Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-10-02
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, Sept. %, 1886.
AZ tho laayas haoin tO fall the

As the leaves begin TO fall the
Capital City begins to scintillate
with returning society. Washing
ton is the most popular autumn re-
sort IN the country. To be sure, at
no time in the year is this city en-
tlrely out of season. 1t is the win
ter Saratoga, while Congress sits.
Throughout the summer months, a
time when the habitants OF most
cities seek sea or mountain breezes,
Washington is never empty. At
this time of the year special class
come to this city, taking advantage
of the summer excursion rates. But
the autumn season is becoming the
most fashionable of the year, and
more wealthy people are found here
then than at another time.
The Presidents vacation seems
to have spoiled him for work. There
was a good deal awaiting him on
his return, but he seemed little in
clined to attend to it. Every day,
accompanied by his wife and moth
er-in-law, he drives out in his sty-
lish Victoria, drawn by dashing
chestnut team. Usually his drives
are in the direction OF his country
home, which will be finished about
Christmas. 1t is whispered that it
is Mr.. Cleveland's intention to pre-
sent this house, when completed, to
Mrs. Folsom, and to build himself
another near Arlington Heights.
Mrs. Cleveland, it is said, has for
room mates a canary that was hatch
ed on the day that President Cleve-
land was nominated, and a white
mouse. She amuses herself with
these, and with driving and shop
ping. An efficient house-keeper
makes it unnecessary for her to be
concerned about the cobwebs and
"a-polishing the handle of the big
front door," Her more arduous du
ties of shaking hands and smiling
for three consecutive hours, and OF
reiterating for the thousandth time
agreeable nothings, have not yet
begun. 1t has been chronicled that
Mrs. Cleveland's first remark on
seeing the White House, on her re.
turn from her vacation, was, "They
have painted it white |" 1t has also
been painted in the interior, as some
unfortunate newspaper reporters
discovered at the Presidents last
reception. Their elegant cut away
coats can now be had at half price
at second hand dealers.
The President intends to hold the
regular Cabinet meeting tomorrow,
and expects Secretaries Bayard,
Lamar, Endlcott, Whitney, Post
master General Villas, Attorney Gen.
eral Garland, and acting Secretary
Fairchild to be present. The alb.
sence of some of these gentlemen
has been so long continued that
their presence will be almost sur
prise. Notable among these delin-
quents is the Secretary of War. 1t
is a matter of notoriety that his alb
senteeism has actually thrown the
control of the War Department into
the hands of its employees for sever
al months past. There has been no
serious hitch in the work, because
the routine business of the Depart
ment goes on as well as ever, under
the careful management of exper-
fenced Republican clerks, just as it
would go on If there were no such
person as the Hon. Secretary of
War;" at a salary of $4,000 per an
mum. But there are number of i'm.
portant public matters that the Of
ficials of the Department have not
authority to attend to, and in conse.
quence the public business must suf.
| fer.
If some employee of the War De-
partment were to absent himself
from his desk for few days over
his regular vacation, he would be
promptly dismissed. And yet Mr..
Endicott remains absent for months
at time, paying only hurried visits
to his office, and spending the great
er part of the year in New York or
at his home in Massachusetts, and
the President seems to take no no
tice of this unprecedented state of
affairs.
Mr.. Cleveland has certainly not
made fortunate selection of men to
fill public offices. Mr.. Bayard has
been, in several instances, striking
ly ill-starred in his appointments for
the diplomatic and consular servi.
ces. Mr.. Manning's health has been
implicated in a notorious scandal.
Mr.. Endicott has abandoned his du.
ties to his subordinates. Commits
sioner of Patents Montgomery
spends much of his time devising
how to escape the performance Of
his work ; and there are scores of
instances, far too many to be enum.
Grated, of good Republican clerks in
the Departments having been dis
missed, without the pretense of a
complaint, to give place to trifing
Democratic parasites. Over three
hundred Democrats have been ap.
pointed recently. But the Demo.
cratic heads of Departments have
wise enough to retain some Repub-
lican officials, so that the change in
the quantity and quality ofthe work
performed is noticeable only to a
careful observer.