The Portland daily press., 1888-02-01
the NATIONAL CAPITAL.
New York's Political intrlcacIes and
the Presidents Prospects.
What the chief Magistrate May Do
With the Civil Service.
Major Smiths recommendation for
Improving the kennebec.
Especial to the press.l

I
wAsurNsToN. Jan. 3i.-The politicians
here are all talking national politics liveller
than ever The contest in the State commit
tee at Albany has set the discussion Of the
probable strength of the opposition to Gov
| Hill to going more yiyaciously than
ever. The great trouble was for the first
| few DAYS that very few men seemed to be
| able to talk of the subject except specifically
and by offering lot of meaningless words.
| The intricacies of New York State politics
are understood but very little by the aver
age Congressman, Republican or Democrat
until they are thoroughly explained, and SO
the mass said it was a very curious and in
reresting fight. added that Gov. Hill was
great politician, told what they knew Of the
meeting at Saratoga last fall, when the Pres
ident's friends were so prominently inferior
to Hill's, and wandered on in this way. At
the present stage, the general conclusion is
that all Gov. Hill made the fight for was to
demonstrate his strength, so as to have some
one under obligation whea the national con-
vention and its opportunity came.
The admission is generally made that there
are not a few instances of discomfort and dis
affection so far as the President is concerned
and in many quarters it is not only believed
but asserted that an intrigue to defeat his
denomination is in progress. The action OF
the Randall men in Pennsylvania Is cited as
one instance. tbs admitted In tnese us
cussions that both by his appointments and
by his message the President has made enc
mics, and some Of them fighting enemies
But that is inevitable in politics.
TWO Promising Men.
1t may be interesting to glance moment
at pair of young Republicans who are
spending this week together. Theodore
Roosevelt of New York and the Rocky Noun
tains, is spending some days with Henry
Cabot Lodge. They are pair OF young men
worth watching, well-kept, well-read. clean
limbed. clever men, with lots OF pluck ana
fight in them. They are both blondes-Lodge
with beard, Roosevelt with only NOUS
tache and set of rnilk-white teeth that con-
tinually CLEAN out under it as he talks. Ihey
are both Harvard men, the latter quite little
the youger as he has been out OF college only
about eight years. They are neither S oi LINEN tnem
prefer to see some one else nominated.
but if he is nominated they will both be on
hand to help the party.
Stepniak's Appeal.
The appeal of Stepniak, the Russian Lib
eral, against the confirmation Of the Rus
sian extradition treaty has created good
deal of 1utter in the Russian legation, and
the secretary and his assistants are ponder
ing what they will do to offset it. Serge
Stepniak's letter and the personal appeal ne
intends to make may very likely come 10
nothing, as the feeling against the terrorists
in the ranks of the rev0luti0nlstS Is SO
strong. But the legation see that strong
card in good English is played against them,
anu lloy arc iioie 'ii'n "nAAOu' "
The Kennebec River.
The Secretary of War sent to the House
Inc ooeio'aiy Va u". 00.s " 'Ao
today the report OF MAJOR smith on the sur
yeys of the Kennebec and Penobscot rivers.
M, ,o.tar oo,o,,nte 20 ,,otbino brt the state-
~ 80. - N..a.,a = ;,,s,eso;ant
lnent 1nat tne appiopiiaaon 10 ,noun0'on'
Major Smith, after explaining at length the
obstacles to navigation in the Kennebec
recommends Improvements as follows:
Reef rock shoal. stout brush dixie and
wing dam ...ls.................... 100000
Hatchs rock, three wing dams..... iSS,6o0o iS,o
Lovejoy's Narrows .,................. loo,OOoooo
ySsitay JSiy q. Swan d AZ isii q ~ t Timer Sonnd
"png Ray u''ii anu uiNo az 'ne eppeA 81 .o5O
Dredging from Gardiner shoals TO Au-
gusIa e.........- .-...................... 1890
Surveying engineering, etc ............ $4,000
- >,,,;, eaxv,ca
Nv"
The members of the civil service commits
sion do not seem much concerned about the
s,on ~ nO' seom n - tha c;v;, service
NUMEROUS "n''nu'i'n'' w w.
laws which have been introduced In Con-
eress this winter They esseIt that by the
terms of the act the President would be
guided by an amendmens OF Fdto n1s a. nls seys ar
the ciyil-seryice act is very ingeniously
worded 1t prescribes and proscribes pretty
nearly eyeIytlling ~ elsIs ,,,os ~ all fnrca
hv ocoordng or 70 the President unlimited dis
cretionary power If an amendment were
made to the law, vetoed by tne rIesiHene t,5s S
anu passea ~ 1ye, tha Fyacntiye has the mower to
adont n rnle entirely contrary to the law or
onv amandments that might be made there
to- Commissioner Edgerton calls TO mind
an interesting fact that the civil service law
was entirely unnecessary to accomplish
the nnrpose for which it was in
tended An act already existing and now
embodied in the civil service law, gave to the
President the power 70 feguats anR AZ terms
af that act he had fuliauthority to appoint
commission to examine candidates for APP
pontment ana 70 make rulss @ anu boua rsasons
it il the opinion of Commissioner Edgerton
that the law was entirely uncalled for, and
mas accomplsned nothhlng tlaI 1Jaa niacas mo- no
str;otinn avhatavar rba President as it
expressly nullifed all its restrictive clauses.
| The President is given so much discretionary
power, MI. 5ugsrcon ~. says, snaI togetber ne i So
itis ~ the on;nion Of civil'sarviee expert that
| it rests with the administration whether the
law shall be dead letter or not VAN
Deficient Appropriations.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 5l.-Tbe dehclency
appropriation bill has been completed by the
| Honse committee on appropriations. The
Sos.;o ~ - pae 40 estimates
total appropriation IS ss,o0o'osz LS',%ase' mnaos
are submitted, originating with tne treas
| ury. for S799. 300 for the completion of q
n,h,;o hr;ld;nos tbrorohont the countrv
puono Duiu .Ae"snou. BY. '.hou,sod ~,
upon wnen the unit Oh cost ha nnmnttos
Congress has been reached. Inc nitt comni,t.est
will report that 1t recognizes the necessity @ oa
making these appfoprlatons Og' tba Snuse item 1ne
rules is preciuaea from rep9rtthnsh I'M shi Ie viii ask
the gentleman IN charge OF tns & pIll VII tSat asa
the unanimous consent Oh the house 'na'
the Items be considered
Doing Nothing.
| TIE House has been In session nearis wv
months without developing any ehoracter
istic. The qualities of timidity and lassitude
/