The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1885-11-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.
tFrom our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON. ID. c., Nov. fs, 1885.

The week has been one of close con
fnement to the President, who is at
work on his first message to Congress.
He has had frequent consultations
with different members of his Cabi-
net, but has seen few other people
than those having the most urgent
business with him.
The present week will be one of
equal seclusion, as he expects by the
close OF it to complete this document,
and have it ready for the printer.
The message is pretty well under way,
and parts of it are now being copied
on the typewriter II is said he has
touched upon many points with his
characteristic vigor A good ideal of
space has been devoted to commercial
relations and the steamship contro.
versy, and it is believed the President
will sustain the Postmaster General.
The Navy will also be given dne con-
sideration, and Congress will be urged
TO appropriate largely for new vessels.
A Democratic Congressman who
has just returned to Washington was
askod what would be the tendency of
legislation this session. He replied
ave cannot tell until we see what the
President will ask us to do in his mes.
sage" Still he thought there were
several matters that were certain to
come before Congress for action.
"The Army and Navy continued he
"both require good deal of legisla-
ton There is sentiment among
Democrats that this administration
must re- create the Naval Service, and
that it must be restored to the position
it occupied in the worlds fleet before
the war.
1t Is easy to note upon the faces of |
Republican Congressman as they gath
er in Washington an expression of dis
couragement. They feel that the
party in power will stay. The Repub-
lican party has had taken away from
it the power of its Federal officers and
its ability to raise assessments from
office holders. The Democratic party
came very near beating It with all OF
this artificial strength, and the recent
elections have proved tnat the Demo-
cratic party can stand alone, and
needs no Federal patronage to back it.
You hear no more now about war in
the Senate, and nothing about Demo-
cratic revolt even from Republican
Congressman.
The Presidents order excluding
office seekers and public men from the
White House except when they have
public business with him will probably
be revoked at the end of the month.
1t was made to give Mr.. Cleveland
time to prepare his message, and he
has said that he feels no inclination to
restrict public men in their visits to
him or to require them to specify their
business in advance. A few days ago
some prominent Congressman were
protesting against the order in the
office OF Private Secretary Lamont.
Presently they were admitted to see
the President, and finding him alone
once was such an unexpected conven-
ience, that they went away thinking
well of the late order.
The event at the White House on
Saturday was the arrival of its long
absent hostess, Miss Cleveland. She I
has been at her home in Oneida
County, New York, and returns to re-
sumo her social duties here.
The White House was thoroughly {
overhauled and cleaned during her
absence, and now it is in order again !
for the coming season. Carpets,
pictures, and bric-a- brac were all tax. t
en- out and subjected to the process d
familiar to good housekeepers, and re- /
placed. The windows are draped in
lace and damask as of old, and the ,,
only change in the whole arrangement !
from that of last year is the substitu- t
tion Ct full length portrait of ex- t
President Arthur for that of Gen. =
Grant in the Red Parlor. The por- =
trait of the latter has been placed in a v
position in the corridor.
During the week several Republican
officials here were relegated to private ,
life. Nearly all tie higher officials in
the Treasury Department now are new c
men and Democrats, and the good p
work of the new broom goes on stead d
lily if not rapidly.
Secretary Manning seems to grasp :
his whole complicated Department, 5
and his energetic business methods are t
felt through every branch of it. He
spread CONSERVATION among Treasury =
clerks last Friday by issuing an order 4
that the names of all clerks who came t
late TO the Department should be re. I
ported to the chief clerk. The door
keepers at the Treasury were armed /.
with tablets and took down the names
Of tardy clerks as they arrived. The t
result of the first days catch was 235 !
delinquents. @