The National tribune., 1885-07-23
WASHINGTON GOSSIP,
The Weeks DOings at the Ma
tiOnal Capital.
DEPARTURE OF MISS CLEVELAND.

The Presidents Mansion has now lost, for
awhile the brilliant and womanly woman
whose four months of occupancy of it has re-
bounded to the credit of her brothers admins
tration, and lifted her up high in the estlma-
ton of the American people If Miss Rose
Elizabeth Cleveland shall continue TO grow to
the end of her brothers term as she has since
il began, she will acquire permanent place
among the notable women of history. She Is
unouestionably woman OF hne intellectual
powers and great strength of character, and
with these she has personal magnetism that
attracts strongly TO her all with whom she
comes in contact In many of her leading
characteristics she much resembles Mrs K b.
Hayes, whose graceful mistresship OF the White
House is, and always will be, fragrant men,
ory. But started out to talk of Miss Cleve-
lands vacation from her duties In company
with Miss Nelson. who has been her guest Tor
some time she left the city last Thursday for
New York where she will remain for several
days, and then so to the old family homestead
at Holland Patent in Western New York,
where she will remain until the last of October
or Ist of November
Her book has been decided success pecuni-
arily and in a literary way. The critics all
praise il for maturity of thought and grace OF
expression, and the shops have already sold
eight editions and are beginning on the ninth.
1t has been asserted that Miss Cleveland has
been offered the Presidency of Vassar College,
and that she is considering the acceptance of
the same. Undoubtedly the headship of such
an institution would, to a woman OF Miss
Cleveland's ideas, be exceedingly, attractive,
and / have little doubt that she thinks she
could do more good there than by presiding at
her brothers table and assisting at his levees,
but she has put the temptation to aside. When
she came to Washington it was with a distinct
understanding that she was to preside over the
Presidents household during his term of office,
and that agreement will be carried out if she
lives.
POLITICS AND GARDEN SEEDS.
Commissioner of Agriculture Colman an
nounces that he is attempting to bring about
a divorce between politics and the distribution
of garden seeds To the intimate connection
existing between these two be attributes much
of the irregularities and other scandals con-
nected with the administration of the Depart
ment of Agriculture under his predecessors.
Many Congressman have no other political
capital than an illimitable supply of garden
seeds, and these they have secured by votes
in favor of liberal appropriations for the pur-
chase of seeds One fault of this practice is that
the members of the minority party in any dis
trict are treated very shabbiy in the distrlbu-
ton. If the Congressman was Republican he
only had garden seeds for his Republican friends.
If be was a Democrat the only share the he
publicans had in the seed distribution was
watching the rare and strange plants growing
in their Democratic neighbours fields. Com
missioner Colman has asked the Senators and
Members of Congress to withhold their demands
for seeds, except for special occasions where
they know that they will be made use Of and
to allow the rest 10 be distributed according to
the Departments discretion. So far the Men,
bers of Congress that he has heard from resent
this idea and threaten him that If he persists IN
it that it will be at the cost of the appropria-
tions made for him at the next session of Con-
gress.
A NEW METHOD OF MEETING THE EXPENDI-
TUREs OF THE GOVERNMENT.
1t is rumored that President Cleveland has
under consideration, and will probably suggest
to Congress, new method of balancing up the
expenditures of the Government, and one
which will much simplify the work OF the dis
bursting powers. His idea is to separate the
revenues from the various sources and apply
them individually to meet some specified ex-
penditure. For instance. the revenue from
home-distilled spirits and imported wine and
spirits would be sufficient to liguify the inter-
est on the public debt and pay the current
pensions. The duty on silks and cotton to-
gether with the revenue derived from domestic
and foreign cigars and tobacco would, if applied
to that purpose cover the legislative, judicial
and executive expenditures of the Government,
and the cost of the army and of the building
aud maintaining Notifications would be more
than paid for by the duty on sugar. Fermented
liquors and laces bring enough money into the
country TO suppc.t our navy, and even to build
a new ship occasionally to strengthen that
splendid arm Of our national defenses, while
the receipts from the public lands, customs fees
and some miscellaneous sources cover the cost
of maintaining the Interior Department-ex-
GLIDING pensions mentioned aboye-and meet
any deficiency of the PoSt-Office or the District
of Columbia. For the other expenditures,
arrears OF pensions, interest, improvements,
etc, other duties could be applied, and when
2E.sA- 81.
ated for.
THE GUILLoTINE STILL RUNNING.
Last week the hearts of the great army of
unremovei ofiiceholders were gladdened, and
those OF the still greater army of expectant
oticeholders were correspondence saddened by
the seemingly authoritative announcement
that the President had called halt" in the
matter of removals; that offensive PARTISAN
ship" was to be of no further account or effect,
and people generally could go right ahead,
attending to their own business. But it does
not turn out that the announcement was au-
thoritative The chopper runs right along in
all of the Departments, and every days papers
announce another batch of men in who have
been turned out, and men outside who have
been put in. There has been special activity
in the POst-Ofiiee Department since Mr.. Steven
son succeeded the invalid Mr.. Hay as First
Assistant Postmaster General. Fourth class
POstmasters have been made and unmade by
scores every day, and the hearts of the rural
ROSTERS ali over the country, which have been
boiling because of having to receive their mail
from their political opponent are being Gained
and gladdened by the appearance of a Demo-
cratic face behind their Post-Office window.
The President has repeated TO those who
have been urging conflicting claims upon him
that if the Democrats of any locality cannot
agree upon the men 10 be appointed, he is
likely to settle the matter his own way and
appoint men who belong to neither faction.
lie has done this in good many instances
lately, asd pleased the people at large by pick
ing out great deal better men than the poll
ticians were pressing upon him.
THE NEW PENSION OFFICE.
The transfer of the Pension Bureau from The
buildings on Pennsylvania Avenue to the splen-
did edifice erected for it on Judiciary Square
has been going on now for couple of months
About half the force is already there. This in.
cludes Commissioner Black and the Second
Deputy Assistant Commissioner, and the East.
ern, Middle Southern, Old War, Record, Mail
and Agents Divisions, employing altogether
about zoe clerks First Deputy Commissioner
Mclean and the Chief Clerk, with the re,
manning seven Divisions and 500 clerks are
still in the old buildings, and will probably be
there for some months yet, as the new building
is far from completion. Though the interior Of
the ROOMS taken possession of are nicely fin.
isbed, outside Of these is wilderness of brick
mortar, lumber and iron work which brigade
of men and half-a-score of putting steam en-.
gines are rapidly converting into material parts
of the great building. Mere figures give ne