Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1889-10-17
THE NORTHWEST
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our regular Correspondent. !

WASHINGTON, D. c., Oct. I, 1888.
Ex-Postmaster General HattGn has
created sensation by printing ia his
paper the time, place, and even the
price, for which list of the questions
to be asked at an examination held in
this city by the Civil Service commits
sion was furnished to party here. The
list was sold by an employe of the com
mission, who is o brother-in-laW of
Commissioner Lyman, and to clinch
matters he has printed letter from ex-
Commissioner Edgerton to President
Harrison, written last April, contain
ing the same charge. A congressional
investigation is now foregOne c0nclu-
sion even the Commissioners, at least
the new ones-Messers Roosevelt and
Thompson-adm that such an inves-
tigatiOn is necessary and Hatton claims
to be prepared to prove other things
equally damaging against the methods
that have been used by the commission.
Every one is wondering why President
Harrison did not at once order an in
vestigation upon receipt of Mr.. Edger-
tons very plain letter. Such things
will hardly help the Civil Service COM
mission in getting from Congress the
largely increased appropriation which
will be asked for at the coming session.
There is no truth in the sensational
statements sent from here to the office
that the representations of Chill refused
to attend the organization of the Three
Americas Congress because they did
not wish to vote for Mr.. Blaine as
President. The only reason that Chill
was not represented was because the
delegate, who is to serve with Senor
Don Varas the Chilian minister here,
has not arrived with has own and the
ministers credentials, and without
them the minister, although here,
could not take his seat in that body.
This statements made by the minis
ter.
Washingtonians are out doing them
selves in entertaining the quarter of
million strangers now here in conse-
quence of the triennial conclave of the
Knight Templars. Every one seems
determined to show that strangers are
better treated here than in any other
large city in the world. The town is as
lavishly dec0ratrd as if it was Inaugural
tion times; our public schools give holi-
day, and the stores end banks will
close as far as possible tomorrow, to
enable everyone to see the largest pa
rade of Knight Templars that ever took
place. The President has caught the
Washington spirit and will hold spec
ial reception tomorrow night for the
knights and their ladies. The knights
are already enthusiastically in favor of
Washington as the place for the Worlds
Exposition of 1892 as we knew they
would be.
The new Commissioner of the land
office holds in decision made day or
two ago that a..strict construction of the
law requiring an actual residence to be
established on home stead entry with
in six months from date of entry should
not be taken in the case of those settlers
that give evidence of honest intention
to comply with the law.
Appointments have been few, and
unimportant, aside of the long list of
Presidential postmasters, since Presi-
dent Harrison came back to the White
House. There are probably several
things which will account for this. First
and foremost is the seemingly endless
hunt to find q man for Pension Com
missioner that stands we'll with the G.
A. r., which the President greatly fears
that will take the place and promise to
run the office on the lines laid down by
Secretary Noble. Then President Har-
rison had considerable worry in con-
nection, with the organization of the
Three Americas Congress here last
week, the foreigners wanted to elect Mr..
w. A. Trescott of South Carolina one
of the U. S. Members, President, but
President Harrison objected to it be-
cause Mr.. Tresc0tt was connected with
the late Confederate government and
suggested Mr.. Blaine, who was elected.
When to these things are added the la
Dor Of getting things in shape for his
annual message 1t is not strange that
appointments have been fewer than
usual
Considerable curiosity is felt here to
know whether Pres. Harrison will say
anything in his message to Congress
about Civil Service reform. 1t is gen.
orally thought that he will let the SUBJ
ject entirely alone. The broasdide that
George William Curtis, chief of the
Mugwump clan, poured into him last
week, was enough to cause him to be
silent on the subject, if he had not be-
fore then made up his mind to let it
alone.
Benjamin +. Butler is here trying to
get his fingers on the pension pie. He
is urging the President to appoint some
one, but who it is he has succeeded so
far in concealing. Mystery is Buffers
national element, and several members
of this administration greatly resemble
him in that respect.
Secretary Proctor spends less time in
Washington than any other member of
the cabinet. His large business inter-
ests, and his political ambition to sue
ceed Senator Morrill, makes his presence
necessary very often in Vermont.
Collector-"Mr. Rankin says he can't
be bothered to send me to ysu every
week about that little bill.N Customer