Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-05-14
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
writtsn and eomplled for the HEnALD

EIcSS anu uOlu4hS 10 AN~-
than to hear members themselves,
with a degree of disgust, express
the opinion that little will be done
this session beyond the passage OF
the necessary money bills. But
Congress is not entirely at fault IN
this matter, although it is the Gus
tom and fashion to say so and to
think so. Some of our lawmakers
ON Capitol Hill are greatly to blame
for Incidence and indifference, but
they are not all incompetent or
inefficient OF wantonly negligent.
4 prominent western represen-
tative remarked a few days since
that Congressman had become
merely the clerks Of their cOnstltu-
epts to do their bidding, and he
said ssBe the Civil Service law a
good thing in itself or otherwise,
il has done nothing towards saving
our time for legislative business"
1t is frequently urged that the
great trouble is that the House OF
Representatives is such a large IN
weildy body that is is impossible
to transact the business brought
before it with dispatch. There are
so many selfcOnstituted protectors
of the established order of things,
that every proposal for anything
like a change has a strong resist
ance TO encounter. But as for the
size of Congress, the French Cham
Der of Deputies and the English
House of Commons are much larger
bodies, and yet they have no dit
fculty in accomplishing their work
One of the chief troubles Is that
the home constituencies OF the
House are of such size and such
perslstency that members are great
IMPRESSED for time to look after
their manifold aud inexorable
wants. The correspondence OF
members is largely on the increase
and the requirements Of their con-
stituents are imperative on both
sides. Notwithstanding the change
of Administration.
The Postmaster Of the House oil
REPRESENTATIVES says the mails for
members have been unusually
heavy of late, averaging 10000
letters daily. This is an average
of forty letters per member, but in
fact some members get but a few
letters. while others often get
several hundred communications
in one day. Nearly every pension
or. or would be pensioner now has
his or her member attend to the
business, and in some instances,
constituents even get their mem
bers TO make the collections for
them. 4 Southern representative
who receives a large mail was
asked what they all had to write
about. He said the bulk Of his
letters were applications for Offices
and recommendations Of interested
friends that there were a number
of men in his district of whom he
had never heard OF seen around on
election days, who thought all they
had to do to get offices was to Sc
cure his endorsement.
Representative Curtain, the old
war governor Of Pennsylvania, has
a great amount Of work to go
through in this line. Pension
cases come to him for attention
from all over the country for he
has the reputation Of looking out
for the old soldier whenever called
upon. lie has the undiv ded time
Of a stenographer, and at times
needs other clerical assistance, al
though he is himself a rapid and
hard worker.
Gen. Ben. LeFevre, of Ohio, also
pays close attention to home cor
rcspondence and the sending out
of seeds, documents, etc, to his
constituents. He has the name OF
every resident in his district and
an Office where his clerks have
opened books on which these names
are recorded with whatever is sent
10 each one. The General also
keeps a set of pension books in
which are entered the names of all
claimants who have sent their cases
for attention-withOut fee, OF
course, and to this business he at
tends daily after Congress ad-
iourns.
Speaking of pensions reminds
me that the success of Comnis-
siouer Black in tuneling under the
Civil Service law has made him
the most popular Democratic Offici-
ain Washington among the hungry
spoilsmen. He has adopted a
system by which he actually ap-
points Democrats in the Pension
Office with the assistance OF the
Civil Service Commission. When
a vacancy occurs in his Office, the
G.. S. Commission is requested to
transmit to him the names of three
or four candidates who have pass
ed the Civil Service examinations.
The Civil Service rules do not al
low a candidates politics to be
questioned, but Gen. Black insti-
tutes quiet inquiry by calling for
their papers which show from what
states and towns candidates come.
Then he consults the Congressman
representing their respective dis
tricts as to their politics, and II