Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1885-11-19
WASHINGTON LETTER.
UIVlII VuI ItCSu'.N NNIIV5PuIlNNIII.
WASHINGTON. Nov. y. Isl


The coming congress, the recent
elections, and the new civil service
commission are the subjsets most dis
cussed in Washington now.
The White IIouseis us quiet rs the
president could wish. since his order
excluding Office seekers went into effect.
The messenger at the door asks every
visitor to state his business. and none
but the Cabinet are PERMITTED to 30 in
to see the president without first declac-
ing whether his business is of the char
tcter defined in the order. or not. No
public man will be permitted to pre-
sent the name of any candidate for an
Office without special permission from
the president. Senators and represena-
tives do not call now, as their business
is patronage almost every time.
On every other day. however, at Two !
o'clock, the president still comes down I
into the east room and shakes hands .
with the people who assemble there for /
this purpose. That kind of reception
is soon over, us callers are told by an |
usher they must merely shake hands |
and pass on. Some few do not obey |
| these instructions, but persist in chat
/ ting. if only for Il moment, with the
| president. On his last reception day
! fully two hours before lie was expected
! to leave his Office for the handShaking,
the east room was thronged with sight
seers from all parts of the country.
Among them was a party of English
tourists, who evidently enjoyed this
free and easy democratic custom, Which
Was in such striking contrast to pre-
sentation at the court Of ST. James.
AS to the new congress. there will be
no contest over the speakership. and
scarcely any over the organization of
the house. AS Mr.. Randall Will not be
Il candidate for the speakerShip, the
democratic maioritywill give the place
again to Mr.. Carlisle The latter will
take this great office only second in
point Of power to the presidency. under
very exceptional circumstances. There
being no contest. he will have made no
pledges. lie will be free to follow the
dictates of his personal Judgment. The
two chairmanShips OF the most impor-
tant house committees will be for him
to fill Mr.. Morrison will doubtless go
back to the head of the ways and means
committee. but it is not certain that
Mr.. Randall will return to the chair
manship of the appropriations commit
tee. No one questions his ability or
management of the committee so far as
appropriations are concerned. His OPP
posers are the revenue reformers who
complain that in the last congress he
used his position unfairly to secure the
defeat of tariff legislation.
The president found it difficult to ap-
point suitable men to the vacancies in
the civil service commission, and now,
the task being satisfactorily accom-
plished, his mind is relieved on that
point. eX-congresSman Edgert0n. of
lndianna, is nomlnally the new head
of the commission and the other man
is Col. Trenholmc Of South Carolina
:. Mr.. Trenholm is one of the owners Of
: the Charleston News and Courier, and
: it was through that paper that he was
brought to the front. Mr. Edgerton is
nearly seventy years old, and when IN
congress thirty years ago, was chair
man of the committee Oh claims.
i, When congress meets 1t is expected
q that there will be hostile attacks upon
the civil service law and commission,
and the president thinks the new Off
GERS will cndevor to administer the law
faithfully and be able to stand the fire
Of criticism.
The president sat listening to his pas
tors Sunday morning sermon, appar-
emily taking deep interest in the dis
course and also in the stand of white
flowers beneath the pulpit, contributed
by the flower committee Of the church
"Reform,' exclaimed DR.. Sunderland
fixing his eyes on Mr.. Cleveland, is a
mighty word in the American lexicon
and though often derded, it is the chan,
mel of all human progress. The shiI
which bears on the highest hopes OF
~ nuiiialiity calliiot always lloe peace
: fally at anchor, but must sail across
l. angry seas 1t is in the stormy and
II cloudy sky that the skillful mariner
s. learn to take his observations from
st mere glimpses Of the SUM-"
h. The president looked as if he ha'
'e been the skillful mariner who had beer
Of obliged to take his observations TO
10 official action while in the midst of
IN storm of office seekers, and appeared tt
is gather consolation from the figure.