The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-05-20
WASHINGTON LETTER.

WASHINGTON, May 6, 1SSG.-Although
the present session of congress is called
q dull one, it is not without an occa-
sional sensation. The president created
one when he sent to Commissioner
Black tor papers to enlighten him up
on the several hundred private PEN
sion bills which congress hurriedly
passed and sent to the white house for
his signature. No president has ever
before taken the time or trouble to ex-
anime private bills. Mr.. Cleveland We
toed only two of them, signed eighty of |
the mum Der, and allowed the others to |
become laws without his signature af- |
ter satisfying himself that their records
were clear. But he directed the atten-
ton of our legislators on Capitol Hill
to his determination to know the con-
tents of every bill they send to him for
approval.
1t is just possible that Mr.. Cleveland
will ignore another presidential GUS
tom, namely; that of going to capitol
just before the adjournment of con-
gress, and while the two bodies are
rushing through all the bills that can
be passed in that late and ill-regulated
stage, and of signing everything that is
thrust under his hand.
On Wednesday the army appropria-
ton bill has been passed by the house
of representatives, and the bill provid-
ing for the support of our diplomats
| and consuls had been taken up. Mem
bers felt that they had already done a
good days work, and were glad that an
opportunity for amusement should pre-
sent itself. Presently an item of the
bill was reached which led to a request
from Representative Hewitt that the
appropriation for a steam launch for
! the use of the legation at Constatino-
pie be increased from $1,000 to s., 800.
/ This led to funny story about some
f competition with the "Effete Monarch
les" of Europe. Mr.. Cannon of Hi
nois criticised the democrats for pro-
posing TO increase the appropriation
. and another member suggested that the
late republican minister to Turkey
managed to get along with the old
launch. Mr.. Hewitt replied that the
late REPUBLICAN minister did not gel
+ along with it. 'sI went with him or
the launch" continued he, "and the
: British launch came out and went BY
: US and the French launch came out and
left us; and as the only American flag
that floats in those waters is the flag or
this steam launch, we had to submit tC
? the humiliation of seeing it run away
n from "Why didn't you fire up?" was
asked by a republican.
awe did," replied Mr.. Hewitt
"Our American blood began to boil anC
!. the boiler began to boil, and the resul
< was that when we got half way to Con.
stantinople, suddenly the whole thinI
. collapsed and we were left in the opeT
Bosphorus. If a republican could no
. get along with a thousand dollars-anC
/ | am a witness that can prove he die
: mott don't see how any democrat car
get long with it." "The last minister
did not ask for MORE" said Mr.. Morri-
: son. ooh, yes be did," replied Mr.
Hewitt, sand he appealed to me as al
. | American citizen to come in here ant
make a statement of the humiliation
we both felt on that humiliation yet
J. and If you ask Gen. Lew Wallace h
Q will tell you that he was never so hu
q inflated as when in that broken dow
launch. This $500 will save the homo
of the American flag.
+ A few evenings since IRepresentatiV
Hill discussed civil service reform be
fore the Ohio democratic association o
l this city, and talked about the politica
o situation in the buckeye state. H
said while he believed the election of
). democratic president should have beer
followed by complete transfer of tn
q offices to democrats, still the democrat
b OF Ohio were not going to fail in thei
support of the party because they diC
not get everything they wanted. II,
mentioned, however, that 10000 office
have already failed into the hands o
OF democrats under the new admins
tratIon, including all of the most lucra
tiveSones in the gift of the government
81 am ready" said he, "at Iany time t,
vote for the the repeal of the civil ser.
vice act. 1t is opposed to the genius OF
e of our republican institutions, but while
O it remains on the statute book, it is the
K duty Eof the president to enforce it
n "OhiO democrats" he said, care actua
ted by a thirst for spoils. If Cleveland
had started in FALL at once to remov,
t and appoint without waiting to cOnsid
8 er the merits and qualifications of tn,
y men he would haye justified the accu.
|, sation that,the republicans, in every
campaign, have been making agains
2 US,