The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1886-04-17

EDITOR KEYSTONE aImn i1
There is genuine feeling Of
sympathy for Secretary Manning
among the employees of all grades
in the department over which he
has so ably presided since the
administration of President Cleve-
land came into power. AS Secre-
tary he has impressed his subordi-
mates as just man and no respector
Of persons. The poorest and most
humble man and woman in his
department received the same
courteous and kindly treatment as
the most prominent. All seem to
feel sense of personal misfortune
in the Secrctary's illness.
There is nothing marvellous in
the fact that there has been good
deal of sickness among President
Cleveland's advisers. Secretary
Manning is gentleman of plcthoric
tendencies, and his duties have
been the severest kind of a tax
upon his brain. 1t is, perhaps, not
wonderful that Mr.. Garland's phys
ical resources give out occasionally
under the telephone troubles to
which he has been subjected, and
Mr.. Lamar accepted Office under
invalid conditions. r' i''
The report upon the unsanitary
condition Of the Treasury building
was a startling document to the
thousands Of men and women who
are obliged to spend seven hours
day or more within its walls.
Many thousands of dollars have
from time to time within the past
dozen years been spent in attempts
to improve the ventilation of the
building.
The subject has served for dis
cussion among the clerks Of that
great department all the week.
Nothing new has been said because
the subject has been discussed
every year since 1860. There is no
reason to believe that the building
is very trying to the health of its
employees. There are too many
very healthy old clerks in that
department to warrant the conclu
sion that no great fatality attends
employment in it. There are men
who have spent what constitutes a
pretty long life within its walls.
Nevertheless, it is quite true that
the ventilation is defective. 1t was
designed and built at a time when
little attention was paid to the
Importance of sanitation, and the
style of the building is such that it
is probable that no improvement is
to be expected. The truth is that
the form of Greek temple is an
improper one to adopt for great
work shop.
Two months ago a Democrat
an old Irish veteran-was appoint
ed to be watchman in the Treas
ury Department. He was assigned
to duty at the door Of one of the
rooms connected with the redemp-
ton division. Everyone noticed
the alertncss of the new watchman,
and the careful scrutiny given by
him to the employees as they passed
in and out. Last week he took
Democratic friend aside and told
him that the Republicans could
not be as bad as they were painted.
81 have been here" said he, "eight
weeks, and watched every one of
'em like a cat watches a mouse,
and niver one of them have been
caught stealing a thing" g
The distance his home is from
Washington has good deal to do
with the ease and comfort of SEN
ator's life during the session of
Congress. Those Senators coming
from distance from this city are
but seldom troubled by callers,
while those representing States
within few hours ride of the Ma
tional Capital sometimes have to
rcsot to all sorts of subterfuges to
escape the rush of constituents, and
the consequent drain upon their
time and patience. Mr.. German of
Maryland has more cards sent in to
him than any other man in the
Senate. On some occasions his
constituents are 90 numerous in
y