The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-02-11
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
CFrom our Regular Correspondent

farther" said one armed veteran,
ethan it was carried by Senator
Kenna in his alleged reply to Senator
Sherman's recent speech on the Pres
ident's message. Think of his daring
to upbraid Sherman for having voted
in July, 1864, for the passage of the
law allowing immigration under con-
tract. Does not the young Senator
know why such law became neces-
sary? 1t was to offer special induce.
ments to immigrants to come tC the
United States to take the place in our
work shops and manufactures of the
brave men who had gone to the front
to subdue the rebellion against this
Government that was originated and
helped along by some OF the very
Democratic Senators who smiled
their approval of the West Virginia
Senator's impudent remarks on the
-four of the Senate"
The point made by the old soldier
Is a good one. Senator Kenna's re.
marks were certainly impudent; but
he could not possibly have been more
severely punished than he was by
the easy manner In which Senator
Sherman demolished his whole argG-'
ment by few short sentences.
Ii the democrats in Congress will
only keep up the do-nothing policy
that they haye shown thus far, dur
ing the remainder of the session, the
Republicans will have walk over
in the coming Presidential election
and will elect two-thirds of the next
House.
A new set of rules have just been
adopted, with the sanction of Cleve-
land, by that monumental humbug,
the Civil Service Commission. The
following will do as a specimen of
the cant and hypocrisy of this sham
reform administration il is the clos
ing paragraph of the section provid-
ing for compulsory examination for
promotion in the executive depart
ments: "But persons in the classified
service who were hOnOrabIy dis
charged from the military or naval
service of the United States, and the
widows and orphans of deceased sol.
diers and sailors. shall be exempt
from such examinations"
That sounds good. don't it ? Looks
like the Uulon veteran was at last to
be recognized by the Democratic adj
ministration Not at all. 1t is only
another case of make believe. This
is put out as lotion to soothe the
wounds inflicted on the ex soldiers
and sailors by vetoing the pensions
which they had earned in defense of
their country. Nobody knows better
than Cleveland and his Civil Service
Commissioners that this rule will
never help single ex-soldier or SOL
dier's widow to promotion as long as
the chiefs of bureaux and divisions
are allowed to certify which of the
clerks shall be promoted, as they are
now. The examinations are regarded
among the clerks themselves as q
farce, for no matter how high your
percentage is, you may be sure you
will never be certified for promotion
unless you are "solid" with your
chief. Oh no. Mr.. Cleveland. you
will have to get some better bait than
this, before you will eyer succeed in
cathing any of the soldier votes. The
boys have not, and are not likely to
forget the ''ghoulish glee" exhibited
by you in some of your messages
veto;ng pensions for crippled soldiers.
The prospects of the Republicans
for electing the President and a ma
jority of the next House of Repre-
sentatives, grow brighter every day.
The Republicans all over the country
are united and determined to 60 into
this fight 10 win. The Democrats
have fully demonstrated their inca
paclty TO govern this country success
fully. and it is truly amusing to hear
their leaders arguing that because the
country has not wholly gone to the
dogs since Cleveland came in, they
should be entrusted with another
term of four years they do not pre-
tend to point out anything good that
they have accomplished, but wish to
claim credit and ask continuance Of
public confidence because no very
great evils have come upon US. If
that is not "gall" then what should
it be called? But of course no one
is surprised at anything a Democrat
may do.
The great Democratic fight in the
dark is still on. The contestants are
supposed to be Cleveland on one side
and Hill and Randall on the other.
10 Il