The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-04-22
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From Our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D c., !
APRIL. 1a. s

l was on the point of saying that
nothing was going on here now, but
l reflected and remembered that
much is transporting, both of inter
est and importance. Congress is
addressing itself to appropriation
bills, contested election eases, and
the subject of Interstate Commerce,
The Senate is discussing the fisher
les question and hearing pleas for
open executive sessions. Congress
men + presiding and speechmak-
ing at meetings held in the interest
of labor; Commissioner Black is
quietly unearthing pension frauds,
and proving that his predecessor,
Dudley, really did pay soldiers who
never went to war; the Congress
sional Pan Electric investigation is
winding up its eventless career /; ar
engagements are steadily progressing
with a view towards materializing
the proposed Exposition here in
1889, and lastly, the gossips say the
President is to be married in June.
In regard to the outcome of the
Senatorial debate on the abolish
ment of Star Chamber proceedings,
the opinions of two Senators may
be taken for what they are worth.
Senator Morrill, of Vermont said to
Senator Beck of Kentucky, 81 am
beginning to be afraid that this open
executive session resolution will be
carried" ".You may set your mind
at rest on that point" replied Mr..
Beck, mot even a respectable vote
will be taken in its favor.
Senator Platt started the bill in
favor of public Senatorial proceed
ings. He said there are two words
which the people of the country
wanted to SEE expunged from their
political vocabulary. Those words
are privileges" and "prerogatives."
If it were not for being alliterative
he would have added two other
words, patronage" and "perquisi-
ties" which the people wanted to
have,go. He insisted that the Sen
ate was no place to assert proroga-
tives, that the Senators had better
trust the people if they wanted the
people to trust them. Of the 1900
newspapers in this country, fully
10000 had declared for open doors,
and he said it was the country
newspapers that represented the
real sentiment of the country.
The Republican Senator's never
expect to be called together again
in caucus on the question as to
what policy they will pursue with
regard to the Presidents nomina-
tons. Mr.. Edmunds, they say,
must have been convinced when the
caucus last adjourned, that no
amount of caucusing would enable
him and his few followers to die
tate the policy of his party col
leagues. He continues to scold
them whenever they vote to confirm
the successor of a suspended office
holder, but they are so used to his
abuse that it makes but little i'm
preston upon them.
Underline present Administration
there has been a reduction of 267
clerks in classified service of the
Treasury Department whose servic-
es were not needed at all, and whose
places will not be filled. The result
is an annual saving to the Govern
ment of $232,G0 And if the state
ments of certain officials in the va
rious departments are true, the per-
sons who have been appointed to
office during the past year accom-
plish nearly twice as much work
as was performed by their immedi-
ate Successors.
Not many months ago Higgins
was the terror of the Treasury De-
partment. Now it is Chief Clerk
Yeomans. He paralyzed the Treas
ury employees by issuing the nine
o'clock order, requiring them to be
at their desks at that hour.
"Ah, times are not what they used
to be-" said a Department clerk.
In the good old days of the Grant
administration we clerks ffourished
ike the green bay tree. 1t was be-
fore the days of economy, and there
we're more clerks than work, so no
one was rushed. Our hours for duty
we're easy, and we came and went
much as we pleased" Well
low isitnow? Have things chang
I'd? Yes, everything is run by clock
work the clerk must be exactly on
lime or he is reported for censure i;
ike a school boy. If he wants to !.
his office during business :
hours, he must hold up his hand i,
md ask the chief for a pass to 60 :
tut. And under the new admins !
if a clerk is sick two DAYS, :
time he loses will be deducted !,
rom his pay or his leave. In the j..
God old time, such a thing as that I
7as unheard of, and l know of {
nany Instances where clerks have l
btained leaves of absence with :
ay for two months, to take Il trip =
D Florida. :
The Reconsideration Of depart =
lent clerks proposed in a bill by =
representative Cox, of North Caro- !:
ma, .excites a good deal ofinterest. =
he old public functionaries, who =
re pottering through seven hours i
er day at $500 a year, think of a =
classification that would reduce ;
nem to $500 per year, with holy d
orror. The nine hundred dollar |,
who are doing twice as u
lHch work as the functionaries, are L
for a reformed civil service u
n the Cox plan. Juno.
Senator Jones of Nevada, at one h