Bridgeton pioneer. (Bridgeton, N.J.) 1884-1919, 1886-09-30
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 81, 1873

most popular autumn resort in the
country. To be sure, at no time in the
year is this city entirely out of season.
1t is the Winter Saratoga, while Con-
gress sits. Throughout the Summer
months, time when the habitants of
most cities seek sea Or mountain
breezes, Washington is never empty.
At this time of the year special class
come to this city, taking advantage of
of the Summer excursion rates But
the autumn season is becoming the
most fashionable of the year, and more
wealthy people are found here then
than at any other time.
The Presidents vacation seems to
have spoiled him for work. There was
a good deal awaiting him on his re-
turn, but he seemed little inclined to
attend to it. Every day, accompanied
by his wife and mother-in-law, he
drives out in his stylish Victoria, drawn
by dashing chestnut team. Uusually
his drives are in the direction of his
country home, which will be finished
about Christmas. It is whispered that
it is Mr.. Cleveland's intention to pre-
sent, itwhen completed, to Mrs. Folsom,
and to build himself another near
Arlington Heights.
Mrs. Cleveland, it is said, has for
room mates canary that was Matched
on the day that President Cleveland
was nominated, and a white mouse
She amuses herself with these, and
with driving and shopping. An eff
ticlent house-keeper makes it unneces
sary for her to be concerned about the
cobwebs and ''a-polishing the handle
Of the big front door, Her more ar
duous duties of shaking hands and
smiling for three consecutive hours,
and of reiterating for the one thou
sandth time agreeable nothings, have
not yet begun. 1t has been chronicled
that Mrs. Cleveland's first remark on
seeing the White House, on her return
from her vacation, was ''They have
painted it whiten' 1t has also been
painted in the interior, as some un
fortunate newspaper reporters discov-
cred at the Presidents last reception.
Their elegant cut away coats can now
be had half price at second hand
dealers.
The President intends to hold the
regular Cabinet meeting tomorrow,
and expects Secretaries Bayard, La
mar, Endicott, Whitney, Postmaster
General Villas, Attorney General Gar
land, and acting Secretary Fairchild
to be present. The absence of some
of these gentlemen has been so long
continued that their presence will be
almost surprise. Notable among
these delinquents is the Secretary of
War. 1t is matter of notoriety that
his absenteeism has actually thrown
the control of the War Department
into the hands of it's employees for
several months past. There has been
no serious hitch in the work, because
the routine business of the Depart
ment goes on as we'll as ever, under
the careful management of experienced
Republican clerks, just as it would go
on if there were.no such person as the
Hon. Secretary of War;" at a salary
of $4,000 per annum. But there are a
number of important public matters
that the officials of the Department
have not authority to attend to, and
in consequence the public business
must suffer.
If some employee of the War De-
partment were to absent himself from
his desk for few days over his regu-
lar vacation, he would be promptly
dismissed. And yet Mr.. Endicott re-
mains absent for months at time,
paying only hurried visits to his office,
and spending the greater part of the
year in New York or at his home in
Massachusetts, and the President
seems to take no notice of this un-
precedented state of affairs.
Mr.. Cleveland has certainly not
made a fortunate selection of men to
fill public offices. Mr.. Bayard has
been, in several instances, strikingly
il-starred in his appointments for the
diplomatic and consular services. Mr..
Manning's health has been found un-
equal to the duties of his office. Mr.
Garland has been implicated in a no
torious scandal. Mr.. Endicott has
abandoned his duties to his subordin-
ates. Commissioner of Patents Mont
gomery spends much of his time devils
ing how to escape the performance of
his work; and there are scores of in
stances, far too many to be enumer-
ated, of good Republican clerks in the
Departments having been dismissed,
without the pretense of a complaint,
to give place to trifiing Democratic
parasites. Over three hundred Demo-
Gratis have been appointed recently.
But the Democratic heads of Depart
ments have been wise enough to re-