The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-09-16
THE CAPITAL CITY.
Our zee .ly Letter From
Washington.
A GOOD JOKE ON A DELEGATE.
The Absence of Campaign Blanks
This Year On Civil
Service Reform.

WASHINGTON, September 11.-[Specia
to THE SALT LAKE HERALD. Two Of
the Territorial delegates in Congress
have been having
GOOD DEAL OF FUN
lately and it all came about in this wise
Some time ago Delegate Smith, OF
Arizona, was in one of the House
galleries with party of friends from
the southwestern corner of the Re-
public At that particular period Mr.,
Richard Townshend, of Illinois, was
engaged in IL aklpg speech. Immedi-
ateIy behind Mr.. Smith was Mrs.
Townshend (but Smith did not know
it, so that when Smith said something
about Dick Townshend making him
tired it naturally reached the lady 8
ear. She at once became indignant
visibly so-and then Smith recognized
her He was in dire distress and he
tried tWo or three schemes to play him
self off for some other member, but
that woald not work After awhile
Smith said goodbye" to his friends
and then raturned to the floor of the
House where he found in Delegate
Toole, of Montana, sympathetic soul
to whom the story was con-
fided. Somebody gave the Incl
dent away and it was printed.
One day, week or so later, Smith and
Toole were in the House when Towns
bend got up and went out.
THAT WAS TooLE's OPPORTUNITY.
He at once wrote note, purporting to
come from Townshend, in which
he informed Mr.. Marcus Smith
that he had heard of his insulting re-
mark in the gallery and he wanted an
apology or satisfaction. The note was
duly signed and then handed to a page
for delivery, Smith read it and just as
he glanced up from it he caught sight
of TOwnshend who had returned rather
Unexpectedly. Here was his chance
for apology and he at once aYailed
himself of it. He rushed up to Towns
bend and for half an hour talked
apologies of all shapes and sizes.
Townshend could not for his life,
understand just why there should be
so much soft soap so early in the cam
paign, but he accepted everything that
was offered and made as few remarks
as possible. To Toole all this
was very amusing and wher
Smith came over to where he
was, with a countenance all smiles,
it was all he could do to hold his yissge
down. When the eloquent ArIzonian
had got through Toole quietly handed
out the information that ne Wro that
note himself, Whereupon Smith said
that they were in the House of Repre-
sentatives and must behave quietly,
but if Toole would only accompany
him to the east front of the Capitol
he would do him up in about sixty
seconds" Now all is peace.
CIVIL SERVICE REFORM IDEAS
are quite rampant in this campaign
and large number of tho-e who have
heretofore been ranked with the faith
full spoilsmen are on the reform side
of the fence. Speaking of this in
creased recognition of civil service re
form ideas the New York Evening Post
says:
to be found in the absence from Wash |
ington during this Presidential cam
paign of all instr lments of torture, |
such as Clapp and his cohorts set up |
there during the last campaign. There |
are no Quarters" now near the |
Treasury fitted up like bank, with |
counters and pigeonhole windows, and |
with clerks prepared to receive and re-
ceipt for such sums as persons may |
wish to contribute to the campaign |
fund. Four years ago these places |
were flied with men who were hunting |
up the residences of clerks, so that |
circulars demanding contributions |
could be sent to reach them at their
homes, instead OF their offices, as they |
wished to keep within the letter of the
civil service law. Upon Mr.. Curtis they |
were heaping the fouiest abuse because |
of his efforts to thWart them, speaking |
of him as being guilty of "a preposter- |
Gus piece of asiDine mendacity and |
stupidity They were giving it out |
by means of interviews that ali of the |
clerks were contributing except a few |
who were mainly Democrats, and who |
had BEEN appointed under spirit of |
tolerance, but who should be rooted |
out fol- their ingratitude and dis
loyalty to the party that put daily
bread into their months The Blaine |
and Logan clubs of Washington were
second1ng in these sentiments by de-
claring that these clerks should be re-
garded as simply pretenders, and as
disloya al to the party who refused |
under the guise of civil service re-
form to perform so plain duty as
contributing to this committee. 1t Is q
simple truth that nothing of this kind is
now seen or heard of in Washington.
Reformers very naturally 'dote upon
its absence.
The civil service is apparently
CROWDED WITH LADIES
from Virginia, and Bishop" Oberly, OF
the civil service commission, took al
1op+aoe of thar condition of ofaj-s 20 |