Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-02-10
FROM WASHINGTON.
THE DEMOCRATS DEMORAllZED OVER
CONGRESSMAN WHIT E'S VICTORY.
The Trusts Investigation Postage on
Seeds-The New Civil Service Rules
Farce-A Personal Kow-The
Fisheries Commission.
From our Regular Correspondent.l
WAsH1NGToN, Feb. 5 1855

The west wing of the new State, war and
navy department building having been
completed, the various bureaus of the
war department which have been scatter
ed around in private buildings will soon
for the first time all be under one roof. |
went through the new wing to-day by the
courtesy of friendly official and some of
the rooms are really gems in their way ;
one has only to 90 iuto the secretarys
new rooms and then into those occupied
by him at present to get a startling idea
of the rapid advance of the art of interior
decorations. For example, the work in
stucco, which in the new rooms has been
mistaken for bronze, is a new idea by
which many effects may be produced
which were impossible a few years ago.
A description of the main room conveys
but little idea of its many charms; the
wainscoating is of mahogany, likewise the
mantel polished until they are good sub
stitutes for mirrors. The ceiling is deco
rated with allegorical representations of
War and Peace. War, a male figure, is
driving two furious steeds toward the
north, while Peace, female figure in
lowing white robes, comes toward him
from the other side IN a modest chariot
drawn by milder animals. Ia the corners
are groups of the flags of all nations. The
other decorated rooms are % in number.
No two are alike, such combinations in
coloring and design having been secured
that duplicates were almost impossible.
Even the mantelS are different in nearly
all the rooms, there being five kinds of
marble and two designs. One notable
achievement Of the frescO artist was the
imitation of the marble III IA continuous
line around the room, painted so well that
at q distance OF few feet it is i'm
possible to distinguish between the mar
be and the paint. One of the prettiest
pieces of work in the building is the dome
and skylight of the main stairway, at the
intersection ot the west and centre wings.
1t is of light yellow tones and extends
across the entire corridor. The frame
work is entirely of iron, with stained glass
of handsome design extending across in
an arch, surmounted by Il graceful dome.
On turning from this blaze of light one
enters queer room that might, Judging
from its present unfinished appearance,
be intended for prison. This is the Ii
brary, and it is said TO be the most com
plete room for the purpose ever built Its
capacity is about ii, 900 volumes, which are
to be'arranged in the stack system, or iron
MEETINGS that extend from floor to ceiling
on every hand, with notcheS in the side
of the uprghts TO receive the shelves.
The elevators, four in number, are deserV-
ing of mention They are of the hydaulc
government building here, for speed
and safety The new building
affords the war department ample room
just now, but the officials are already
talking of the time when the State depart
meut Will have II building OF its own, and
they will spread out into the southern
wing which is now occupied by the de
paItment of State.
Here's a paragraph for the Union vet
erans to ease them up little for the sore
ness they feel over the bare-faced manner
in which Cleveland robbed them by veto
Ing the pensions which they had justly
earned in the service of their country:
The section providing for compulsory
examination for promotion in the classi
fed service concludes with But persons
in the classified service who We're honor
ably discharged from the military or ma
val service of the UnIted States, and the
widows and orphans of deceased soldiers
and sailors, shall be exempt from such eX-
animation"
This Is all pure buncombe to everyone
who is ut all familiar with the methods
of promotion in vogue in the government
departments in this city. 1t is well known
that neither passing the examination
with n high percentage nor exemption
rom the examination will ensure the pro-
motion OF a clerk so long as 1t depends as
t does now upon the wnim or caprice of
the head of a bureau or division TO which
clerks are certified for promotion. So
that this benefit which the fat man in the
White House claims to have conferred on
the eX-sOldlers ana sailors is about as
empty as all the rest for which this sham
reform administration has taken credit to
itself. It's actions have made the very
word reform, 4 stencil IN the nOstrils of
honest people; in the abused name of civil
service reform. 1t has made more removals
tor no other cause than the political
opinions of the men removed, during the
less than three years OF It's existence, than
were ever made by any two administra-
tions during the history of the govern
ment in the seductive name of revenue
reform il has pushed forward its free trade
ideas to such point that they have succeed
ed in disturbing nearly every manufac-
turing interest in ihe country, and to-day
only one thing averts Nerltable panic
among manufacturers, and that is the
confidence which they repose in the repub .
Iican senate.
The national democratic committee will
meet in this city on the 22d inst. to select
the place for their nominating convention,
etc.
In order to save the civil service law
from the death with which it is threaten
ed by the lack of the necessary appropria-
ton from the House, Cleveland and the
commissioners announce an entire new set
of rules, which are to take the place of
those by which the commission has been
governed in the past. The changes are
evidently made for the purpose of pro
pitiating some of the opponents of the
law Here is a clause especially intended
for the mugwumps, the hollowness of
which may be readily seen by remember
ing the case of the government officials at
at jackson, Miss, whose actions Senator
Chandler proposes to investigate: at is
an offence punishable by dismissal, in any
officer Of the executive civil servise TO use
his official authority or influence for the
purpose of interfering with an election" ."
The new rules remove the 45 year limit,