The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1886-05-29
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WAsHrNGToN, May IA, 1885.
rom our RepuIar CORRESPONDENT,

From our Regular Correspondent.
Although the present session Of
Congress is called dull one, it is moi
without occasional sensations. The
President created one when he sent to
Commissioner Black for papers to en-.
tighten him upon the several hundred
private pension bills which Congress
hurriedly passed and sent to the White
House for his signature. No Pres.
ident has ever before taken the time
or trouble to examine private bills.
Mr.. Cleveland vetoed only two of
them, signed eighty of the number,
and allowed the others to become laws
without his signature after satisfying
himself that their records were clear.
But he directed the attention of our
legislators on Capitol Hill to his de-
termination to know the contents of
every bill they send to him for ap-
proval.
1t is just possible that Mr.. Cleveland
will ignore another Presidential GUS
tom, namely; that of going to the
Capitol just before the adjournment
of Congress, and while the two bodies
are rushing through all the bills that
can be passed in that late and ill.regu-
lated stage, and of signing everything
that is thrust under bis hands.
On Wednesday the army appro-
priation bill had been passed by the
House of Representatives, and the bill
providing for the support of our DipIo-
mats and consuls had been taken up.
Members felt that they had already
done a good days work, and were
glad that an opportunity for amuse.
ment should present itself. Presently
an item of the bill was reached which
led to request from Representative
Hewitt that the appropriation for a
steam launch for the use of the lega-
tion at Constantinople be increased
from $1,000 to $500.
This led to a funny story about
some competition with the "Effete
Monarchies " of Europe. Mr.. Cannon
of Illinois, criticised the Democrats
for proposing to increase the appro-
priation and another member sug-
gested that the late Republican Min
lister to Turkey manage to get along
with the old launch. Mr.. Hewitt re-
piled that the late Republican Minister
did not get along with it. ~ went
with him on the launch," continued
he "and the British launch came out
and went by us and the Italian launch
came out and left us, and the French
launch came out and passed us; and
as the only American flag that floats
in those waters is the flag on this
steam launch, we had to submit to the
humiliation Of seeing it run away
from"
"Why didn't you fire upg' was
asked by Republican.
"We did," replied Mr.. Hewitt.
sour American blood began to boil
and the boiler began to boil, and the
result was that when we got half way
to Constantinople, suddenly the whole
thing collapsed and we were left in |
the open Bosphorus. If republican
could not get along with thousand
dollars-and / am a witness that can
prove that be did not-I don't see |
how any Democrat can get along with |
it," "The last Minister did not ask
for more," said Mr.. Morrison. "Oh
yes, he did" replied Mr.. Hewitt,
7" and be appealed to me as an Amer
lean citizen to come in here and make
a statement of the humiliation VIC both
felt on that occasion and | have not
recovered from that humiliation yet;
and if you ask Gen. Lew Wallace he
will tell you that he was never SO hu-
inflated as when in that broken down
launch. This $500 will save the honor
of the American flag.
A few evenings since Representative
Hill discussed Civil Service Reform
before the Ohio Democratic associa-
ton of this city, and talked about the
political situation in the Buckeye
State. He said while he believed the
election of a Democratic President
should have been followed by com
plete transfer Of the offices TO Demo-
Gratis, still the Democrats Of Ohio were
not going to fail in their support of
the party because they did not get
everything they wanted. He men
toned, however, that 10000 offices
have already fallen into the hands of
Democrats under the new Admiplstra-
tion, including all of the lucrative
ones in the gift of the Government,
. | am ready said be, sat any time
10 vote for the repeal of the Civil Ser
rice act It is opposed to the genus
IF our Republican institutions, but
while il remains on the statute book, ,
/ is the duty Of the President TO en-
ioFce IL" "Ohio Democrats he said
are not actuated by thirst for
polls. If the Administration helps /
hem, all right If not, they will stand j
" the old party all the same. If Mr.. z
Cleveland had started in all at once to /
emoye and appoint without waiting /
o consider the merits and qnalifiea- |
ions of the men be would have justi-
led the accusation that the Republi-
,ans, in every campaign, have been
making against Us"