The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-12-20
VOL 80
WASHINGTON LETTER.
(From our regular Correspondent
Washington Dec. II, 1888.


(From our regular Correspondent
Washington Dec. II, 1888.
The quadrennial trepidation Incl
dent TO our political system is now
shaking the departments from cir
cumferencc to center. The demo
cratic employees outside of the Civ
IL Service rules are resigning by
scores 10 advance of March 4th.,
and strange to say the hold over
republicans are afraid to accept
promotions to the vacancies. In
fact there is lar less confidence
among republican clerks in the Civ
il Service pro ession of Mr.. Harri-
son than there was four years ago
in the pledges of Mr.. Cleveland.
In some instances when offered pro
motions to places outside Of the
Civil Service rules, they have con
suited the republican members OF
Congress as to whether such pro-
motions could be safely accepted
The reply has generally been that
q bold over republican had better
keep quiet in the place he has rath-
er than tempt fate b. accepting a
higher one at the hand of demo
cratic Administration.
No city ia the United States ex
perienees the change Of national
politics in .ue Sine manner that
Washington does. There are 1900
families now comfortably at home
In this city 'ha; will not be here a
year hence. They were not here
this time tour years ago; they came
10 with Mr.. Cleveland's administra-
ton and will go out with it. They
embrace the whole range OF city
life from Cabinet officer TO messen-
ger and iaborer. Outgoing Con-
gresemen and retiring Senators will
add at least $50 families to the
number given above. Other fami
lies wall of course take the places
thus vacated and these again may
be obliged to fit four years hence,
although they will come with & con-
fidence that their term of office hold
ing will be long one. They will
no. be, however, any mere conf
dent of prolonged tenure than
were the democrats four years ago
when they took the aces of de-
parting republicans.
Touching the matter of Govern
ment mployes there are some Gu
rions and interesting facts. A
member of the Cabinet had a list
made up of the number in all the
departments here and their poll
tics.
When Mr.. Cleveland came in
there were in all the Departments
here under the Govern ment, not
counting the District, ll,22l.
Ninety eight per cent. were repuo
licane Since Cleveland's entry in
10 office there have been 3,5O0 ap
pointments to places in the Depart
ments. So it is easy to see that
the republicans have two-thirds OF
the places in the Departments yet
The greater part Of those democrats
who came in under Cleveland are
Civil Service appointments. SO 1t
would seem that the hold over re
pabican-generally those who have
s5aid IN under both Arthur and
Cleveland, will feel the pressure
greatest, as they represent two
thirds Of those in place.
There is one matter that will Sc
riously trouble the coming Admin
is,ration, and that is the everlast
ing negro question:. 1t is even nov
the cloud in the horizon visible like
a mans hand. Not in the far
South. for there he has something
else to do, but up here land here
abouts," as a good old preacher
once knew used to say, doth the
coIoyed man and brother loaf and
invite his soul with politics. Hero
in Washington is Douglas, also
called Fred, who heat Saul OF Tar
sus in seeing great light and being
converted when be was turned out
Of office, and there are others. Two
things l am moved to predict:
First, shat "the colored element"
will not be "recognized," and that
the old carpet-bag crowd (some of
whom are returning TO the States
they left in 1879 will fare the same
wav.
More than n hundred years ago
the founders 70 the republic provid-
ed IL the organic instrument for the
of Canada into she Union
which they then established. From
that day to this the problem Of the
extension of the republic north
ward as we'll as to the south end
west has been thoughtfully consid-
erCi by eminent American states
men. In seeking to make this is
SUI prominent now Senator Sher-
nan may fail, for the people are
considering more thoughtfully thar
ever home questions that touch
them in vital points, But these
once settled, annexa ion will he as
popular with the American Of to-
dsy "a it was in the time of Jetfer-
son or P0,k, or other distinguished
Democratic Presidents who added
to the territory OF the United
States, in spite of clamor and mis-
One thing is GER
ia n, that annexation in the future
wall not he opposed on the narrow
lines which male men so
great as Webster, Seward, and even
Lincoln hesitate. With a majority
Of one IN the next House the repuh-
ican mailed hand" may not be.
such a terrific thing after all.
Marriage Success.