Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1885-05-23
QUIZ WASHINGTON LETTER.


lFrom Our Regular Correspondent
II ii pretty well known by the editor
ard by the readers OF this paper that
their Washington correspondent is no
friend Of The Republican Office holder.
For the Last ten years / have been
trying to have him discharged, and
for the last eight years / have con-
sidered him and written of him as no
better than a thief, who, like r. b.
Hayes, drew the salary of another man.
The only difference is that these Office
holders haVe been drawing their fraud
ulent salaries for eight years instead
OF four, or ever since the voice of the
country discharged them by the cleo
ton of Tilden. But Notwithstanding
l am anxious to see Republican Office
holders go, cannot join in the pretty
common denunciation of the new Adj
nlinistration because it has not COM
pleted its four years mission in ten
weeks. To me it appears remarkable
that SO much has been accomplished
in SO little time and / can account for
the denunciation of the so called tar
diness OF the administration only on
the supposition that those who de-
nounce know nothing of what a task
Mr.. Cleveland and his Cabinet had be-
fore them. Ten weeks ago the Presi-
dent found himself at the head OF a
ponderous and complicated chaos OF
governmental machinery intimately
connected with the interests of co.
600. 900 of people and handling $780,
100000 per year in the transaction of
| public business. He was without ex-
perience in National affairs; had not
been in Washington until he came as
President. 1t is not remarkable that
he spoke in his inaugural address of
the painful sense oil responsibility with
which he undertook the stupendous
work. 1t would be very easy for him
to. dawdle through his term and pose
as President like his proper and re-
spectacle predecessor. But the time
demanded different work from him
the work of reforming and simplifying
a vast and demoralized bureaucracy
and reducing it to an honest business
basis. Ten weeks have passed and
much has been accomplished. A large
number OF the civil service bureaus
have been filled with good democrats
and with good men. To the unrefiect-
ing million this may have seemed an
easy task, but when it is remembered
that the time OF the administration
has been occupied by battalions of
| delegations pressing rival candidates,
10y office seekers single, and Office seek
ers in mo'bs, all good democrats SO
called and beautifully endorsed, it is
remarkable that time has been found
to make the best selection. Most peo-
| pie | presume, are aware that the mere
fact of having voted the democratic
ticket does not fit man for Office
where he must perform promptly and
creditably class of work about which
he knows nothing more than he does
of the Russian Language. When Mr..
Cleveland came into Office, the first,
consideration was, using an old figure
to keep the ship OF state sailing smooth
Iy and effectively, making the best
time and preserving the precious
freight of men and merchandise.
Revenues had to be collected. The
army, the navy, pensions, the courts,
and vast civil list had to be paid; the
books must be kept and ten thousand
incidental processes requiring skill
and experience had to be infinitely
carried out. The President and his
Cabinet and his party were unskilled
and inexperienced in executive affairs.
They have as yet only general idea
of what they have to do, and what can
be done. 1t is not anything to the
disparagemento of many of the bureau
officers that have been appointed to say
that they are helplessly dependent up
on their Republican subordinates in Of
flee for information in the commonest
details OF their official duty. They are
at the head OF the Bureaus, vast offices
employing from one hundred to six
hundred clerks, and yet they know
less than any of these clerks about the
routine of the bureau.
1t would then seem to be not just
the time to discharge these clerks
who however bad politically and per-
sonally, have skill upon which the
new Administration will be dependent
for a time, and nothing would be more
rash and ruinous than to fill these Of
fees at once with unskilled men. The
postoffces throughout the country are
a different class OF offices and they are |
being filled at the rate of about 100 per |
day, or just as rapidly as the Postmas-
ter General can work.