Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-12-14
VOLUME XXVIU.-NUMBER 3.
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Regular Correspondence of the Standard.
W.Su1vcTON Nov 20. 1888.

| regular correspondence VI tHc
WASHINGTON, Nov. 80, 1888.
Mr.. Cleyeland's last annual message
to Congress is complete, and has been
submitted to his Cabinet at Il meeting
called for the purpose, but what its
contents are, nobody outside knows,
or is likely to know until the docu-
ment is read at the Capitol, Monday.
The members of the Cabinet will only
, say that it is very strong and inter
esting document, and that it will be
well worthy of a place along with the
other State papers which Mr.. Cleve-
land has written. Speaking of this
message reminds me that Mr.. Cleve-
land has been particularly fortunate in
never having had any leaks" in his
Administration through which public
documents such as Presidential Mes
sages, have reached the public prema-
turely. His is the first Administra-
ton for many years entirely free Of
these leaks"
On the eve OF the first Thanksgiving
day after Secretary Whitney took
charge of the Navy Department., he
inauguratel the pretty custom of pre-
senting each one of the four hundred
employees of that Department with a
big fat turkey. The custom has been
regularly kept up ever since, and last
Wednesday the employees of that De-
partment received for the last time
this practical evidence of the Secre-
tary's interest in their welfare. This
year Postmaster General Dickinson
followed the good example set by Sec
retary Whitney, and presented each
of the employees of his Department
with the finest turkey to be had
These turkeys were greatly enjoyed.
1t is extremely doubtful whether the
new Secretary of the Navy and Post
master General will follow the excel
lent example set them by the Demo-
cratic officials.
Believing in the old adage that " the
early bird catches the worm," Repre-
sentative Cannon of Illinois has
opened headquarters here and began
an active canvass for the Speakership
of the next House of Representatives.
Messrs. Butterworth, Mckinley, Bur-
rows, Reed and company, will however
make the fight interesting as soon as
they get here. 1t is generally thought
that either Reed or Nc Kinley will be
Speaker.
Democratic members of Congress
are rs a rule extremely reticent as to
what line Of policy they will adopt at
the coming session of Congress; they
nearly all express a desire to confer
with their Democratic colleagues be-
fore committing themselves. An ex-
ception to this rule is Representative
Springer, of Illinois. He insists that
one of the first things the House will
do will be to pass his Oklahoma bill,
and that the next thing will be to pass
a bill for the admittance of at least
four Territories into the Union as
States.
The clerks in the Government De-
partments in this city below the grade
of chief are all in an easy state of mind
just at present. They have become
convinced that Harrison is a genuine
civil service reformer, and that there
will be no clean sweep when he comes
in. The principal cause of this belief
was an article in our local papers,
taken from the editorial columns of
the Indianapolis Journal, a paper
which is thought to be Harrison's
home organ, which warned the Repub-
licans not to expect clean sweep"
There may not be clean sweep, but
in my opinion at the close of Har-
rison's term there will not be one
Democrat in Office here for each ten
Republicans now drawing Uncle Sans
pay. In other words, l don't believe
that Harrison will keep one tenth as
many Democrats in Office as Mr..
Cleveland has kept Republicans.
Harrison's Southern policy con-
tinues to be a subject of general dis
cussion here. The opinion is almost
unanimous among the members of
both parties, that Harrison's Admin
istration will be very conservative
one unless something now entirely
unexpected should occur. Idon't think
the South has any thing to fear at the
hands of Harrison. If many things
that now have a somewhat trouble
some look are let severely alone, they
will adjust themselves; chief among
this class Of things is the negro ques-
ton. l am certain from information
derived from Republican sources, that
Harrison will appoint no negro to any
prominent federal Office in the South.
In fact there is an undoubted DISPOSE
ton among Republicans to relegate
the negro to back seats in future. He
is no longer of any practical use to
that party, therefore they will give
him nothing.
When Congress opens Monday it is
doubtful whether either House will
have a quorum present, unless they
come in much faster tomorrow and
Sunday.
There is a growing belief that Har-
rison will call an extra session of Con-
gress soon after his Inauguration.
A wELL-AUTHENTICATED story is told
of a Waterbury cat which died of grief
over the death OF a mistress for whom
| it had remarkable affection. As