Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-03-28
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.

tFrom Our Regular CorrespOndent.l
The situation in Washington is in
eresting, and even surprising. 1t is
plain that in the presidential chair,
around it, or behind it, there is mind
md will. ] will not say that certain
fiery refoI mers are happy in the reali-
cation of their impatient hope. And
it must be said that those most in need
of reformation, have taken new heart
and hold; but let all wait with patti
ence and prayer, and they will, | think,
see the glory OF the new dispensation
revealed, with the exaltatiOn OF the
right men, and principles-with the
confusion of thieves, and money
changers who have SO long preyed
upon the substance of the country.
There is an old latin maxim, festina
lente, hasten slowly, and this seems to
be the rule of the new administration.
Reform was very properly begun at
the White House. Four clerks swept
from Office with one swoop of the new
broom. Five thousand dollars per
year, and much desk room saved.
The example was taken up in the
Treasury Department where Secretary
Manning has discharged forty useless
employees from one bureau.
Secretary Lamar has first applied
his broom to the stables adjoining the
Interior Department. For years of
Republican ascendancy carriages and
horses have been kept at extravrgant
expense in all the Departments, and
have been used not for the public SER
wee but for the convenience of the
families of public officials. The fine
eQuipage that has been used to convey
ladies TO receptions late at night, has
been ordered to he sold and the seven
persons vino have been carried on the
pay roll as drivers will no longer have
even the semblance of a right to draw
their unearned pay. Of course this is
only beginning. In all the Depart
ments, and in all the bureaus, and sub
ordinate offices supertluous clerks are
stumbling over one another. Turn
the loafers out and then it will be ca
sier to find the rascals. Twenty thous-
and employees can be discharged with
result of positive improvement, and
expedition in Government work. Get
your little pencil and multiply 10000
by $4,000 and you will have an idea,
but not full one, of the amount that
will be saved; for you have not taken
into account the Office room, and furni-
ture of this vast army.
1t is not necessary to say that there
is much uneasiness, and alarm in all
the departments. The reduction OF
the clerical force AN unexpected flank
movement, and it has set thousands of
clerks quaking in their luxurious sine
cures. Turn the loafers out" is a new
and terrifying sound.
There are many straws indicative OF
a new era. An order has been issued
to all the employees in the patent office
that there shall be no more reading or
talking during office hours, and that
those classes and divisions which are
behind with their work must work
after office hours until it is brought up
10 date. The Patent Office has been
conducted in lax and slatternly way
In some classes of invention, as tex
tiles, harvesters, printing, stoves, and
furnaces, household furniture, build
ers, hardware. surgery, etc. the Patent
Ofice Examiners are from three to
twelve months behind with their work,
and applicants for patents have fire.
quently to wait six months or year
before their cases are taken mp. The