The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1886-10-23
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsH1NeroN, Oct. o, 1886.
Special Correspondence to the Echo.

| WASHlNGEuNt w SCh' % AOOo'
Special Correspondence to the Echo.
The situation in the departments
here is remarkable. Nothing like it
has been seen for at least twenty years.
A determined political struggle is go
ing on in the different States, and the
Government clerk attends to his rotine
duties and is apparently no more inter-
ested in the result of the election than
are the mechanics and tradespeople Of
Washington. Heretofore it has been
their custom during political contest
to waste their time discussing politics
and to wager their money on the re
suit. It is doubtless fact that ma
jority Of the employees here secretly
hope for Republican success but the
day oftheir organizing campaign clubs,
contributing and begging money, pro-
curing cheap railroad rates and leaving
in body to stump and vote early and
often for the Republican candidates in
their several States, is past. The
country gains both in the publication
of politics and in securing more and
better work from Government en-
ployes.
This is the time Of year that Gov
ernment Star Route contracts are let
out. The reader will remember that
mail routes, except those by railroad
and steam, are called Star Routes
from tho fact that u star is printed
on all mail bags carried by stage coach,
horse or by footman. There has
heretofore been much just complaint
of collusion between employees in the
Postoffice Department and certain
favored contractors. This year the
control of the bids were put in the
hands of q committee Of three, of
which Chief Clerk Nash of the Post
office Department was the chairman.
Mr.. Nash sent to New York and pur-
chased trunk, big solid fellow that
would make the average baggage
smasher weep with dispair of ever con-
quering it. Upon this trunk was
placed lock to which there were only
three keys, each member of the COM
mittee being given possession of one
Of them. The lock was so arranged
that neither member of the committee
could open the trunk without the
other members knowing it. This
trunk was placed in a locked room.
As fast as the bids were received they
were locked up in the trunk in the
presence Of all three Of the committee.
After the bids were opened not even
the most disappointed contractor com
planned that anybody had advance in
formation of their contents.
During the last week two Cabinet
meetings have been held. The ques-
tions discussed related to the surren-
der of Geronimo and to the participa-
tion of Federal offieeholders in obtru-
sive and practical politics. If any
body is harboring the notion that the
President does not mean to exact obe-
dience to his order prohibiting office
holders from manipulating conventions,
they are probably of the class of per-
sons who will not admit that the Pres
ident is capable of sincerity, or of
another class that unreasonably ex-
poets him 10 correct all otfenses of a
partisan character by instinct, instead
of waiting to have the facts in each
case laid before him for consideration
and action. A number Of cases have
been brought to his notice and to the
notice of the Cabinet, and it is alto
gether likely that some of the moro
prominent offenders will be reminded
Of their offenses in such way as to
convince all the lesser ones that the
prohibitory order was issued in good
faith, and that it means all its says.
The Indian wholesale murderer, Ger
onimo, continues to be serious issue
in the Cabinet and unless a band of
patriotic lynchers shall put him out of
the way, lie is likely to cause legal and
military casuists more trouble to fix