Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1889-12-27
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
WASHINGTON, d. c.,

v
Dec. "a, 1889.
Editor Register.-The committee on
elections in the House have decided
to take up the three contested cases
from West Virginia first The case OF
Smith against Jackson will be taken
ND by the committee on the 18th OF
January, to be followed as soon as it
is disposed of by McGinnis against
Anderson and Atkinson against Pen
dleton. The cases are to be reported
to the House in the order in which
they are heard before the committee.
The Republicans are determined to
turn every Democrat out whose seat
is contested just as soon as 1t can
possibly he done, and the Democrats
are Just as determined to keep them
i'm. A lively time may therefore be
looked for within week after the
House meets from its holiday recess.
Samuel j. Randall has not yet put in
an appearance in the House, as he
has been sick and kept at home in
order to recuperate his strength for
the coming struggle OF course the
three Democrats from West Virginia
stand an excellent chance for losing
their seats, but it will be long and
bitter struggle.
A bill has been introduced in the
House to appoint bureau OF APP
pointments. Under the bill all clerks
are to be divided into three classes.
The first class shall comprise those
clerks who have been longest in the
service of the government. After
three years all these clerks shall be
removed and shall not again be
eligible for appointment. The next
class shall consist of clerks next long
est in the service, and they shall go
out after six years more service, and
the third class after service OF ten
years more. Appointments hereafter
are to be apportioned among the con-
gressional districts and made upon
the recommendation of the Congress
men after suitable examination rs to
fitness. No clerk shall hold office for
more than ten years, and removals
shall be made only for cause. Should
this bill become a law it would at
least secure rotation in office.
1t has already been practically
agreed that Immediately after the
holiday recess is over the Senate COM
mittee on territories will favorably
report a bill admitting Idaho and
Wyoming into the Union as States.
A bill has been also introduced in
the House to enable the civilized
Indians in the Indian Territory to
form a new State and be admitted in
to the Union as the State of Column
bia.
What slaughter there has been of
Jefferson and Berkeley Democrats
since the 4th of March Holmes
Schoppert, Triton, Loman, Criswell,
Robinson, Weddell and host Of
others have bitten the dust without a
word of protest from the Kenna-
Faulkner Senatorial combination,
and about the only one left is Gas"
Cross of Harper's Ferry, who has
always been a Henry G. Davis man.
When some of the Jefferson Repub-
licans made a break for the scalp of
Mr. Cross they were met more than
half way by Henry g., who plainly
told them thus far and no farther"
and Gas" still remains drawing q
salary from Uucle Sam. He is man
of great discrimination, and never
showed this quality more plainly
than when he did all he could to elect
Davis Senator. Verify, he deserves
his reward, and long may he enjoy it.
Some of the ardent KenDa men are
still waiting their reward for the part
they took in the same fight, and long
will they wait-or at least till the next
Senatorial fight, when promises will
again be as plentiful as flowers in
May.
Speaker Reed on Saturday amour
ced the membership of the different
committees of the House. Mr.. Wilson
is on the Committee on Manufactures,
Judiciary, and the ballot-boX case in
Ohio; Mr. Pendleton is on Claims and
Expenditures in the Treasury Depart
ment; Mr.. Anderson, on Private Land
Claims and Reform in the Civil Ser
vice; and Mr.. jackson on Levees and
Improvement of the Mississippi River.
Miss Kate Field, the woman reform
err, will start a new paper here the
first of January, to be called kate
Fields Washington. She will have
two young women associated with
her, one as business manager, and
none but women will be on the edito-
rial and business stats.
The District appropriation bill was
reported from the committee Satur-
day to the House. 1t appropriates
5000, 900 for the repair of streets and
sewers, which should give boom to
the cement industries Of Shepherds
town next summer Y