The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1885-03-25
WASHINGTON LETTER.

80 f',fffefiH ~ -. ~ ~ 49,
The situation 10 Washington Is
IalIcf interest busnos atallstafs
Ing Alltbe Government offices
The thrill Ola new life, aud The
'ensatipp Office holders Is novel
md alarming
Wtthapr president At the head Of
Affairs who has breakfast 10 eight
S'clack, and who finished amor.
binary day 'swork atan hour when
bic predecessors we're in bed; who
politely to the twaddle Of
Office seeking delegations, and then
sends the Office to seek the miner.
aided man; who dismisses bali the
parasites Of his household
for q "ssatser;9 who thinks before
heacts andiacis before he speaks,
there ismuch to cause surprise %
thOie who are accustomed to old
time men and methpds The ex-
ample at the White House would
be infectious, no doubt, and would
have itsiuadence on the Depart
ments in time, but II begins to up
pear that the administration has
not relied on the slow process Of
infection. The Cabinet officers
whom be has chosen, some Of them
q! least, appear.o be men Of deeds
who have taken hold with courage
tempered by Judgement. Useless
clerks have been discharged; ex.
psrquisites Of horFes and
hayebeen dispensed with;
and the broad and intricate jungle
Of the civil service is being sur.
veyed and mapped for improve
ment.
II is curious TO observe the alarm
and galvanic energy that is aclua-
ting the large body of political
bnmmers aRd drones who have
drawn pay for years and years with.
out doing any legitimate work,
in fact, having nylegiti.
mate work TODD. These men aud
women would be willing to do any
thing now that would have the
semblance Of work and are put to
absurd straits to appear 10 be doing
something.
There are clerks Of another class
who have plenty to do but whom
il has been heretofore impossible
to make do their work. There are
many Of this elias, in the U. S. Pat.
snt Office where the work Of exam,
ming and passing upon applica.
lions Inventor has fallen in many
classes from six TO twelve months
inarrears, compelling the appli.
,ants for patents to waitoften more
han a year before their patents are
granted. There are nearly a hun
lred and fifty examiners in the
Patent Office and the force is ample
% keep the work up to date, but
lnder the lax mis.management Of
he last eight years, many of these
have spent their time
of the Patent Office, or in
'eading, talking, aud flirting with
he female employees Of the Office.
During the last week a change has
'omc over thespirit Of their dream.
They have been ordered, in so
many words, to stop their gossip,
'eading, and dishonest loa6ng, and
o bring their work up to date, ev.
IN if they have to work at night.
The cure that this order has &C.
appears miraculous to
hose unacqusinled with the real
nature Of the disease. The exam.
.ners arc now doing more in q week
han they have done before in a
aud at the present rate,
heir desks will in three months
De cleared Of a long and shamefuIly
neglected accumulation.
The plaintivo cry of previous ad.
to Congress has been
give US more clerks, more clerks"
Mr.. Cleveland's ringing command
o the clerks, has been "give us
more work." and the clerks, no
onger backed by their Republican
influence, are bnckling 10 it in a
way that is edifying.
There is some discomfort and
yrumbling at the policy and the
Of Mr.. Cleveland, but
II is sporadic and comes mainly
rom disappointed Individuals
There is one fact that the great
body of the democratic party knows
md rejoices in, and the merely po-
itical and office seeking class will
be taught to know it sooner or la.
Ter. Mr.. Cleveland was not an Of.
ice seeker himself, aud has doubt.