The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1885-06-03

Democratic statesmen are now very To-
dustriously at work getting their friends
into office, and according to the best ac-
counts many men totally unfit for any pub.
lie position are recommended and urged
upon the administration. We make u few
extracts from a dispatch Of the New
York Suns Washington correspondent of
May goth:
1.-THE Colorado del. CATION which skunk
away from the White House on Wednes.
day after sharp lecture from Mr. Cleve-
land l. only one of several deleg ltious of
Democrats that have meanly swinded the
President and The members of his Cabinet
by recomm. ndios unfit men for office. The
number of Senators and Repre- sentatives
and Governors and Judges and Colonies
who have lent their influence and sigma
lures to aid unworthy men to get Office is
almost past belief. The evil has become a
very serious oDe The administration has
been embarrassed and hndered at every
turn i'll making changes in Office by the bad
work of those very Democrats who are
loudest in complaining that the Admins.
tration is too slow. 1t is the very men of
the Colorado brand who compel it to go
slow. We're it to act on the uuprincipled
recommendations these men have made to
1t, without taking time to Investigate, 1t
would become involved in sucn scandal
that it would be overwhelmed ut the fall
elections.
There are many parallels to the decep-
tions practised by the Colorado and Ken
lucky statesmen which have led to the rev.
ocations of appointments in those States.
The shotgun p sjmaeter Of Copiah county,
Mi>sissippi, whose resignation has been
id nv f,.;.
the President b. Representative Barks-
dale. Attorney General Garland, it is
said. was nearly entrapped recently into
appointing TO office man for whose arrest
for horse stealing Mr.. Garland, as Cover
nor of Arkansas, offered reward. re-
markable exposure of an attempt to palm
off an uuft applicant occurred in Secreta.
ny Manning's office the other day. Uni
ted States Senator had in tow man cou-
tirmed In Incorporate habits whom he was
pushing for an internal revenue appoint
ment. A gentleman from the same State,
who knew the applicant, went to see the
President, and laid the facts Before him.
II wish you would lay the facts before
the Secretary of the Ire sury," said the
President.
The gentleman reached the Secretary's
office to find the Senator and his bibulous
friend In consultation with Secretary Man
ming. He called the latter parsonage aside
and said that the candidate was q drunk
ard.
"Well," said Mr.. Manning, "you say you
can substantiate your charges. Suppose
we settle the matter right here;" and,
bringing the three visitors together, he
told the gentleman to state his charges in
the presence of the candidate The candi-
date wilted, and confessed that the charge
was true. He withdrew his application
and retired with his Senatorial friend. The
latter was not at all abashed by the expo.
sure, and recommended another man, who
proved to be under indictment.
In another case. where Treasury ap-
pointment was made on the recommends
ton of several Congressman, Secretary
Manning learned, after the commission had
been mailed, that the appointee had been
indicted for quite a serious offence. de-
spatch demanding his resignation fort1-
with nipped another scandal in the bud.
An application for an important appoint
ment in the railway mail service is pend
ing before Postmaster General Villas, which
bears the names of Congressman and
Judges and business men of Ohio. The
man they recommend was defaulter, and
the men who recommended him knew it.
There are scores of such cases In every
department which require the most careful
scrutiny before appointments can be made.
Letters and petitions have become almost
valueless, so careless have ubic men be-
come In lending their names to everybody
who ask for them. The infrmity of some
statesmen In this particular has become so
thoroughly understood that their names
almost create suspicion of the upfitness of
the applicants for whom they vouch.
The Union Adcoca,e has two-thirds of a
column devoted to he missing collector Of
Arson, from which We clip the following:
Clepp was raised a Arson, was a soldier
in the late war, AM Afterwards moved to
Providence, r. l., " here he succeeded to a
position on the police force for number
of years and was promoted from time to
time, naturally leading to the suppostion
that he was faithful officer. He returned
to Ans 70 about 1880, took deed of his
mothers farm, among the best in AnsoD,
and engaged to support his mother and
step father during life-not word of re.
prOach preceded or followed his return
that we are aware of; tho now comes al
article In the Providenc Journal giving an
unsavory account of hts career in Provi-
douce. 1t turns out now that he had mort
gagged the farm for $1,000, and made way
with the money and divers rumors of other
crooked things are anoat. Whether the ru-
mors are all true or not, enough Is known
to show that the town has been made the
victim of sharp practice by as shrewd and
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