The Portland daily press., 1885-03-11
SEEKING OFFICES.
Business at the Departments Sc
riously Interfered With.
President CIeveIand's Sincerity to be
Severely Tested.

WASHINGTON, March 10.-Callers at the ex-
ecuive mansion with the more or less dis
gnised purpose of furtheripg applications for
office continue to be very numerous but are
still promptly and politely referred to the va
flous headS OF departments. At the several
departments callers, today, we're numerous
enough to keep the rooms well filled. Those
Cabinet officers who fingered too long over
their breakfast had occasion to repent it.
Their doors were besieged with callers and
they were stopped on the street and at the
doors OF the department. until the DELAY
threatened to keep them from their offices al
together. It was after 10 o'clock when Seere-
tary Bayard got safely in his Office Secretary
Whitney got ia at 10 and the Secretary Of
War but quarter of an hour earlier None
had any chance at their morning mall having
to give themselves up to callers from the
moment OF their arrival until the
hour arrived for the Cabinet meeting. All the
senators called early. Some of the appoint
Eent clerks OF the departments were mp all last
night 1ndexing applications which came in by
the thousand. Some OF the applications are
gotten up in very elaborate style, One man
who wants place under the department Of
Justice had two ledgers OF about hundred and
fifty pages each bound in antique styles which
were filled with Endorsements and all sorts of
recommendations. The other presented cre-
dentials printed in pamphlet form and some
handsomely bound with the name OF the ap-
plicant and place wanted in gilt letters on the
back.
Educational Republican viii contain tomor-
row an interview with Postmaster General
Villas, in which he is quoted as having said
that "the programme of the whole Cabinet is
TO select officials for their worth and value to
the government" and as having further said
that the "policy OF the administration is to
bear out the civil service rules to their full
extent in the management OF the various de-
partments. / shall enforce the rules here'
New YORK, March 10.-It is generally be-
lieved in this city that Postmaster Pierson Eill
be reappointed. His term will expire a week
from next Saturday, and he is said to have
positive assurance that change will not be
mada. George Jones of the Times, it is al
legged, has personal pledge from President
cleveland that Pierson shall not be removed.
La addition, many mercantile bodies and doz-
ens OF influential merchants have petitioned
for the retention of the postmaster. His friends
are 1ubilant here, snd profess to have even
stronger proof of Persons success than the
pledge which Jones has from Cleveland. The
civil service reformers say the President, after
bis profession of civil service, cannot remove
PIerson. The latter has worked his way up in
the post office to the position he now occupies
He is one of the traits of civil service reform
To remove him would be to strike q deadly
blow, SO the reformers say, at the root of civil
service. ODe thing is certain, if Pierson ia re-
appointed, there will be lively time among
the Democrats. 1t will split tho party, not
only in the city, but in the State. There are
dozens Of good Democrats hungering .or the
position. The appointment viii mean break
with Cleveland. On the other hand, Mr
Cleveland If he does not reappoint Pierson.
will be declared to be untrue to his civil ser
vice pledge. Either end of the dilemma can
not be pleasant to him.