Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-04-24
WASHINGTON.
SENATORS AND THEIR SECRETS
WHITThoRNE-THE PROPOSED
EXPOSITION AND GENERAL (
NEWS FROM THE NAT.
loNAl CAPITOL.
From our regular Correspondent.

Aho LaOol uVuOiesJ Tue proposed eX-
position in Washington, the probable
fate of the new tariff bill, and the Pres
idents rumored marriage are among the
subjects that one hears discussed on the
streets here now. At the Capital our
law makers are talking about Inter-
State Commerce, secret sessions, the
fisheries question, and appropriation
bills.
An enthuistic meeting was held at
Wizards hotel few evenings since, at
which representative business men Of
Baltimore and Washington discussed
the projected exposition to be Inaugural
ted here in 1889. An address was pre-
sented, which is to be scattered broad
cast over the country, setting forth the
plan of the great Worlds Fair. Con
gress is to be asked to establish num-
Der OF permanent exhibition buildings
in the city on the Mall, for the products
of North, South, and Central America,
and the Empire OF Brazil. The Mall is
that extensive area of park extend
ing from the Capitol to the White
House, including the Smithsonian, Ag-
rlcultural, and Monument grounds.
1t is the intention to strip the project
OF all local purpose, and to make it nat
ional and international, politics being
ignored in the interest of all countries.
For instance, it Is suggested that a
building be erected for the display OF
working models in the interest of in
ventors, and that there shall be nat
lonal art gallery sustained not only by
the Government, but popularized by
requests from private individuals. 1t
is expected that one and perhaps both
Houses OF Congress will take some IA
vorable action on the subject this week.
As to Senators and their secrets, those
who have in the debate branded the Sc
cret sessions as farclclal, childish, cow
ardly, and treacherous, are Platt, Lo-
gan, Butler and Riddleberger. Sena-
tor Logan was wondering how execu-
tive secrets leaked out. Newspaper men
always got them in some way. Senator
Riddieberger gave his idea of how they
were exposed. 81 have private secre-
tary," said he: 81 walk down the ave-
nue. with him, he asks me a question or
two, and being smarter than | am, he
knows more in five minutes than l
learn in week. Then he gives it to
somebody else and the newspaper
fraternity gets it,"
Hon. Mr.. Whitthorne, who has been
appointed to succeed Judge Jackson in
the U. S. Senate, will need no intro
duction to the halls of Congress. He
served with distinction in the lower
House during the forty-fourth, forty
fifth, forty-sixth and forty-seventh Con-
crosses. AS chairman OF the Naval
Affairs Committee he was very earnest
ard successful in exposing the rascali-
ties of the Navy Department under
Grant and ex-Secretary Robson.
There has been great improvement
in the ways of doing business in the
Government departments here under
the new regime, and there are eviden-
ces Of new life. Still futher reforms
are looked for through the passage of a
bill that is exciting good deal of inter-
est. 1t provides for Reconsideration
and reorganization OF the civil service
at Washington, and its purpose is to SO
arrange the force of the departments
that the same kind of work will receive
the same pay. Under the present plan
there are clerks drawing 1920 to 1910
who are doing the same work in regard |
to quality and amount as clerks who
get from 81, 900 to 81 600.
The last classification was made in
1904 when there were only 7l9 clerks |
in the departments, now there are s.
OBJ. Under this arrangement there are
four classes. Glass l, receiving 81 200;
class 2, 81 400; class 8, 81, 600 and class
4, 1900. Clerks have been employed |
and assigned to these classes with but
little regard to their grade. Conse-
quently there is great deal of waste to
the taxpayers in the departments But
as there is no fixed limit the revenus of |
the Government and the burdens of the |
taxpayers, the waste is not perceived. |
While the new administration is setting
the governmental house in order, it
proposes to subject the men and W omen
here to a thorough investiga-
ton, weed out the incompetent, and |
redistribute and others so as to enable
them then to do the greatest amount
and best kind OF work of which they
are capable.
Apropo OF work, a group of @ n
gressmen were chatting few days ago
when allusion was made to the popular
idea that men in legislative positions