The Daily Tombstone., 1886-08-27
WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 23, 1886.

or the Cablnet, ana many O1 the
 lower grade officers are away on the accustomed vacation. It is 8 very convenient thing to take 8 leave of absence for four or six weeks, and have a good fst salary go with you to pay for railroad fare and settle up promptly hotel bills. Very few peo- pie would object to this fl they were lucky enough to be the recipients of the Government bounty. The fellows that complain are generally those whose salary ceases when the work stops. Twenty-Five thousand dollars a day would be 8 low estimate to cover the salaries of those who are now off having glorious time at the seashore, the springs, the mountains, Splurging about the hotels, and pass ing as great men in the small bucolic towns. A gratuity of from one hun dred to four thousand dollars g month each is nothing for Uncle Sam when his favored boys want to take little bout, but four dollars Q month to some poor, struggling, unfortunate one who contracted disease in the de- fenAe of his country's honor, that will follow him to an early grave, and renders the few years he tarries here almost burdensome, is 8 fearful raid upon the Treasury and must be stamped out by Executive veto. "There is something rotten in Den mark" These things don't jibe well. Saving at the spigget and wasting at the bung hole" is an old aphorism of the Greeks that hits the conditions of this day completely. Six hours a day of easy work at bouncing good salary, and sure pay every month in crisp greenbacks, is not bad, without dumping in several weeks of idleness and indolence at the same good rate of pay. There are more things that want reforming in the civil service than syntax, etymology and ortho- graphy. Forty-fvc millions Of dol lars appropriated this year in excess of any previous year is blow square in the face Uf economy so much harped about. The tens of thousands who are now laboring fourteen hours a day in the hot harvest field for a dollar and and a half, ought to think of these things little before they whoop it uptoo strong for party at the coming fall elections. There is too much contrast ill the condition of the classes here mentioned for a "peo- ple's government" and unless halt is called and remedies applied, the disease will develop into more trouble some days by-and-by. Every depart ment of Government here is from six months to two years behind hand on its work, and that is why you are waiting for your pension, your cor rection of muster, your bounty, your patent, your land title, your cash for supplies furnished, and all that sort of thing. There are too few hours of pretended labor, and too mary weeks of needless vacation to spin the wheels of business very lively.
 Secretary of State Bayard is arch ing his spinal column to quite an all titude and splitting vengeance upon those whom he claims are sticking their fingers into the diplomatic pie. He says there are many prominent men who are interfering with the Government in its dispute with Mexi- co and have become liable 10 criminal prosecution and fine of $5,0OO and imprisonment for six months. We hope the Secretary is not bluffing, and if there are any guilty ef the grave charges no matter who or where that they will be brought to speedy punishment.
 Of course the candidates all over the country are now putting in their
 finest work. "A good politician to keep his position must be a magician in arts that are vain must must eat and be merry with Tom Dick and
 Harry with Mollie and Carrie and Susan and Jane. Must fondle and pamper their children tEat scamper, love their Granmma and Gramna.