Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1889-04-25
WASHINGTON LETTER
Prom our Regular Correspondent.
WASHIS1roN. April IL, 1889.


Some OF the applications for postmaster
ships display pretty fair idea of the APP
pointing power. Ii the application il adj
dressed To the president. the applicant
dwells upon his war record and rskes his
list of acquaintance with fne-tooth
comb to find some one who knows the
president personally. Like as not the per
son found is minister who used to know
ten Harrison ia indianapolis. The mem
her III this part ocular brand of minister il
wonderful To- contemplate. A few days
~ince saw IA specimen Endorsement written
10y one of them for man who wants To- lie
consul To Melbourne. The letter wac six
pages long. aud locked like u confidential
offer Of general advice, combined with "a his
tory of Indiana.
II the applicant have in his minds eve
the rotund Christianity Of the postmaster
general he dwells strongly on hi. connection
with some sunday school, and ii possible
shows that he is during week days "A con
scientious business man doing IA la rye trade.
which it will he really "a sacrifice for him to
even partially abandon for the purpose Of
accepting IA postoiiice. And yet. after due
consideration and prayer. he has concluded
that his wife will he able to attend to the I
business while he sits in the postoflice and I
occasionally shufiles letters and puts fresh |
gum on the secondhand stamps. Henever
forgets to state that he has given the mat
ter "prayerful consideration though l
whether HE prayers were for divine direc-
ton or merely for good luck is not stated.
But it is when he strikes First Assistant
Postmaster GARRISON that the candidate
comes out strong. Here he can show his
sores and wounds received in the cause of
the Republican party and pour into eager
ears the story OF his trials, his energy and
his wrengs. Here is man who does not
feel bitterly toward him merely because he
lost his ears or nose in joint debate N IA
caucus. Verify, the alert office seeker is all
things tn all men.
The post office department grin,Is out the
appointments rapidly as possible, which
al course is too slow To suit the applicants
and their friends. There are more than
lo,o'w to he decaptated and replaced and
progress appears SLOW. In the fourth-class
appointments the greatest speed is at
l
publican congressman representing the dis
trict in which the office is situated is fol
lowed unqu-stionngy. Where there is II. !
Hepublican member the reco Communications f l
the recognized party leaders is taken of /,
course IL fierce struggle commences right
there as To who are entitled To lie called
leaders, hut the department solves the 4
problem with as little bloodshed as Dos :
sIbc, oils mp the machine and goes ahead
President Harrson's mail is gradual,
falling of in extent, until it now averages
only about seven hundred letters IA day
This should not be taken a : encouragement
to John Jones of Jones switch to write
"ftener, for only the most important eli
these letters ever the eye OF an import n
ant clerk. {,
The number of photographs filed with !,
rather increases than lessens 4,
Every day IA hundred or So are filed The y
applicants in remote dist rict. seem to have
abiding faith in the power OF beauty to v
seize and hold the appointing power. Stin =
, photograph of pair of staring eyes. an I,
assorted lot Of whiskers and ~ hand-me-
Town suit of clothes, set ofi by II green but =;
erfly necktie, is not calculated to secure nj
or the subject the English mission. one al
Georgia man, who desires to be in the in al
ernal revenue service, sends "A picture OF =,
himself and horse in a sort of dime novel a,
makeup. His boots and spurs are some ~
hing terrible to contemplate in their Zero. ~
ious grandeur, and the calibre of his Win al
hester and revolvers stamp him as 4 man e,
apabe OF Selling and holding a dozen TO
mountain stills. In his letter on the sub u
Get he states that, although he rode twenty -
niles to have the pictures made, his friends
ell him that the eyes are not exactly like
lis whereupon he adds that his sight is-if
lnything more than another ca he said to
'e-his strong point.
scheme is talked oil which has for its ma
the pensioning of government clerks. .i p
10 appropriation is sought, it being merely Zoe
proposed to ask legislation which will legal at
re such plan. The proposition is to ere
tie the fund by subscription from en- WI
loyes, the sum of 81 per month being de- ~,
ucted from each clerks salary for that
urpose. In the event of retirement after pr
hirty years service, the clerk retiring re. Gu
owes a p~nsion oi $40 per month Ia
NJ