Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-12-09
THE NORTHWEST
WASHINGTON LETTER.



This is one of the busiest weeks
of the year in Washington. Congress
will be here in one week, and every
body must he ready for il, from the
President 10 the bOarding-hOuse keeper.
The Presidents message is receiving its
last course of condensation and revis-
ion. Cabinet officers are performing
similar work on their annual reports.
Assistants of the First, Second, Third
and Fourth degrees, with several hun
dred Bureau Chiefs, Comptrollers,
Auditors and officers too numerous to
mention, are arranging their fixtures
and plodding over long tables of statis-
tics.
The streets Of the city are again alive
with q busy hustling throng aud up at
the long deserted Capitol. Chairman
Randall, with Il quorum of his commit
tee, has for Il week been pressing work
on Appropriation bills. He reports fine
progress, and says Congress will not
have to wait on him for money bills
During the week he has had in consul
tation, the heads of different Bureaus
and Government establishments, with
regard to the needs of their respective
departments for the next year. Among
these were Baird of the National Muse
um, Smithsonian and Fish Commits
sion; Superintendent ThOrne of the
Coast Survey; DR.. Godding ofthe Gov
ernment Insane Asylum; Col. Wilson
of public building and grounds and 9TH
ers.
The improved condition of the Gov
ernment service under Democratic Ad-
ministration has been mentioned re-
peatedly, but new instances of reform
are continually making themselves felt,
which deserve special notice. The
Presi e It probably never made q hap
pier stroke of public policy than when
he called Mr.. Benedict here to he Pub
lie Printer. In the period of three
months the notoriously demoralized
Government Printing office has been
put in such order that about one-third
more work is now being done with the
same amount of money, and the press
room which three months ago had 400
forms waiting for the press is now clear,
having caught up.
1t Is too bad the President cannot be
left in peace and quiet with his modest
little country home. As soon as the
real estate dealers of Washington knew
Of his intention to buy this place they
secured as much ground in the vicinity
as possible and ever since they have
been using the Presidents name in the
most liberal mannerin connection with
all sorts of schemes they have organized
for improvements at the public eX-
pense. OF course the Prnsi 'ent has
been in no way concerned in those
manouvers, but rumors to that effect
cannot but be annoying to him.
Almost every day the President, or
Col. Lamont is forced to say there is
not word of truth in some report
about the President. The COlOnel's
latest denial, which is very emphatic,
is in regard to an investigation which
it is alleged the President is conducting
by means of a private detective to find
out if any of the District Commissioners
are interested in real estate along the
line of the proposed extension of Massa-
chusetts avenue. The Secretary adds
that the President had his hands full of
his own legitimate duties and did care
to interfere with outside matters.
Some of the statements telegraphed
from this city in connection of the po-
lice scandal alleging decentralization
and rOttenness in District affairs and
universal dissatisfaction with the COM
missionership form of Government, are
quite untrue. The people of the Dis
trict feel that the present Commission
ers are honest and reliable, and that
any errors they may commit are purely
those of Judgment. The tax-paying
people especially know when they are
well off, and they have no desire to ex-
nhonnn tho nrncnnt NJ ln
and government backing in District eX-
penses for boon ofsuffrage.
Speaking of the Police Scandal, GER
tain members of Congress have ex-
pressed their opinion that Congress will
not be ask to have the matter investi-
gated. "We can take no notice of it
officially" said Representative Sowden,
"tOr no Congressman has been indiVid-
ually aspersed or injured and whoever
demanded all investigation would be
considered as putting himself on the de-
fensive and c@nfessing his guilt" But
now since so MANY police officers have
been punished and dismissed it is said
they will appeal for redress to the Presi-
dent, and in case he declines to give the
subject attention, they will ask Con-
gress to help them.
Congress would not give any more
publicity to the subject but would dive
into it secretly through the Appro-
priation Committee when the question
Of appropriating money for the Dis
trict would come up. The Congress-
men who were to have been subjected
to police espionage would not then be
publicly arrayed, and the investigation
could be as thorough as necessary.
Careful attention to diet is the best