The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1886-07-16
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our Regular Correspondent

WASHINGTON, July 2nd, 1856.
During the administration of Presi-
dent Grant there was a good deal OF
money expended on social entertain
ments in Washington. Democratic
newspapers were filed with little else
than denunciatlon of the extravaganza"
and corruption evinced by such lavish
displays of wealth. But the White
House was never so gay as in these days
of reform" and Throughout. official cir
cles here there is heavier expenditure
and more gorgeous display than was
ever dreamed of in the era of corrup-
ton. Still the Democratic press finds
nothing in this but the most common
dable "Jeffersonian simplicity"
1t is also considered quite right an
quite the regular thing, in this era of
reform, for Democratic department Of
ficials to visit their homes in distant
states for the purpose of settling local
troubles in the Democratic family.
Their expenses are paid by the Govern
ment and their pay runs on during their
absence. OF course, there is a pretense
of public business, but the sham is per-
fectly understood by the department
dignitaries.
The close of the fiscal year is TO be
marked by great many removals from
office. Changes are announced through
out all the departments. Some of these
removals are necessitated by the fail
ure of the new appropriation bills to al
low for certain salaries; some probably
are justified by the demands of the pub
lie service, and many no doubt, are in
expedient and contrary to the princi-
pie of retaining employees who are con-
spicuOusly efficient and faithful. To
such as these the Presidents famous
Christmas letter will read like snare
and delusiOn-even hollow mOckery,
in connection with the notice sent them
in yellow envelopes dispensing with
their services. Such, however, is life.
1t is only now and then that we catch
glimpses of the political millennium
the real thing is far in the future.
Some of the dismissals of men who
have been useful in the Departments
are distressing. One of these cases is
of a clerk in the Treasury who was
once employed In the family of Abra-
ham Lincoln as private tutor to his
younger boys. He had been in the
Treasury since 1868, was of fine charac
had grown old ut his desk, was still
capable and industrious. Another man
was dropped recently whose efficiency
may be judged from the fact that he
had held his place for twenty five years,
and that for sixteen years he was chief
of division. He called upon Mr..
Eugene Higgins with his dismissal in his
hand and asked to know the reason.
CHATS the reason" answered Higgins,
pointing to the papers which he held.
He then applied to one of the Assistant
Secretaries and that officer told him
that he had no reasons. 1t is true the
discharged clerk was known as a Re-
publican but he was attending To his du-
ties and considered himself one of those
who were alluded to by the President
as being in no danger of losing their
places.
In the senate a few days since, they
were discussing appropriations lncreas-
ing the clerical force of the state depart
ment. Several Republican Senator's
(Edmonds, Ingalls, and Hale) CONNECTED
upon the anomaly of "a Democratic Cab
met officer being under the necessity of
coming to the Senate Appropriations
Committee for what it would not get
from the House Appropriations Com
mittee. Senator Ingalls, said in refer
ence to it that Chairman Randall
would be going on the stump soon and
claiming that the efforts of the Demo-
cratic House to prevent extravaganza
had been thwarted by the Republican
Senate. i
that the necessity for this increase came
from the charitable desire of the Secre-
tarv of State to retain on pay an old
superannuated public servant who was
q Rennhl;can' He referred to Assls-
tant Secretary Hunter who has been in