Mexico weekly ledger., 1886-11-25
WASHINGTON CHAT.
The White House Draped In Mourning
-0leOmargarine Law-POwderly
and George.
Corresnondenee of the Ledger.

WAsHINGToN,D. G. November 10
Again the White House is heavily
draped in mourning and workmen
are busily engaged in winding sable
emblems around the marble columns
of the Capitol, Executive Depart
ments and other public buildings.
The White House is looking unusu-
ally clean, having been freshly re-
painted recently, and the best bunt-
ing has been used upon it in order
that it may not be discolcred in wet
weather by the fading Of the cloth as
was the case when it was last draped.
The first announcement of ex-Presi-
dent Arthur's death was received at
the White House by a telephone
message from the Associated press.
The news spread rapidly over the city,
and the flags on all the public build
ings were at once placed at half
mast. The President expects to at
tend the funeral In New York, and it
is probable that committees will at
tend representing both branches of
Congress.
Since President Cleveland owns
real estate in the District of Column
bia, he seemed to take more interest
in local matters, and has been brought
into more intimate relations with
Washingtonians. He has always
had broad views of the justice
and necessity of liberal treatment of
the Capital City at the hands of Con-
gress, however, as his treatment of
the subject in his message showed.
In self sought seclusion the Presi-
dent is now working hard on his End.
annual message, and it has already
taken quite a definite shape. Other
officials as we'll as the President have
i been compelled to go into Temporary
{ retirement in order to find quiet
I enough to perform important work.
l The assistant Secretary of the Treas,
l ury, Mr.. Fairchild, allows his office
|, door in the Treasury building to re.
Il main wide open ven when he would
like to avoid disturbance, and con
stantly he has a constant stream o.
t visitors despite the care of the watch
men. When he has any work OF
y hand requiring concentrated thought
e as is 10Y the case, he' betakes him
b self to his private home rather thai
refuse himself to callers.
The Secretary of the Treasury ha'
q Just broken up an abuse that ha.
% long existed in his department. l
N was the substitute system. Clerk
% have been in the habit of employing
substitutes and giving them part o
! their wages. Mr.. Manning issued al
4 order that clerks must perform tn
duties for which they were paid
themselves, and required them t.
appear for duty in person or be dis
missed. It is useless to say Their
" were very few ahsentees the day tn
II order went into effect. The syster
has been greatly abused and ha
&c greatly interfered with the efficienc
y. of the force.
1t is too early to decide whethe
the ole~omargarine law is equal to til
accomplishment of all that it aims a
but the first two weeks of its operf
:, ton leads the internal revenue Officer
:. to figure up an income to the govern
ment from a million to a million an
a half from this source by the first
November 1887. The manufacture,
of artificial substitutes for butter So
:. that the law has helped rather tbs
= injured their business. The treasul
stamp, they think, gives a certa:
dignity to their goods which they d
n, not possess before, and many pc
a.. SONS appear to regard it as a guara
ty that the contents of the packas
:. are pure. In a certain sense on
the stamp may be said to be a qua
anty. The purchaser is not cheat'
as to the character of the article
is buying. He asks for oleomargari
or butterine and he gets it eve
time. Whenever a proper enforc
ment Of the law is betrayed by Co
gress, he will also know when he
getting a poor article OR a good or
1t is said the leaders of the lab
movement, Mr.. Powderly and N
vas George, may urge the President
ble call an extra session of the Fiftie
for Congress Immediately upon the ex
the ration of the present. This will
ted for the purpose OF considering leg
md lation in the interest of the workir
M men. Assuming that the question
as Of such importance as to dema
early and definite legislation, the
,or. ira session would be about the OF
, o means by which the subject can
assured its proper consideration.
ing course nothing can be done at I
approaching short session, and to
the fer action until the assembling of
.rly new Congress would involve a de.
q of of o than a year.
and Patents granted to citizens of N
) it souri, during the past week, and
wer ported expressly for the LEDGER
c. A. Snow & Co. Patent lawye
Copp. U. S. Patent Office, Washi1
ton, D. G.
oio Fl. Beemer, Chillicothe, car co
SEQ ling.