The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1886-04-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.

WARRINGTON, April 10th, 1851
was on the point Of saying that moth
ing was going on here now, but [ re-
Elected and remembered that much Is
transporting, both of interest and i'm
portancs. Congress is addressing it.
self to appropriation bills, contested
election cases, and the subject of inter-
state commerce. The senate is discuss
ing the fisheries question and hear the
pleas for open executive sessions. Con-
gressmen ale presiding and speech
making at meetings held in the interest
of labor; Commissioner Black is quiet
ly unearthing pension frauds and prov
ing that his predecessor Dudley really
did pay soldiers who never went to
war; the congressional Pan Electric in
vestigation is winding up its eventless
career arrangements are steadily pro-
crossing with view towards material
izing the proposed exposition here in
1889, and lastly, the gosSips say the
! president Is to be married in June.
In regard to the outcome eff the sena-
torial debate on the adjustment of star
Chamber proceedings, the opinions of
J two senators may be taken for what
they are worth. Senator Morrill, of
Vermont said to Senator Beck of Ken
lucky, 81 am beginning to be afraid
that this open executive session will be
carried" "4ou may set your mind at
lest on that point; replied Mr.. Beck.
''not even respectable vote will be ia
ken in its favor.''
Senator Platt started the ball in ia
vor of public senatorial proceedings.
He said there are two words which the
people of the country wanted to see ex-
plunged from their political vocahula-
ay. Those words are "priVileges" and
"prerogatives." Ii it were not Tor be-
ing alliterative he would have added
two other words, patronage" and per-
qulsites," which the people wanted to
have go. He insisted that the senate
was no place to assert prerogative, that
senators had better trust the people il
they wanted the people to trust them.
Of the IA 900 newspapers in this coun-
try, fully 10000 had declared for open
doors, and he said it was the country
newspaper that represented the real
sentiment of the country.
THE republican senator never expect
. To he called together again in caucus
on the question as to what policy they
shall pursue with regard to the presi
DENTS nominations. Mr., Edmuds they
saw. must have been convinced when
the caucus last adjourned, that no
amount of caucusing would enable hin
and his few followers to dictate the pol
lev of his party colleagues. He contin.
ues to scOld them whenever they Vote
to confirm the successor of suspended
office holder, but they are go used to hi.
abuse that it makes but little impress.
sion upon them.
Under the present administration
there has been a reduction of 267 clerks
in classified service OF the treasury de
partment whose services were not need
ed at all, and whose places will not bt
filled. The result is an annual saving
to the government of $685., 900. And i
the statement OF certain officials in the
various departments are true, the per
sons who have been appointed to office
during the past year accomplished
E nearly twice as much work as was per
formed by their immediate successors
Not many months ago Higgins was
the terror of the treasury department
Now it is Chief Clerk Yeomans. He
paralyzed the treasury employees by
issuing the nine o'clock order. requir-
ing them to be st their desks at thai
hour.
''Ah, times are not as they used to be-
said department clerk. SIN the gooC
; old days of the Grant administration We
tree. TWAS before the lays of econo-
nay. and there were more Clicks thar
work, so no one was rushed. Our hours
for duty were easy, and we came and
went pretty much as we pleased.''
swell, how is it now? Have things
changed ?" eyes, everything is run
by clock work; the clerk must be ex-
sctly on time or he is reported for GEN.
sure like school boy. If we wants t.
leaye his Office during business hours
he must hold up his hand and ask the
chief for pass to go out. And under
the new administration, if clerk is
sick two DAYS, the time he loses will be
Quoted from his pay or his leave. In
the good old time, such thing as that
was unheard of. and 1 know of many
instances where clerks have obtained
leaves of absence with pay for two
months, to take trip to Florida.
/. The Redistribution Of department
clerds proposed in a bill by representa-
tive Cox of North Carolina, excites q
good deal of interest. The old public
functionaries, who sre pottering
through seven hours per day at 81 800
year think of Redistribution that
would reduce them to 5000 per year.
with holy horror. The nine hundred
dollar fellows, who are doing twice as
much work as the old functionaries, are
praying for a reformed civil service on
the Cox plan.