasts in defenceless condi-
ton. The exposure of the Dolphin
fraud will be to the naval establish
ment of as great importance as were
tho Star Route exposures to the post
Office department.
The action of the postmaster gen
eral regarding the Pacific Mail steam
ship subsidy is very significant. II
will be remembered that the repub.
lican majority in the senate forced
the passage Of n bill giving 100000
to the Pacific Steamship Company for
carrying the mails. Mr.. Villas finds
that there is no need Of paying more
for carrying ocean mails than is now
paid. Since the act Of congress is not
mandatory, but merely gives permis-
sion 10 spend the money, the pOstmas-
ter-general will, with the approval OF
the president, take no action in the
matter, but remit the subject to con
gress for more explicit legislation Ii
is not probable that the republican
agents Of the lobby in the senate viii
be able 10 again pass the bid, and The
sum OF 100000 will be saved TO the
tax payer.
The daucan1aute o,f The Hugueuote