Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-12-03
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our Regular Correspondent)
Washington. Nov. Goth. 1886


culinary skill Of each household; relig-
ious services 1T the churches; closed
Government departments and liberated
clerks, while at orphan asylums and
public institutions the inmates enjoyed
additions to their ordinary bill OF fare,
through the generosity OF the charita-
BILE.
The city has somber appearance
now on account of the Arthur mourn
ing. Flags fly at half mast from hun
dreds of staffs, and public buildings
are heavily draped in black. It's quite
an item of expense to the Government
to put up official mourning. 1t took
twenty men three days to drape the
Patent Office alone. Each of its big
pillars, and there are forty eight in all,
required forty yards Of bunting. All tos
gether about G,00O yards were used for
the Interior Department alta cost not
far from $500. When this Depart
ment was draped for Gen. Grant the
cost was nearly el.700. But great
deal OF new material was purchased at
that time, some of which was utilized
for Vlce-President Hendricks, and
some OF which Is now being used for
the third time. OF course the expense
of draplng the Interior Department is
greater than that of any other, because
it includes the Fatent Office, Indian
Office, Pension Bureau, Bureau Of Ed
ucation, the Geological Survey, and
others which are all in separate build
lngs.
The COST of draping other Depart
ments is about $3.50 or $l75 each.
The superintendent OF the Post Office
Department, for instance; is disposed
to econcmlze. He buys the bunting
and employees his cwn men and carpen-
tiers to do the work, looking after it
himself. The bunting used costs thirty
cents yard. 1t remains up for thirty
days and then it is taken down and such
OF it as is not battered and faded by The
wind and rain is packed away for the
next occasions of public SORROW.
The President has completed portions
Ct his message to Congress, and has
read them to the Cabinet. The mes
sage will be shorter this year than last,
which is kind Of reform that will be
approved 10y everybody. The Presi-
dents friends as well lis his alleged en-
emles are kept busy denying what the
newspapers accuse them OF saying and
thinking and planning and attempting.
His old law partner, Mr. Bissell. who
has just been here, denies ever having
sought to influence the President in
making appointments. He says Mr..
Cleveland, whom he knew as Sheriff,
Mayor, and Governor, always dis
charged the duties Of these Offices with
cut much advice or assistance, and he
believes he will be equally successfulin
his present trust. lie also denies hav-
ing advised the President to sell his
country place as quickly as possible be-
cause of the gossip about the syndicate
formed over his property to advance
real estate in that direction.
And Senator Edlnunds, the Presi-
dents SO called bitter foe, denies some
things. He denies that he is preparing
an attack to be made this winter upon
the Presidents Civil Service policy, an
he says the attempt to criticize Mr..
Cleveland in connection with the pur-
chase of his country home is unfair.
The extensive Improvements contem-
plated in the direction of "Oak View
have become a public necessity and the
subject came up in Congress long be-
fore the President had ever seen the
place.
One of Senator Edmonds' constitu.
ents is indignant at the allegation that
the Senator intends to become candi-
date for tho Presidency in 1883. He
says Mr.. Edmonds has loftier ambi-
ton, namely: to represent Vermont in
the United States Senate; and that the
Green Mountain State will allow him
that privilege as long as he lives. "Why;
asked he, should great statesman
want a small position, like that OF dis
pensing petty offices, to which the
Presidency has aegenerated?
This reminds me of What Mr.. Joseph
Howard, Jr., says about journalism
and politics. He thinks Mr.. Cum
mings' the New York journalist re-
Gently elected to Congress, is taking a
step in the wrong direction by forsak-
ing an honorable position in that sphere
in order to go to Congress. Mr.. Cum
mings explains his reasons for coming
to Congress by saying that he simply
wants to get behind the scenes in poll
tics in order to make himself more
competent and useful in journalism
he has nc intention Of giving up his
newspaper work. The experience will
be of great advantage to Mr.. Cum
mings, but is not certain that his con-
stituents will approve his motive.