The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-04-22
Washington Letter.
WASHINGTON, April 16, 1886.

WASHINGTON, April 16, 1886.
was on the point of saying that
was going on here now, but L
reflected and remembered that much |
is transpiring, both of interest and i'm
portance- Congress is addressing itself
to appropriation bills, contested elec-
ton cases, and the subject of Inter
state commerce. The Senate is dis
cussing the fisheries question and hear
ing pleas for open executive sessions.
Congressman are presiding and speech
making at meetings held in the inter
est of labor; Commissioner Black is
quietly unearthing pension frauds,
and proving that his predecessor, Dud-
ley, really did pay soldiers who never
went to war; the Congressional Pan
Electric Investigation Is winding up
its eventless career arrangements are
steadily progressing with view to
materializing the proposed Exposition
here in 1889, and lastly, the gossips say
the President is toibe married in June.
In regard to the outcome of the Sen
aterial debate on the adjustment of
Star Chamber proceedings, the opin-
ions of two Senators may be taken for
what they are worth. Senator Morrill,
of Vermont said to Senator Beck of
Kentucky, 81 am beginning to be
afraid that this open executive session
resolution will be carried" You
may set your mind at rest on that
point" replied Mr.. Beck, not even
respectable vote will be taken in its
favor" Senator Platt started the ball
in favor of public Senatorial proceed
ings. He said there are two words
! which the people of the country want
to see expunged from their political
vocabulary. Those words are "privi-
Ieges" and" prerogatives." If it were
not for being alliterstive he would have
added two other words, patronage"
and .perquisites," which the people
wanted to have 60. He insisted that
the Senate was no place to assert pre-
rogative, that Senators had better trust
the people if they wanted the people to
trust them. OF the IA, 600 newspapers
in this country, fully 10000 had de-
clared in favor of open doors, and he
said it was the country newspapers
that represented the real sentiment of
the country.
The Republican Senators never ex-
pect to be called together again in
caucus on the question as to what
course to pursue with regard to the
Presidents nominations. Mr.. Ed.
munds, they say, must have been con.
vinced when the caucus last adjourned
that no amount of caucusing would en-
able him and his few followers to die.
tate the policy of his party colleagues.
He continues to scold them whenever
they vote to cor firm the successor of q
suspended Office holder, but they are
so used to his abuse that it makes but
little impression upon them.
| Under the present administration
there has been reductionof 287 clerks
in the classified service of the Treasury
needed at all, and whose places will
not be filled. The result is au annual
saving to the Government of $685., 900
and if the statements of certain Off.
cials in the various departments are
true, the persons who have been ap
pointed to Office during the past yeal
accomplish nearly twice as much
work as was performed by their imme
diate predecessors.
+ Not many months ago Higgins was
the terror of the Treasury Department
Now it is Chief Clerk Yeomans. Fl.
paralyzed the Treasury employees by
issuing the nine o'clock order, requir
ing them to be at their desks at tina
, hour. "Ah, times are not as they
used to be-" said a Department clerk
I'm the good old days of the Gran
administration we clerks fiourishet
like q green bay tree. 1t was before
the days of economy, and there wer'
more clerks than work, so no one wa
, rushed. Our hours for duty wer
easy and we came and went prett,
much as we pleased" Well. how i
it now? Have things changed Yes
| everything is run by clock work tn,
4 clerk must be exactly on time, or h.
is reported for censure like q schoo
boy. If he wants to leave his offic
: during business hours, he must hol,
! up his hand and ask the chief for
pass to go out. And under the ney
! administration, if clerk is sick tw
E days. the time he loses will be deduct
E ed from his pay or his leave. In tn
good old time such thing as that wa
. unheard of, and know of many in
D stances where clerks have obtaine
leaves of absence with pay for tw
months, to take q trip to Florida.
The reclassification of department
clerks proposed in a bill by Represent
{. ative Cox of North Carolina, excites
# good deal of interest. The old publ
: functionaries, who are pottering thrt
:. seven hours per day at 81 800 a yea
i. think of a reclassification that woul
e reduce them to 5000 per year with hol
horror. The 5000 fellows, who al
doing twice as much work as the oil
= functionaries. are praying for q r,
: formed civil service on the Cox plaI
;, TERRIFIC TORNADO.
: Three Entire Towns wrecked an
r the InhabitantsK or Injured
= CHICAGO, ILL, April 14.-The III
: ter Oceans st. Paul, Mimi, speci,
j. referring to the st. Cloud cyclone, say
|. The cyclone began about o'clock i
q the hQSiu of tho Maaaxai1. Gox,aato..